EDUCATION —
REGIONAL LEARNING SPECIALISTS
952. Hon DONNA FARAGHER to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to the
answer given to question without notice 888, asked on 9 October 2018, regarding
regional learning specialists.
(1)
Can the minister confirm that regional learning specialists will now be based
at the Statewide Services Centre, not the School
of Isolated and Distance Education; and, if yes, will the minister
advise the reasons for the change?
(2) Will these
specialists report to SIDE; and, if yes, to whom?
(3) If no to (2),
to which division and officer within the Department of Education will they
report?
(4)
What protocols or operational plans have been developed to ensure that these
specialists liaise closely with SIDE staff, including SIDE student coordinators
and supervisors?
(5) How does their
role differ from the supports already provided through SIDE and its staff?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) Yes. The
transfer of responsibility for the regional learning specialist initiative from
the School of Isolated and Distance Education to the Statewide Services Centre
in Padbury was to enable the team to be part of the broader teaching and
learning supports and services available to schools and regions.
(2) No.
(3) The RLS team will report to the
manager, teacher development, in the statewide services division.
(4) During term
4, 2018, new team members will engage in a comprehensive induction and planning
process, including liaising with SIDE to establish protocols and processes for
working collaboratively.
(5) The RLS team
will be able to provide more face-to-face support and complement the work of
SIDE teachers through —
(a) providing
fortnightly online tutorials, which are additional to the online classes
provided to students by regular SIDE teachers;
(b) conducting
intensive exam revision sessions, face-to-face or online as practicable; and
(c) working face-to-face
with students once a term for a week at a time, for each course being delivered
to a school.