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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-31 Daily Xml
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Student Engagement and Attendance

216 The Hon. S.L. GAME ().8 February 2023). Can the Minister for Education, Training and Skills advise:

1. In relation to school non-attendance, student disengagement, and school refusal:

(a) What government-led programs are currently activated to increase student engagement, attendance, and wellbeing?

(b) How is the government monitoring the impact and outcomes on engagement, attendance and wellbeing of those programs?

(c) How is the government monitoring engagement of students in schools, separate to attendance measures alone?

2. In relation to school wellbeing officers (and relevant similar staff of other titles):

(a) What is the current ratio of wellbeing officers to students at public schools?

(b) What is the targeted/ideal ratio of wellbeing officers to students based on available research and evidence?

(c) What was the government's pledge for the number of wellbeing officers in state schools prior to and post-election?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector): The Minister for Education, Skills and Training has advised:

The Malinauskas Labor government has a strong focus on student wellbeing to support every child. This includes:

100 FTE Mental Health and Learning Support Specialists, including 55 FTE mental health practitioners, being rolled out as part of the government's election commitment.

Autism inclusion teachers have been appointed at primary schools and are being trained to provide expertise in their schools to improve support for students with autism. This delivers on a key election commitment.

Support for students experiencing challenges to their attendance and engagement is provided by the Department for Education Student Support Services, which includes a dedicated social work–truancy service.

A pilot is now underway with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation, KWY, which is working with Aboriginal families to improve attendance and engagement of children and young people with concerning school attendance.

There are a number of Department for Education policies and initiatives which seek to increase student engagement, attendance, and wellbeing of Aboriginal learners, including:

Clontarf school-based academies—providing a boys-only program embedded in identified school sites, using sport and other activities to build school and community engagement.

Aboriginal workforce–There are 11 Aboriginal community team leaders and 19 Aboriginal services engagement officers based within local education offices. They work in partnership with student support services to support student attendance, social and emotional wellbeing, engagement and participation in learning.

Flexible learning options (FLO) is a school strategy for students who have significant personal barriers that are preventing them from successfully engaging with school teaching and learning programs. There is a redesign of FLO underway.

The department is supporting 41 schools over three years to implement the school-wide Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) framework. Positive Behaviour for Learning is an evidence-based framework that promotes improved behaviour and learning outcomes for students.

All schools have a student wellbeing leader to support the wellbeing of individual students and whole school approaches.

358 schools currently have a pastoral care worker under the National Student Wellbeing Program.

The government has a strong commitment to evaluation and program level monitoring across the range of ongoing programs and new initiatives. This often includes engaging academic institutions to undertake external evaluations.

Student wellbeing leaders

Student wellbeing leaders are qualified teachers who work in partnership with students, parents and carers, educators and the wider community to promote and safeguard student wellbeing and optimise learning.

The department funds every school to appoint a student wellbeing leader. These roles are separate to the government's election commitments.

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