WorkReady

Mr PISONI (Unley) (14:52): Does the minister support the changes that were announced under the WorkReady program?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:53): This is a cabinet decision. What was foremost in the deliberations about these changes is that there would be no disadvantage to something we're very proud of, which is the school retention rate for students finishing year 12. One of the great achievements of this government was to take the abject failure of year 12 retention under the previous government, which fell to as low as 67 per cent and now take it up to over 90 per cent—I think 96 per cent.

One of the reasons why staying to year 12 in high school is so attractive now is that the new SACE provides for a pathway for people who don't just want to go to university. It provides for vocational education in those last two years of school, which is a very powerful offering for those young people who don't necessarily see an academic career as their future. For too much of the past those last couple of years of school were really about preparing young people solely for university and not for other elements of working life. So, now, many young people see a relevance in years 11 and 12 that they didn't previously see because of the way in which the new SACE is constructed.

That in part has been the way in which we've introduced into our schools the vocational education and training arrangements; so we did satisfy ourselves about these changes, that they weren't going to damage that very substantial achievement.

Mr Marshall: The question's whether the minister supports the changes.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, we're a cabinet, you see, and we speak with one voice, unlike those opposite who leak things to the paper when they want to undermine their leader.

The Hon. J.R. Rau interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is so close to leaving.