Press Conference - Girrawheen

JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Well, it’s great to be back in WA and to be here at Girrawheen to talk about what we’re doing in education. More and more jobs in the years ahead are going to require more and more skills. It’s going to require more people to finish high school and more people to go on to TAFE or to university. And some good news that I can announce today is that more people will start a university degree here in WA next year than ever before. We’ve allocated an extra 1,300 places to the five universities here in WA for students to start a university degree next year. 

But to help make sure that more people start a degree or start a TAFE qualification, we need more people to finish school, and to help make sure more people finish school we’ve got to provide them with the support that they need when they start school. It’s all connected. And last year, over the last 12 months, we’ve signed agreements with every single state and territory to fix the funding of our public schools. It’s the biggest investment in our public schools by the Australian government ever. 

And the first state to sign on was WA, and the first state to start to see the real benefits of this is WA as well. It means about 2.4 billion dollars of extra funding from Canberra into public schools here in WA over the next 10 years. This year we’re already starting to see that money being put to work. This isn’t a blank cheque; it’s tied to the sort of things that we think are going to help young people to keep up or to catch up in primary school and help young people in high school to finish high school and then go on and get those jobs and get those skills. 

So, for example, in 350 schools across WA that money is now being used for small group tutoring. That’s where you get a child who might be falling behind in maths or English out of a classroom of 25 or 30, into a classroom with one or two or three other children and they get extra help a couple of days a week to catch up. But that money is also being used for other things. And I don’t want to – I feel like, Sabine, I might be jumping the gun. 

SABINE WINTON: That’s all right. That’s all right. 

CLARE: But you can underline the point, because I don’t want people to forget about it. It’s a lot of money and it’s being tied to a lot of important things, and one of those things is 192 coordinators, complex behaviour coordinators, in our schools that are helping to support children with complex needs. And next year this funding is going to be invested in four pilot projects – four schools that have been selected to become full-service schools. And we’re here at Girrawheen because Girrawheen is going to be one of those schools, a place where we’re going to pilot the idea that if we bring in potentially doctors or nurses or psychologists or occupational therapists or speech pathologists into the one place then we can support the students here with the needs that they have. 

It’s great that the Health Minister is here as well because I really feel like there is an obvious and real connection between education and health. It’s all really connected. If you’re not feeling well, you’re less likely to turn up and you’re more likely to fall behind. The evidence on my desk says that if you’re struggling with your mental health, by year nine on average you’re likely to be about a year and a half to two and a half years behind the rest of the class. And so these sorts of investments, these sort of supports at our schools can help to make sure that young people who need a bit of support get the support they need so that when their health is okay their education thrives, more young people finish school, more young people go on to TAFE and more young people go on to those university degrees that I was talking about just a moment ago. 

So, I’ll hand over to Sabine and then I’ll hand over to Paul, right? 

WINTON: Thanks so very much, Jason. And thank you so very much to everyone for coming. It is really fantastic to be here at Girrawheen Senior High School for more reasons than you can appreciate. I had a bit of a walk down memory lane before. But it’s really important, as Jason, our federal Education Minister has highlighted, what great partnerships between federal and state Labor governments do. And of course, nothing is bigger and more important than the landmark investments through the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement. 

This morning is an opportunity to actually see what that looks like, as Jason said, in real terms. It’s not a blank cheque; it’s making sure that we jointly invest in what matters most. And it’s investing in making sure that we have equity and excellence. It’s making sure that we focus on wellbeing of students, and it’s also around supporting our workforce. 

Two months ago, I think it was I was very proud to announce the trial of our Connected Community Schools, which is a really important initiative, and it’s what schools and what our communities have been asking for, for a very long time. We announced the 21 million dollar trial, and that trial, as Jason said, is in four schools very strategically chosen: Girrawheen Senior High School, Clarkson Primary School where I made the announcement with the Premier, Ashburton Drive Primary School, and Roebourne District High School. All very different schools but all very similar in terms of what we’re trying to achieve – and that is to connect the community to the school in a way that will benefit our students. 

And at the heart of the trial is schools working with their communities to address their own unique needs. Because we also know the needs here at Girrawheen Senior High School will be very different to the needs of the community at Clarkson Primary School where we have little students. 

What it will look like will be different in different locations, but it’s really about bringing various services, whether they’re health or community services, on to the school sites to ensure that families and students can easily access the supports they need when they need them. It could look like expanding sport programs or other extracurricular activities that are focused on engagement and that help strengthen the wellbeing, connection and confidence of our students. 

And I’m very pleased to say that progress is well underway to get these trials up and running. Schools have commenced the consultation to help inform their planning as part of a phased implementation which will start in term one next year. Initial spaces – and I’m talking about physical spaces, which is also really important to make sure that these services can operate in schools – have been identified with minor works and maintenance to occur over the school holidays to ensure that they’re ready to go. 

The four trial schools will also have the opportunity to host UWA students, students of social work placements, to help bolster community wellbeing. As part of the 21 million dollars, a dedicated central department team is being established to manage the project, the planning and support for the staff in schools. And of course, critically important to all of this work is the interagency approach to this project. The Department of Education can only do so much. We have the physical space. We have an active and interested and engaged community, and this is all about linking up with health services, with community services, with Aboriginal-controlled organisations and other providers to bring the supports and services to where students are. 

They will be different, as I said, at each trial school site because we know that schools are different, and they know their needs best. It’s about support. It’s about providing the right support at the right time for – in the right setting. 

Now, while I’m here with Minister Clare, I’d also like to take this opportunity – and he has already stolen my thunder a bit, but I know that’s why he comes to Western Australia; to check up on me and to check up on our state to make sure that we are actually progressing important initiatives as part of this landmark funding. And, of course, he mentioned things like complex behaviour coordinators, small group tuition. I’m happy to report back, and I know whenever I go to schools throughout the state it’s having great success. Those positions have been in place since the start of the second semester. Some 190 complex behaviour coordinators spread right throughout our schools, over 350 small group tuition services operating in our schools to make sure that kids get that dedicated support to be whatever – sorry, let me start that again. Those programs like complex behaviour coordinators and small group tuition programs in our schools we know are going to make real differences to support students in their learning, to make sure that we can do all we can so that they can truly reach their potential. 

As I said, it is a great partnership between the federal government and the state government. It is Labor governments that get public education, and it is Labor governments, both federal and state government, that not only get public education but are prepared to invest to make sure that every student in every school no matter where they are right throughout Western Australia, that we are giving students every opportunity to be their best and ultimately not only to be their best in life but also so that they can actually grasp those opportunities post school and make a significant contribution to our community. 

I’ll just get Andrew to make a couple of comments, and then I’m happy to take some questions. Andrew? Adam. I got the A right. 

CLARKE: Yes, it is. Yes. Yes, it’s quite surreal to be standing here representing our school and the initiative between the Connected Communities and what we offer here and the exciting times ahead of what we could potentially offer our kids. Because at the end of the day, it’s about getting our kids through school, making our environment safe, giving them every opportunity to build attendance, build academic success, obviously with my phys ed teacher hat on the physical and mental wellbeing side as well. And this Connected Community partnership is only going to give our kids a huge opportunity to have success not just at school but also post school. 

We also see a strong connection between our primary schools and injecting some time and effort into them to help the transition to come into high school a lot easier. That’s through our sports programs. Every Tuesday we have seven feeder schools come into our school and trialling our sports program with our partnerships. And our partnerships extend beyond the school, which is one of the unique things we are currently doing, and this initiative will just help expand that. So, we have partnerships with Warwick Senators, Badminton WA, and Community Athletics, and they all provide coaches that our students get the opportunity to have that real experience. It’s not just a phys ed teacher taking a basketball lesson; it’s a NBL 1 level coach. And this is an opportunity that our students might not ordinarily get in their everyday life. And so, we are just really excited about the prospect of where can we go from here, not just from a sport perspective but from a mental health and wellbeing perspective. Most learning areas being involved in some initiatives connecting with local groups and organisations that want to be a part of what we’re doing here. And, yeah, we’ve already tabled a lot of ideas around arts, around dance and some of our strong programs that already exist in the school. So, it’s really exciting times. 

SPEAKER: Any questions for Adam? 

JOURNALIST: Yeah, I guess does this help bridge the gap between what you would like to do and what you are able to do with the resources that you currently have? 

