Question Without Notice No. 313 asked in the Legislative Council on 28 June 2017 by Hon Donna Faragher
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
EDUCATION — AGENCY AMALGAMATION
313. Hon DONNA FARAGHER to the Minister for Education and Training:
I refer to the amalgamation of the Department of Education, Department of Education Services and School Curriculum and Standards Authority that will take effect on 1 July 2017.
(1) Will the School Curriculum and Standards Authority Board and committees continue to exist in their current form beyond 1 July 2017; and, if not, why not, and what will replace the board and committees?
(2) What procedures have been put in place to ensure that the current responsibilities of the authority continue to operate independently of the Department of Education?
(3) What procedures have been put in place to ensure the protection of data, particularly as it relates to student records across the government and non‑government schools sector?
Hon SUE ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) Yes.
(2) The functions and powers described in the School Curriculum and Standards Authority Act 1997 support and provide the necessary guidance around separation. The act and, therefore, the board of the authority and its functions will continue, and the chairperson and board will continue to advise the minister on matters that are covered by the act. Under the act, the authority is responsible for curriculum, standards, testing, examinations and certification from kindergarten to year 12, and for advising the minister about these matters. Further, the authority is responsible for advising the minister about arrangements between the state and commonwealth where they intersect with the functions of the authority. The director general of the Department of Education will, as of 1 July 2017, be appointed the chief executive officer of the authority. All staff currently employed by the authority will, as of this date, become employees of the Department of Education. These employees will be made available to the board to enable the authority to perform its functions. The board will delegate the performance of functions to an officer other than the CEO—namely, the executive director of school curriculum and standards. The executive director will work with the board and staff to ensure that all functions described in the act are fulfilled. This will include attending board meetings, providing support in relation to policy and functional decisions of the authority. The executive director will report to the director general on administrative matters relating to staff and budget. The delegations will establish a level of separation between public schools, the director general and the exercise of the powers and functions of the authority.
(3) Authority data will continue to be stored in a separate environment and access under current arrangements will be maintained.