Question On Notice No. 673 asked in the Legislative Council on 13 March 2018 by Hon Alison Xamon
Question Directed to the: Minister for Education and Training
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
(1) How many secondary students currently accommodated
at the Moora Residential College attend Central Midlands Senior High School?
(2) Will the Minister ensure that there will
continue to be sufficient staff at Central Midlands Senior High School to
provide the necessary range of ATAR and VET subjects for years 11 and 12 in the
event that enrolments fall following the proposed closure of Moora Residential
College?
(3) If yes to (2), how?
(4) Does the Minister anticipate the closure of
Moora Residential College and expected fall in students at Central Midlands
High School will result in the loss of any staff positions at Central Midlands
High School?
(5) In the event that staff are affected, will
these staff:
(a) be offered positions at other public sector
employers in Moora; and
(b) be offered redundancy?
Answered on 10 April 2018
(1)
26
(2)
Yes.
(3)
Students at Central Midlands Senior High School will continue to have access to both Australian Tertiary Admission Rank and Vocational Education and Training courses. These will be delivered through a mixture of face-to-face and School of Isolated and Distance Education (SIDE) courses, as is current practice.
(4)
Per-student funding is only one component of a school’s budget. Schools also receive funding based on student and school characteristics. As a small secondary school, Central Midlands Senior High School receives enrolment-linked base funding. The enrolment-linked base allocation is provided to ensure schools are able to meet general operating costs. It recognises the different fixed costs for different school types, such as different administrative structures. The enrolment-linked base allocation depends on the type of school and the size of the student population. If student numbers reduce, the enrolment-linked base allocation would help compensate the loss of per-student funding.
Schools develop their own staffing profile according to the needs of students and funding provided through the student-centred funding model.
(5)(a)
Affected fixed-term staff will have the term and conditions of their contracts honoured. Affected permanent staff will become registrable employees under Part 2 of the Public Sector Management (Redeployment and Redundancy) Regulations 2014. As registrable employees, they may be transferred to other positions in the Department of Education or, where this is not possible, they may be transferred to other public sector agencies.
(b)
Voluntary severance is a possible option available within the Regulations.