Every Child Counts
State Election 2021
Every Child Counts
State Election 2021
Every Child Counts
As you will no doubt be aware by now, Western Australia goes to the polls on Saturday March 13.
Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) and Catholic School Parents WA (CSPWA) have launched a joint election platform, seeking a fairer funding deal from the incoming State government. (See media release further down in this newsletter)
As an apolitical organisation Catholic School Parents WA strive to provide for you, information from all major political parties as to what their policy commitments are particularly regarding education.
In the past few weeks there have been several policy commitments including:
WA Liberals - $76 million to provide mental health services in WA schools
WA Labor – $100 million additional funding for mental health services including:
o More than 100 additional psychologists in WA schools
o Expanding Alternative Learning Settings pilot program
o Funding to enable every WA government school to access chaplaincy services
o Expanding the Respectful Relationships program to prevent family and domestic violence
Nationals WA - