Cosmo Knott

I have heard that our school is under review by the education board but that's it's not related to the school's academic performance. What else could it be, and how might I go about getting more information? We have kids in private and public, the latter waiting for their private spot in Yr 6.

I have looked on http://www.des.wa.gov.au/ but it's not shedding any light.

Thanks if anyone can help.

Cheers.

spouse of scouse

I'd say it's a direct consequence of having a Premier who doesn't give a flying fu.....fig about education. If you google 'Barnett' and 'education cuts' you'll get the whole sorry story.

bitzenpces

Hi Cosmo Knott, when you say 'education board' do you mean the Education Dept of WA, or do you mean the school board, if it's an IPS?

Cosmo Knott

I believe it's the Edu Dept of WA, as it's a public (state) school.

Cosmo Knott

Hmm, he's our constituency bod - and visited our school on election day

I'll take a look, thanks SOS.

bitzenpces

I suppose a school might be under review if its NAPLAN results were poor, if complaints had been made by parents, if the enrolments had dropped to the point where closure was being considererd, if there were suspicions of inappropriate NAPLAN-related activities, bullying, etc, etc. Haven't the parents been told anything? I think I'd be contacting the P&C to find out what's going on.

northernbird

Make an appointment with the Principal and ask.

aussietobe

Actually the West Australian Education system has more spent on it per child than any other state school system and spending has gone up by 50 per cent in the last five years, which is unsustainable and why costs had to be brought down. This has been brewing for a while and is totally sensible - I work in a state secondary school and in previous schools I have had to put up with numerous 'education assistants' who are paid well to do not much more than sit there in class 'helping' some student, get paid for school holidays, have no marking or prep, work only school hours, have no duties and have no targets they must reach. They have limited education and I was shocked that they were paid only a few hundred less per week than me who had all the responsibilities, had a four year degree and worked hours every night and on weekends. education assistans are a complete indulgence.

bitzenpces

Money spent has not equalled educational gains, though. I don't know if you saw the recent reports about new Fed MP Alannah MacTiernan talking about the NAPLAN results http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politi...109-2x833.html.

On EAs, there are obviously good and 'not so good'. I know 2 really good ones who have extra training, and who both prepare lesson plans and teach classes (state primary school). On the other hand, I can remember being told that in the late 1990s (I think), the WA state government decided to contract out school cleaning. They re-deployed some of these cleaners to be EAs.

Just because someone has a 4 year degree does not make them a good teacher. EAs, teachers, principals or others - what is really needed is a way to get rid of the dead wood.

spouse of scouse

Are they? Tell that to the parents whose kids with disability can only attend mainstream school with the help of an education assistant.

northernbird

I totally agree.

old.sparkles

Just what I was going to say - except I would add that the funding for an EA/LSA/TA or whatever you want to call them doesn't come out of a schools budget, and all of the ones I've known haven't been paid for all holidays. Having a LSA in a classroom usually benefits more than one specific pupil too - and can ease a teachers life too

aussietobe

Not in my experience. The assistants in my classroom were not there to assist me, they used to just sit there next to the student they were helping and not do a great deal. Primary school assistants I believe are worthwhile...but TAs in high schools I do not see the value, sorry.

aussietobe

Some are required but their numbers have been blown out to unsustainable numbers....

old.sparkles

Sometimes, just having a TA with a specific pupil is making a teacher's life easier - even if it just looks like they are sitting with them