2/8/01
Sweeping reforms are urgently needed to assist teachers and schools to provide a better education to Western Australia's children, a Ministerial review has found.
Releasing the findings of the Taskforce on Structures, Services and Resources Supporting Government Schools, Education Minister Alan Carpenter said the taskforce had reported that there were major problems with the department's culture, structure and decision-making processes.
"The Department of Education must put children first and refocus on the fundamentals of learning and teaching," Mr Carpenter said.
He said the recommendations of the report would be the basis of the development of education in the State over the next decade.
"I am pleased that the taskforce found impressive evidence of unharnessed energy, commitment and dedication throughout the system and that many initiatives were working well," he said.
Mr Carpenter said the report, entitled 'Investing in Government Schools: Putting Children First', was hard-hitting and, at times, very critical of departmental practices and structure.
It said the Department of Education's central office was 'a house divided' which had forgotten the education system existed for children, and had recommended structural changes.
"The report will help ensure that the education system, which employs about 30,000 staff and with an annual budget of $1.6 billion, meets the needs of the State's school students," Mr Carpenter said.
He said the taskforce, led by University of WA Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson, had found the department's central office structures did not have a strong focus on teaching and learning outcomes, and were confusing to schools.
"There are limited opportunities for schools and districts to influence central decision making, resulting in insufficient recognition of the diversity of student needs," he said.
Mr Carpenter said the 58 recommendations included:
- a restructured central office to focus on teaching and learning rather than bureaucratic process;
- a heavy emphasis on literacy and numeracy in the early years of schooling;
- the need for clear and explicit standards that all children are expected to meet in each phase of schooling;
- clear curriculum guides so that teachers know what they are expected to teach in each phase of schooling;
- differential resourcing and more flexibility to help teachers meet student needs;
- schools held accountable for student-achievement targets eg subject competencies, truancy rates, TEE scores;
- district directors to intervene where targets are not met;
- more opportunities for students to take part in extracurricular activities, eg: organised sport, personal and community projects, work experience;
- transferring 50 central office staff with specialist expertise into districts to help students in schools;
- reducing class sizes in pre-primary to Year 3 from 28 to 24 by 2003 and to 21 by 2006;
- compulsory Aboriginal studies in all schools;
- compulsory cultural-awareness training for all staff;
- vocational education and training (VET) subjects made available to Year 10 students and increased availability of VET studies in all secondary schools;
- trialling separate middle school (Years 8-10) arrangements for boys and girls;
- reviewing professional development needs; and
- improving career structures for teachers and school leaders.
Mr Carpenter said on the recommendation of the taskforce, he had already restructured central office.
A major initiative to provide 200 extra literacy and numeracy experts was also under way.
The Minister said the taskforce had provided an exciting opportunity for a new era in public education in WA and was an opportunity that should not be missed.
"Education is the ticket to the future for our children. It is their passport to the 21st century," he said.
Mr Carpenter thanked Professor Robson and his taskforce team.
"They have delivered a comprehensive and significant report," he said.
"In just 12 weeks they considered more than 300 submissions and reports, visited numerous schools and interviewed a wide range of people.
"We had a vision for education which we put to the people in February and we now have a strategic blueprint with which we can move forward."
Media contact: Owen Cole 9213 6800
