13/4/05
The Gallop Government says it will improve educational and social outcomes for Kalgoorlie students by separating the existing public high school into two new high schools.
Education and Training Minister Ljiljanna Ravlich announced during a visit to Kalgoorlie today that Eastern Goldfields Senior High School would be broken up into a distinct senior college for Years 11 and 12 and middle school for Years 8 to 10.
The new model would take effect from Semester Two, which started mid-July.
"The new schools will have their own principals and their own administrative support structures, whose express purpose it will be to maximise educational and social outcomes for the Year groups in their care," Ms Ravlich said.
"The new schools will be better resourced than the existing school, with a range of behaviour management and student support programs, as well as special academic programs to improve results for all students.
"The Liberals pulled Eastern Goldfields Senior High School apart at the start of 2001 and failed the local community by not adequately resourcing the two-campus model, especially the middle school.
"This has led to behavioural problems on the middle school campus and I will not stand by and let this go on in our schools."
The Minister said the State Government would provide more resources from its Behaviour Management and Discipline program to the new middle school, to better support students and teachers.
"In addition to the half a million dollars in behaviour management funds the Gallop Government has already provided to the school, we will increase Behaviour Management staffing levels to the equivalent of 3.5 additional full-time teachers to reduce class sizes in Years 8 and 9," Ms Ravlich said.
"The additional staff will give the school crucial increased flexibility to withdraw and deal with students who are disrupting the learning of others."
The Minister said the new schools would have a more academic focus.
"I will be setting up a Gifted and Talented Education Program at the middle school to foster academic excellence in students," she said.
"There is a significant proportion of very bright students in the Goldfields and we want to ensure they are being extended and have the best opportunities to achieve their potential.
"The senior school will also work closely with Curtin University and Curtin VTEC to provide new courses of study, both vocational and academic, to provide more opportunities and learning pathways for students."
Ms Ravlich said the course programs would be boosted through the Information and Communication Technologies resources already allocated to Eastern Goldfields Senior High School, which would transfer to the new schools.
More than $490,000 in high-tech computer equipment and ICT professional development for teachers has been allocated to the existing school from the State Government's 100 Schools Project.
The Minister will also look at creating a Year 10 school within the new middle school.
"The aim of this special education area, dedicated to Year 10 students, would be to focus on student engagement, student leadership and the transition into upper secondary school," she said.
Other proposals included housing the Goldfields Football Academy on the middle school site along with health and welfare services accessible to students and their families.
Ms Ravlich said she would decide the detail of the new schools model after taking into account feedback from the school and wider community.
The Minister and Director General of Education and Training Paul Albert discussed the restructure at a meeting in Kalgoorlie today with representatives of the school council and P&C, the Kalgoorlie-Boulder council, Department of Indigenous Affairs, VTEC, high school staff and the Goldfields District Education Office.
"The community feedback I got today was very valuable and I will take that into consideration along with further input from stakeholders I didn't get to meet today," Ms Ravlich said.
"I will be setting up a consultative committee to guide these changes, including a decision about the new schools' names."
The blueprint announced today was based on a proposal that had been prepared by the Department of Education and Training through the Goldfields District Education Office.
Minister's office: 9213 6800
