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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 656 asked in the Legislative Council on 13 March 2018 by Hon Martin Aldridge

Question Directed to the: Minister for Education and Training
Parliament: 40 Session: 1


Question

I refer to claims that parents of students attending Moora Residential College are being offered preferential treatment to secure placement at State Agricultural College's, and I ask:
(a) how many students have been offered a placement at an agricultural college;
(b) of those identified in (a), what is the wait-list with respect to enrolments at the college in question;
(c) what is the normal process for managing enrolment and waiting lists at agricultural colleges; and
(d) does the Minister support this approach by the Department of Education to effectively bypass students awaiting placement at agricultural colleges?

Answered on 10 April 2018

I do not accept the premise of the question. Claims that applications for enrolment at agricultural colleges by Moora Residential College students will not follow the standard process or that these students will be given preferential treatment are false. Any parent wishing to apply for their child to enrol at an agricultural college for 2019 is encouraged to make direct contact with the preferred college for further information on the application process.

a) Students are not “offered” placements at agricultural colleges. As at 26 March 2018, no child currently attending Moora Residential College has submitted an application for enrolment at a college of agriculture.

b) There is no waitlist.

c) Due to the nature of the learning environment and increased demand for places in some agricultural colleges, a selection process to determine suitability for enrolment exists at each college. This process takes into account a student’s previous behaviour, reasons for their    interest in seeking enrolment and their general academic capability.

    Applications for students wishing to enrol in Year 10 or Year 11 for 2019 have already been invited by the colleges and selection processes have commenced in some. This does not mean that parents cannot continue to apply throughout the year. While some colleges will reach or approach enrolment capacity, others will still have spare capacity during the year.

d) Please refer to the beginning of this response.