PRESCHOOL REFORM FUNDING
AGREEMENT 2022–25
509. Hon DONNA FARAGHER to the Minister for Education and
Training:
I refer to the
preschool reform funding agreement 2022–25.
(1) What is the
current status of negotiations between the state and commonwealth governments
in relation to this matter?
(2) Does the
minister anticipate that an agreement will be in place by the end of 2021?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the member for the question
and for the conversation we had behind the chair.
(1)–(2) This was a really good question to ask. The member
will be aware that this state has led the nation in the provision of
preschool for four-year-olds. We currently contribute about $157 million a year.
The commonwealth contributes about $35 million a year towards the provision of
programs for four-year-olds in public schools. We basically pay for 11 hours
and the commonwealth pays for four hours. It has been lobbied for a long time
to go beyond just a one or two-year agreement. As part of the commonwealth's
budget, it indicated it would propose a five-year funding arrangement. Tick for
that; that is a good thing to do. Of course,
as is the wont of commonwealth governments, it is proposing a degree of finance
in that agreement that is significantly less than the proportion of
control it wants over the delivery of the four-year-olds program.
The commonwealth put in place the
first draft agreement and we will respond to that. It is asking us to reach a bilateral agreement by December. I am not
sure that we will get there by December. It has put only one year's
funding on the table—that is, about the same level of funding it
currently provides. That being the case, the level of intervention it wants is
for us to increase participation. WA is already at 97 per cent participation of
four-year-olds. It also wants to put in place some kind of school readiness
measures. We have to make a judgement on whether what the commonwealth is
asking is disproportionate to its funding contribution, and that will be the
hurly-burly of the negotiations.