Education in six WA regions is set to improve under a plan to help guide schools in remote areas of the state.
Students and teachers in regional Western Australia are expected to receive more support and opportunities under a working education framework.
The state government recently published its draft regional education strategy for the Kimberley, Pilbara, Mid West, South West, Wheatbelt and Goldfields regions.
The strategy aims to benefit 305 public schools in rural WA, catering to 68,948 students.
Regional enrolment represents 15.3 per cent of WA public schools’ total population, according to state government data for semester one 2024.
Under the strategy, the Department of Education will expand post-school opportunities for regional students through access to career practitioners and career-taster programs.
The department also plans to develop partnerships with local industry groups and government agencies and introduce behaviour coordinators by 2025 to offer expertise to regional teachers.
In announcing the strategy, Education Minister Tony Buti said the document would guide a more effective delivery of education in rural areas and post-school options for students.
“Our state’s geography and demographics are vastly different across our regional areas, as are the needs of children and young people and the schools they attend,” he said.
“I want to hear from these families and school communities about how we can continue to enhance the education opportunities for students in regional, rural and remote areas of WA.
“The Regional Education Strategy will be built around the voice and needs of regional communities and their schools.”
The strategy also proposes to increase the number of teachers in regional areas.
This follows the appointment of 103 teachers to WA public schools as part of an international recruitment campaign by the state government.
In January, Dr Buti said most of the recruited teachers had been placed in regional and remote schools.
“International recruitment of teachers has delivered high-quality, experienced teachers to our regional schools,” the draft strategy said.
“Additional attraction and retention strategies have been introduced including additional salaries, locality allowances and vacation travel concessions for regional teachers.
“There is a focus in a number of regions on building the capacity of Aboriginal and Islander education officers and education assistants in literacy programs in the early years of school.”
Last month, the state government settled a new enterprise bargaining agreement with the State School Teachers Union of Western Australia and the Principals’ Federation of Western Australia.
Under the agreement, there will be a trial deployment of experienced teachers and school leaders to regional schools. This was also outlined in the draft regional strategy.
Incentive payments under the agreement will be offered to leaders in regional areas in a bid to retain teachers in these remote schools.
The SSTUWA has welcomed the opportunity to engage with the new regional strategy.
SSTUWA president Matt Jarman said the union looked forward to contributing.
“We are keen to talk about all the relevant issues, including attraction and retention of teachers in remote and rural areas and the need to supply modern, secure and reasonably priced government regional officer housing,” he said.
Mr Jarman referenced the union’s Facing the Facts report, published in November 2023.
The report was compiled by an expert panel chaired by former WA premier Carmen Lawrence.
Recommendations include a redesign of support services to make them more accessible and responsive to local needs.
The report also recommended the department provide better resources to support administrative and educational needs in schools.
Mr Jarman said the new regional education strategy consultation process would hopefully address the issues in the report.
“The Facing the Facts report commissioned by the SSTUWA and headed by Dr Lawrence found that the centralisation of services has not met the needs of schools for administration and educational support,” he said.
“It also found that teachers and school leaders prefer well-resourced local services over centralised services to support schools, as they are seen as more responsive and useful.”
The Department of Education will undertake consultation on the draft strategy during term three.
