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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 465 asked in the Legislative Council on 13 June 2018 by Hon Martin Aldridge

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

MOORA RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE — MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

465. Hon MARTIN ALDRIDGE to the Minister for Education and Training:

I refer to the minister's letter of 18 January 2018 to the Standing Committee on Environment and Public Affairs in relation to petition 29—''Funding for Moora Residential College''—and specifically the minister's reference in that letter, which states, according to my notes —

It is my intention to work with the Hon Alannah MacTiernan MLC, Minister for Regional Development, and the families of the students who board at Moora Residential College to identify alternative options to enable the students to continue their education at Central Midlands Senior High School.

(1) What communication has the minister had with the Minister for Regional Development with respect to this issue?

(2) Which alternative options have been identified?

(3) How have these alternative options for students to remain studying at Central Midlands SHS following the closure of Moora Residential College at the end of this calendar year been communicated to parents and students affected by this decision?

Hon SUE ELLERY replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1)–(3) I met with the Minister for Regional Development on 23 January 2018 to discuss regional and agricultural education, including Moora Residential College. Our offices have continued to be in regular contact over the past six months.

I asked the Department of Education to provide face-to-face case management for children and families affected, to find solutions and prepare for the college's closure, including transport issues. Subsequently, the Department of Education presented me an implementation plan that outlined the actions to be taken by the case management team. The team is working with every family that has a child living at Moora Residential College. Each child and his or her family is receiving individual consultation with the department through this team. The team's personalised support is ongoing. Of prime importance in this plan is the focus on what the students themselves need and deserve in order to ensure that they are guided into appropriate vocational or academic programs that align with their current program and future plans. The support being offered includes information on options available at regional secondary schools, including agricultural colleges; mapping of individual student educational pathways to courses and programs available at alternative senior high schools with residential colleges; development of a profile of each student's educational needs; meetings with individual families and students to discuss alternative education locations suitable to their pathway; identification of required transition support; and reimbursement of any out-of-pocket expenses, including costs associated with uniforms, books and travel.

The department has been working with the Public Transport Authority about extending existing bus routes, to allow students from outlying areas such as Ballidu to continue to attend Central Midlands Senior High School. The department is also working closely with the PTA to ensure that bus services will be in place for 2019, particularly for those students on the coastal strip between Lancelin and Yanchep.