CLARKE: Correct. You know, we have – every student that comes through the school, we want them to want to come to school. We want them to attend, we want them to be on time, we want them to be prepared. And sometimes that presents challenges and barriers, and this initiative will help consolidate that and drive not just the operational plan of the school but also, you know, the Connected Community partnerships as well. So, it’s kind of like a meshing of two industries or more. 

JOURNALIST: Are you able to share any anecdotes about how kids as they are now without access to these services readily, how this will change them coming to school? 

CLARKE: Yeah. 

JOURNALIST: Anecdotes about people missing school because of – 

CLARKE: Okay, I can talk a little bit about evidence. We started this elite sports program in 2022 with 22 students, and we’re growing to about 120 students with a waitlist next year. Those students are driven by three pillars, which is fitness and training, personal best and growth mindset. So, we’re trying to get the best out of the student. They are committed to being at school on time, being prepared and they have to meet a certain criteria. And with that our attendance rates have improved. So, when kids get a feel of a social connection, it’s not just about the physical benefits of sport; it’s also about, you know, a sense of belonging. And with that, you know, a sense of pride in coming to our school and working with our partners outside of school. 

JOURNALIST: How much does self-esteem impact? 

CLARKE: Massively. Massively. When a kid is not confident or doesn’t, you know, feel like coming to school, we want to change that growth mindset to say, “You know what? I can get out of bed. I’ve got to be at school by 7.30 because I’ve got this training session.” And with that, you know, they have the confidence to go and represent the school in sporting competitions, dance competitions, in their art, which is something we like to foster. And, yeah, when you see a kid have success, that gives you a sense of pride in what you do and know that you’re achieving, because being a teacher is difficult to measure sometimes. 

SPEAKER: Any questions for Minister Clare? 

JOURNALIST: Yes, I’ve got a couple, just on the investment. Minister, the 1300 uni places that you mentioned, are they going to be specifically targeted at certain or particular courses or the five universities here in Western Australia? 

CLARE: They’ll be spread across the five universities, but they’re not specifically allocated to individual courses. The universities make those decisions. What we’ve seen over the course of the last few years, though, is a really encouraging increase in the number of people taking up teaching as a degree. We need more school teachers. It’s the most important job in the world. We don’t have enough of them, whether it’s here in WA or any state in the country. Last year we saw a 10 per cent increase in the number of people enrolling to become a teacher. We need more next year. So, I’m hoping that a good chunk of these will be people making the decision to become a school teacher. 

JOURNALIST: Is that 1300 all for domestic students? 

CLARE: Yes. Yeah, that’s right. 

JOURNALIST: We heard from a parent about the undercover at Grovelands Primary School last week according to local radio and says the school is still waiting for federal funding to fix a major problem at the school, they’ve been waiting 18 months. 

CLARE: Yeah. 

JOURNALIST: Why hasn’t that funding been given to the school? 

CLARE: I think there’s – 

WINTON: I’m happy to speak on that. 

CLARE: Okay. Sabine might be able to add to that. 

JOURNALIST: Can I just grab your response first? 

CLARE: Well, I’d make the point that that money is good. That’s Commonwealth government funding committed to that school. I think my department is working with your department to make sure that we deliver that. But do you want to add to that? 

WINTON: Yeah, I do, yeah. Is that the last question? Yeah, look, happy to – as Minister Clare has rightly pointed out, it’s federal money, and we welcome the significant federal money in all sorts of various programs rolling out in Western Australia. 

In regards to the school you mentioned, I can reassure everyone, the money is there. In fact, planning has been in detailed – at the detailed level between the principal and school community in regards to the undercovered area, and it will be fully delivered. 

JOURNALIST: Why hasn’t it been delivered yet, though? They’ve been waiting 18 months. 

WINTON: Yeah, so part of it is that it’s the design stage and making sure that what was committed was also matched up to what they actually wanted. And my understanding is there’s been a little bit of variation being applied to that process on the basis of the feedback by the principal in terms of making sure that what is being delivered is exactly what the school community want, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen. 

JOURNALIST: You mentioned earlier about the need for minor works to get the community school program. With the four schools, have they already got the infrastructure needed or will they need more work? 

