More Indigenous education assistants for West Australian schools

WA government announces 50 new education officers and 300 assistants for schools.

UNICEF latest report card

More education officers announced in WA. Source: www.ensemble.com.au

An additional 300 education assistants and 50 Aboriginal and Islander education officers will be employed at West Australian schools over the next few years.

Education assistants will be employed at 238 schools across kindergarten to Year 2, with most allocated to socially disadvantaged students.

The indigenous education officers will be employed at 74 schools in regional WA, including high schools and remote community schools.

Premier Mark McGowan said Labor was delivering on an election commitment.

Education Minister Sue Ellery said the role of assistants was critical for children who needed extra help to stay focused, and for other students to make sure they were not disrupted.

"Education assistants do a really wide variety of jobs. They will often be the ones that will take children off into one-on-one groups, small groups, to do extra literacy and extra numeracy," she told reporters on Monday.

"They will help students who need to stay focused and they let teachers get on with teaching."

United Voice WA secretary Carolyn Smith said the union had long fought against education cuts under the Barnett government, which significantly affected learning environments for all students.

"This is going to mean more individual attention for students and less disruption in the classroom," she said.

AAP


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Published 19 June 2017 5:32pm
Updated 19 June 2017 5:35pm


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