SCHOOLS — SUICIDE AND SELF-HARM PREVENTION GUIDELINES
609. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I
refer to the School response and planning guidelines for students with
suicidal behaviour and non-suicidal self-injury, which, according to the minister's
ministerial statement yesterday, was endorsed by the three education sectors of
Catholic Education WA, the Association of Independent Schools of WA and the
Department of Education WA in 2018.
(1) Did the
endorsement from each of the three sections of the education system equate to a
general indication of support but not a commitment to adopt and deliver the
plan?
(2) Did that endorsement from each
section involve a written response?
(3) If yes to (2), please table a copy
of each response.
(4) Please table
the direction or correspondence to each section that indicates that the
guidelines are optional.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. I think he is looking for something that he is
just not going to find.
(1)–(4) The
guidelines were developed collaboratively by the public and Catholic education
systems, and AISWA representing independent schools. They developed them in a joint
process. They did not then sign a letter saying that they agreed with this.
They were part of putting it together. The guidelines are intended to be used in conjunction with existing school-based
policies and complement, not replace, the skills and knowledge gained
through attending training such as youth mental health first aid and Gatekeeper
suicide prevention.