26/8/04
More than 150 people from the north-eastern area of Perth took part in one of Western Australia's largest 'brain-picking' exercises when the State-wide public forums on raising the school leaving age travelled to Ballajura late yesterday.
Education and Training Minister Alan Carpenter attended the forum with local member John D'Orazio and Swan Hills MLA Jaye Radisich at Ballajura Community College to discuss raising the school leaving age.
"This is one of the most significant changes proposed to education and training in WA," Mr Carpenter said.
"The aim is to have all young people participating, up to the age of 17, in meaningful combinations of schooling, training, higher education and work.
"Doing nothing will no longer be an option."
The Minister said young people who left school early risked limiting their long-term prospects through unemployment and social disadvantage.
"Having young people under-employed, not educated or trained to their full potential, brings with it all sorts of social and economic costs that simply cannot be ignored," he said.
"We need to look at ways to engage these young people in meaningful and ongoing learning so they can maximise their future potential."
Mr Carpenter said that in 2001, the newly-elected Gallop Government inherited a ramshackle mess in public education and training.
"High school retention figures had plummeted to scandalously low levels, apprenticeships and traineeships had flat-lined and youth unemployment was close to 30 per cent," he said.
"However, in three-and-a-half years the turnaround has been dramatic.
"We now have Year 12 retention rates close to record levels, rising to 62.9 per cent in 2003 - the highest retention figure achieved in a decade.
"The number of people in apprenticeships and traineeships has leapt by nearly 40 per cent - that means an extra 7,400 Western Australians getting skills for real jobs now and into the future.
"Youth unemployment has halved to 15 per cent since we came into office."
The Minister said the school leaving age proposal had already been a catalyst for change across the education and training system.
"Education and training options are becoming more flexible and relevant and more emphasis is being placed on finding solutions to keeping young people in a learning environment," he said.
Mr D'Orazio said raising the school leaving age would require working in partnership with young people, parents, teachers, higher education and training providers such as TAFEWA, commerce, industry and the broader community.
"It was encouraging to see a wide cross-section of the community participating in yesterday's forum," he said.
"Representatives from local government, the business community, schools and parents attended and it was interesting to hear their thoughts and ideas on how best we can implement this change."
Ms Radisich said yesterday's forum was a step towards identifying some of the specific issues relevant to the Swan Education District that might make this proposal difficult to implement.
Mr Carpenter said raising the school leaving age was not about keeping young people in classrooms until they turned 17.
"Raising the school leaving age is about providing young people with education and training choices that are flexible and relevant to suit their needs," he said.
"Ideally, I would like to see students with the opportunity to combine vocational and academic studies until they are 17, to raise their long-term career prospects.
"For example, students could spend two days a week at school, two days a week at TAFEWA campuses and one day a week in the workforce."
The Minister encouraged the local community to continue its contribution to the discussion via a written submission or by attending any of the remaining public forums.
Details on written submissions and future public forums are available from the 'Raising the school leaving age' website at http://www.ministers.wa.gov.au/carpenteror http://www.det.wa.edu.au
Minister's office: 9213 6800
