SCHOOLS, STATISTICS

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:59): My question is to the Minister for Education. Can the minister advise the house about recent steps to increase openness and transparency about our public school system?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:00): In January this year, we created a new statistics portal on the Department of Education and Children's Services website to make school data more accessible and to ensure that there is greater transparency and accountability for our state's public school system. The data initially released covered things like behaviour management, suspensions, critical incidents and retention rates. We said at the time that we would update that data to make sure that progressively we had more and more data on that website.

Earlier this week, to coincide with the tabling of the DECS report, the next set of data was uploaded to the website. Parents and the community will now be able to see the latest data on issues such as attendance figures, student enrolments, numbers of schools, workforce data, and occupational health and safety. While we know that 97 per cent of our students attend school or have some authorised absence from school, or at least a legitimate reason for absence, the new data includes attendance data listed by school for the first time.

What this data shows is that the overwhelming majority of students in most schools attend school regularly, or have a legitimate reason, but it does show that some schools, such as those schools on the APY lands, have too many children who do not attend our schools. So, we are continuing to focus on attendance through a range of programs to support students to stay at school. We are employing an additional 12 attendance officers. This is in addition to the 10 attendance officers that already exist. The first two of the six planned better behaviour centres have started to work. We also have our ICAN program, the school retention program, which has been expanded to most regions of the state.

All public schools are required to implement an attendance improvement plan with clearly stated targets and strategies. Where there are attendance concerns, teachers, student attendance counsellors and other agencies work together with the family to address those concerns. It is also, beyond attendance, important that we shine a light more generally on our public education system, and we are doing that, to make sure that the problems are there for everyone to see, as well as the successes, and that we can be held accountable for them.

We have a very bright, I think, and solid public education system in our state. It is important that everybody see how well that system is going. It also continues our commitment to the highest standards of openness and accountability in this government. I must say it contrasts very favourably with the secrecy that was in play when those opposite were last in government. Indeed, they made an art form of secrecy.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Take them to court to get it off them.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right. In fact, they were resolutely against openness and accountability in government. In fact, they stood on principle—

Members interjecting:

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order, member for MacKillop.

Mr WILLIAMS: The minister, in answering his question, is clearly debating.

The SPEAKER: I don't think we can say that. The minister can answer the question as he chooses. I will look again at the question. Minister, I refer you back to the substance of the question.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I will conclude by saying that they have stood on principle on this matter. They refused to take government if it meant open and accountable government. They refused to sign a compact, so you have to say they are men and women of principle. They refused to sign the compact.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right, that's the bit! They said, 'We're not prepared to be in government if we are open and accountable. Please, don't give it to us on that basis.'

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right.

Mr WILLIAMS: Point of order, Madam Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order.

Mr WILLIAMS: Not only is the minister debating, he is talking about fairyland stuff. He is making it up.

The SPEAKER: I'm not sure what standing order 'fairyland' comes under, but I do uphold your point of order. Minister, have you finished your answer?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Yes.