WA Labor would open up schools for more than just learning under a plan out for consultation.
Member for Armadale Tony Buti unveiled the full service schools plan modelled on a UK system, which would see schools open up their facilities to accommodate after school activities like sports, music and tuition.
It would also allow schools to establish childcare centres, provide facilities for tafe courses and allow adult and family learning for disadvantaged families.
Dr Buti said under the plan schools would also become hubs for early intervention and therapy services like speech pathology and psychology.
He said the child and parent centres currently being rolled out in schools like Challis were a good start but this plan would move towards a broader state wide model.
“They all have aspects of it but my argument is it would be great to have a more systematic and greater degree of full service schools in WA,” he said.
“A full service school would operate so you would have breakfast clubs if need be, you would have parent learning centres, you would have dental, psychological, social work services at the school,” he said.
“You might have childcare available at the school, out of school care and you could have parents involved in adult education classes at night time.
“It would open the school facilities up to greater interaction with the community instead of schools being a white elephant for half the year.”
Dr Buti said full service schools would better prepare children for learning.
“You want kids to be in a position where they can actually learn, if they’re hungry or have other issues inhibiting their studies they need to be addressed in order to then properly be educated,” he said.
He said full service schools could prevent children from going into care, which could save the state government $39,000 annually.
Westfield Park primary school principal Steve Soames said a full service school model in Camillo would be a great benefit to the wider community.
“The idea of schools being open and more of a service to their community is I think just common sense,” he said.
“Schools are actually open only about six hours a day, there’s at least another nine hours you could squeeze in either side.
“Something I’d be really keen to see is therapy services available at the school, something like speech and language or mental health services and providing support to children and families from here.
“We already have a dental health service and we see how well that gets used and the impact that has on oral hygiene.”
Education Minister Peter Collier said the 16 child and parent centres were an example of full service schools.
“I’m really flattered that the opposition have taken heed of a policy framework that we’ve introduced several years ago and is doing very well,” he said.
To comment on the plan visit www.markmcgowan.com.au/fullserviceschools.
