Optional full-time schooling for five-year-olds

Parents will have the option of extending pre-school education for their five-year-olds from part-time to full-time under the Social Advantage package.

Flexible pre-school programs will be available to all four-year-olds.

Premier Carmen Lawrence said $6 million would be injected into the successful First Steps literacy and numeracy program for junior primary school students.

"First Steps ensures students at a very young age have the building blocks in place for a high level of literacy and numeracy throughout their school careers," she said.

"Enhanced literacy and numeracy skills are important in a long-term strategy to equip young people for further education, training or the workforce."

Dr Lawrence said early identification of children with speech problems was essential.  To help meet this need, priority would be given to providing speech pathologists in the outer metropolitan areas of Wanneroo, Rockingham and Armadale.

"The Government will also pilot another program in which students will be promoted through their first three years of school based on development instead of age," she said.

"Also, five school therapy co-ordinators and 15 occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech pathologists will be employed to meet the demand from children with disabilities in the mainstream school system."

The Premier said community partnerships would be further developed with a scheme to encourage wider community use of school facilities.

"Schools are important community assets which could be used for a range of purposes outside school hours.

"Another measure will see that pupil-free days are co-ordinated within State school districts to assist working parents plan child care."