WINTON: Yeah, no. Thanks for the question. And that’s important. I often get asked why these four schools and not others. Because we know the need is there and many schools already have some sort of community connected programs running in their schools and more schools have aspirations to go further. In the first instance these four trial schools were chosen specifically for that reason – because they had existing infrastructure so that we could get up and running as soon as possible. So, the minor infrastructure funding that I’m referring to is making sure that it might require some extra furniture or some rearrangement of physical spaces. And because we want these spaces to be comfortable, functional and in tune with what we’re trying to achieve. 

JOURNALIST: How long will that pilot program run for, and how long will we have to wait until we see it extended? 

WINTON: Yeah, it’s a four-year trial at these four locations. But I’ve been previously asked about this. Obviously, these trials will be evaluated. But I’m very keen on evaluating programs as we are doing them. I’m certainly not – it’s my aspiration as minister not to run these four for four years before we do more. I think there is a strong case to be had and many other schools have shown their appetite to actually start rolling more of these services out. So, the evaluation will be ongoing, and that will inform our future aspirations. 

JOURNALIST: What are the metrics for success? Is it attendance rate, is it passing rate? How will it be assessed? 

WINTON: Yeah, look, I think in a more basic way I think the metrics that are going to be applied to this program are the similar kind of metrics that Jason has applied to the BASFA – it’s all about making sure that we increase attendance. It’s making sure that we increase the number of year 12s completing year 12. It’s around making sure that students achieve good results in the NAPLAN. So, we have some pretty high benchmarks already set with all of our jurisdictions in collaboration with the federal government. But obviously there’ll be some specific metrics place based because I wouldn’t want to judge Girrawheen’s performance against a primary school in Clarkson nor the performance in Roebourne. So, it will be nuanced as well. 

JOURNALIST: When it was announced it was quite – you spoke quite broadly about what the services would be. Are you able to give any more clarity about what the schools could expect? 

WINTON: Yeah, look, that is exactly the work that’s being undertaken right at this minute. So, when we announced it we provided the funding for the schools straight away so that they could stand up the staff that they needed to do that important project management, reaching out to community, reaching out to those services to start putting those services into place. You would well know that our school leaders are highly challenged. They run very, very busy, important schools and it’s not going to be successful if we put that administrative burden just on principals and school leaders. And that’s why a critical part of this funding is that each school has funding for employees, and they look different at different schools, to do that important coordination work. They’re all working at that at the moment. They also meet collectively and, importantly, we have that interagency group also working to make sure that health and communities and other non‑for‑profits are supporting the ambitions and aspirations of that coordinating work. 

JOURNALIST: The Deloitte’s decarbonisation report was tabled in parliament yesterday. Several changes have been made compared to the original. Firstly, why were changes made, and the Greens claim those changes were made to support the government’s claims. What’s your response to that? 

WINTON: Yeah, and, look, what I can say is we’re viewing that legislation. It’s important to review that climate legislation and the targets to ensure that it’s fit for purpose. We will do that in a careful and appropriate way. And when that consideration has been done, I expect government will have more to say on that matter. 

JOURNALIST: Can you tell me why neither of the key takeaways or executive summary added to the final report mentioned the risks of natural gas in displacing the renewable energy processes?

WINTON: As I said, I’m not going to get down into that level of detail. What I can say is our government is reviewing that legislation very, very carefully to ensure that we respond appropriately, and we’ll have things to say in due course. But can I say this: as a cabinet minister in a Cook Labor government, I’m pretty proud on our record when it comes to the environment in the entirety since we’ve been in government in 2017. So, we’re not going to shy away from difficult conversations. We are determined and we are committed to making sure that we have great climate policy. We’ve been on the record getting out of coal, native logging, all sorts of environment measures which clearly show to our community that this government is serious around the environment. 

JOURNALIST: Some would say that this is a difficult conversation. So why did the final report remove the references to significant and substantial risks? 

WINTON: I’m not going to comment on that. All I can say is we will review that legislation and we’ll have more to say in due course. 

JOURNALIST: It was also dated the 16th of March from this year. Why was it only tabled yesterday? 

WINTON: Yeah, I can’t give you a reason for that. I can say this is an important consideration. We will consider it carefully and have something to say in due course. 

JOURNALIST: Is it convenient timing given the draft report was leaked just last week? 

