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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 6248 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 17 June 2020 by Mr I.C. Blayney

Question Directed to the: Minister representing the Minister for Education and Training
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Tabled Paper No: 3554- View tabled paper


Question

I refer to the Western Australian Auditor General's Report: 'Follow-on: Managing student attendance in Western Australian Public Schools' published in August 2015 and the finding that there has been no improvement in student attendance in public schools since 2009, and I ask:
(a) Please provide a table showing a breakdown of the number of truancy officers located in Geraldton by year, including in:
(i) 2009;
(ii) 2010;
(iii) 2011;
(iv) 2012;
(v) 2013;
(vi) 2014;
(vii) 2015;
(viii) 2016;
(ix) 2017;
(x) 2018; and
(xi) 2019;
(b) Please provide a table showing a breakdown of the number of attendance officers located in Geraldton by year, between 2009 - 2019;
(c) Please provide a table showing a breakdown of the number of truancy and attendance officers located in the Mid West by year between 2009 and 2019;
(d) When were both truancy and/or attendance officers first established in WA, including the date when they were first instated in:
(i) The Mid West;
(ii) Geraldton;
(iii) Metropolitan Perth;
(iv) South West;
(v) Pilbara;
(vi) North West;
(vii) Bunbury;
(viii) Albany;
(ix) Kalgoorlie;
(x) Port Hedland;
(xi) Karratha;
(xii) Northam;
(xiii) Busselton;
(xiv) Broome; and
(xv) Kununurra;
(e) Were school truancy officers employed by the Department of Education:
(i) If not, who was their employer;
(f) When were truancy officers abandoned in WA, including the date when they ceased in:
(i) The Mid West;
(ii) Geraldton;
(iii) Metropolitan Perth;
(iv) South West;
(v) Pilbara;
(vi) North West;
(vii) Bunbury;
(viii) Albany;
(ix) Kalgoorlie;
(x) Port Hedland;
(xi) Karratha;
(xii) Northam;
(xiii) Busselton;
(xiv) Broome; and
(xv) Kununurra;
(g) Outline the rationale behind the decision to abandon truancy and/or attendance officers in Geraldton;
(h) Outline the rationale behind abandoning truancy officers in WA;
(i) Provide a table outlining the average public high school student attendance rate for students in Geraldton by year including:
(i) 2009;
(ii) 2010;
(iii) 2011;
(iv) 2012;
(v) 2013;
(vi) 2014;
(vii) 2015;
(viii) 2016;
(ix) 2017;
(x) 2018; and
(xi) 2019;
(j) Provide a table outlining the average public high school student attendance rate for students in WA by year including:
(i) 2009;
(ii) 2010;
(iii) 2011;
(iv) 2012;
(v) 2013;
(vi) 2014;
(vii) 2015;
(viii) 2016;
(ix) 2017;
(x) 2018; and
(xi) 2019;
(k) Will the Minister consider trialling truancy officers in Geraldton;
(l) What solutions are being considered to tackle long term student non-attendance rates in Geraldton beyond the COVID-19 pandemic; and
(m) Please provide a breakdown of average student attendance rates by school in WA between 2016 and 2019?

Answered on 12 August 2020

 

Answer

 

For clarification, the Department of Education does not use the designation “truancy officer”. Sections 33 and 34 of the School Education Act 1999 provide for the designation and badging of attendance officers. This is an authority under the Act, not a position. Any person employed in the Department can be designated with this authority. Staff accept the responsibilities of a badged attendance officer as part of their normal duties.

Additionally, schools are able to appoint a ‘school-based’ attendance officer which is a position within the school with a specific job description.

 

(a) The Department of Education does not employ staff under the designation of truancy officer. 

 

(b)-(c)

Year

Geraldton

Midwest

2009

0

8

2010

0

10

2011

1

10

2012

2

12

2013

6

11

2014

7

15

2015

77

107

2016

94

125

2017

97

145

2018

64

119

2019

56

122

The numbers include school-based and badged attendance officers.

 

(d)      

The introduction of the School Education Act 1999 made legislative provision for staff to be designated as attendance officers. The Department does not have information on when attendance officers were first instated in the locations listed. 

(e)-(f)

The Department’s records reflect the only Education Region that employed a Truancy Officer was the Goldfields Education Region in 2003. Following 2003, the region ceased this role and employed a Retention and Participation Officer.

(g)-(h)

I do not agree with the premise of the question. 'Truancy officer' is not a designation used by the Department of Education. There are currently 75 badged attendance officers at Geraldton schools and 1453 at schools throughout Western Australia. 

(i)-(j) 

Year (Semester 1)

Geraldton

Attendance Rate (%)

Western Australia

Attendance Rate (%)

2009

78.8

88.6

2010

79.1

88.6

2011

78.5

88.4

2012

78.4

88.5

2013

81.4

88.3

2014

83.0

87.7

2015

81.0

87.9

2016

82.0

87.7

2017

81.8

87.8

2018

80.3

87.6

2019

80.2

86.8

 

(k)       

Western Australian public schools make local decisions to address student attendance based on their individual context and need. Any staff member employed by the Department of Education may be designated as a badged attendance officer. In accordance with Sections 12 and 33 of the School Education Act 1999, principals and regional executive directors have delegated responsibility to designate staff as badged attendance officers in public schools on behalf of the Minister for Education and Training.

A designation of ‘truancy officer’ would not have any more powers than are already conferred on badged attendance officers under the Act.

(l)     

Two additional staff members have been employed by the Midwest Education Regional Office to work directly with schools to improve student attendance across the Midwest region.

 

(m)   [Refer to Tabled Paper No.     ]