Premier warns of WA school closures

    by: By Tim Clarke
    From: AAP
    August 20, 2013
    The Australian.

WESTERN Australia's harsh budget reality has seen Premier Colin Barnett admit schools in Perth could be closed to save money, on the same day as 500 education staff were told they would lose their jobs.

Adding more fuel to a growing anger among voters who returned the WA Liberal government to power just five months ago, education minister Peter Collier revealed a new funding model for the state's schools.

While spinning the reform as an attempt to "deliver equity and efficiency", the headline effect will be the loss of 500 jobs.      

And Mr Barnett then told a parliamentary committee his government could go further, and force small schools to join larger campuses, or close others altogether.

"Where small class sizes occur, I think there is a strong case for some amalgamation for senior high schools," Mr Barnett said.

"To the north of Perth, there are schools built in the 60s that are now old and I would love to see them brought up to standard - that probably means closing some, and amalgamating (others) to produce a better product."


Having said on Friday there was "no allocation, no indication and no desire" for redundancies in education, Mr Collier said four days later that 150 support staff could go, along with 150 education assistants and 200 other staff.      

"Since 2004/05 the number of education assistants has risen 73 per cent - up from 4455 to 7709 - but they haven't always been allocated effectively," Mr Collier said.

The state opposition called Mr Collier a liar, and called on Mr Barnett to sack him.

The government overhaul means school funding will be allocated on a child-by-child rather than by school types or programs, and will be rolled out in time for the 2015 school year.

Schools will receive a base amount for each student, with additional funding to help children with extra needs.

Anne Gisborne, State School Teachers Union's president, accused the government of trying to educate the state on the cheap.      

The loss of education staff is the latest in a series of post-budget nasties to dog the WA Liberal government.

On Tuesday, it was also revealed a train service from Northam to Perth would be replaced by a coach service from the end of the year and four career advice centres would close their doors.

Oh Mr Barnett, what are you doing to the good people of Western Australia.      

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He's been doing it for a while, but now he doesn't even bother with the lube.