WINTON: We’ve got a significant legislative timetable. We have significant reform agendas in lots of portfolios. I’m not going to – I’m not going to validate that scepticism. 

JOURNALIST: The report included a poll showing roughly 75 per cent of West Australians supported an emissions target in a climate bill. Do you support having an emissions target in all climate bills? 

WINTON: Our government has been clear on our commitment to the environment. And the West Australian public will see that commitment continued in the actions we take in the future. 

JOURNALIST: Should there be an emissions target, though? 

WINTON: I’m not going to comment. What I will say is I’m pretty proud of our record on climate and environment as a state Labor government since 2017. And I have every confidence that our commitment and our actions will continue in that vein. 

JOURNALIST: Why are you dragging Dion Barber through the courts to clarify points of law when lawyers say you could clarify this in a bill. One has actually claimed that you’re not doing that because it would be political suicide. 

WINTON: Yeah, look, can I just – I have been previously asked on it, and I want to at the outset acknowledge Dion and all victims of historical sexual abuse. We need to really acknowledge not only their experiences but also the trauma that comes with revisiting it by going through legal processes at this. So, I want to recognise in particular his courage. 

I also want to really reinforce it was only ever possible because it is this state government that introduced the bill to veto historical – sorry, the historical limitations, and I’m very proud of that. It is an important thing that this state Labor government did to allow Dion and many, many others like him to have recourse to wrong a right. And that’s really, really important. 

Can I also stress that irrespective of the debate or arguments or questions that are coming, Dion has received his full $2.8 million payment, as was decided by the court. And that’s really important as well. 

In regards to your questions around the appeal, it is important that we clarify those points of law to ensure that the law is applied correctly in future. And that’s the process that’s being undertaken at the moment. 

JOURNALIST: Are you proud of the fact the government’s going after a child [indistinct]? 

WINTON: I am very proud of this government and its record in supporting victims of [indistinct] sexual abuse. We are having these conversations because it is this government that has removed the statute of limitations to allow these victims, rightly, to have their day in court. I’m very proud of that. 

JOURNALIST: Do you [indistinct] will actually [indistinct]? 

WINTON: Yeah, look, I’m not going to – I’m not a lawyer and I’m not going to comment on that. But I think it’s important that the process takes its place and it’s important through that process that there is clarification around the application of the laws. And that’s also really important for future people who want to access this opportunity to make sure that it’s as easy for them as possible. 

JOURNALIST: Just coming back to my earlier question: why did the government not clarify these points of law in a bill in parliament? 

WINTON: Yeah, my advice is that the appropriate way to clarify these points of law is to do it through this process, to clarify it under this existing case. I’m not going to comment further on those legal processes, but it’s important that we have that clarification. 

JOURNALIST: Just a quick question for Minister Hamilton. Minister, there was a power outage last night at Joondalup Hospital. Have you got any information about what the cause of that was? 

MEREDITH HAMMAT: Look, the advice that I have is the power outage was one that affected suburbs around Joondalup and Wanneroo; it didn’t just affect the hospital. I’m also advised that the hospital, their backup systems responded appropriately and that power has now been restored. 

JOURNALIST: Is there any idea of what caused the outage? 

HAMMAT: Look, I believe it was a widespread outage; it wasn’t just in relation to the hospital, so that’s probably a question better directed at Western Power. 

JOURNALIST: Were any major surgeries [indistinct]? 

HAMMAT: Again, the advice I have is that there was a need to work with our state health operations centre to ensure that some ambulances went to other locations. But by and large I understand it was a matter of three hours that power was out and there was an appropriate response right across the system that meant people were still able to get the care that they needed. 

JOURNALIST: Dr Andy Robertson has just announced his retirement, just after some comments about the legacy he leaves and how, you know, he was really [indistinct]? 

HAMMAT: Yeah, I mean, Dr Robertson, you know, has had an outstanding career and really demonstrated what public service looks like. We’re incredibly proud of the contributions he’s made to WA Health, particularly leading us through the pandemic. But, of course, his career is one that demonstrated a commitment to better outcomes for the public before he joined the WA health system as well. We’re incredibly proud of his contributions. He’s had an outstanding career. We wish him all the best for his retirement. It’s well deserved. And, of course, I know everyone in Western Australia will join me in wishing him well.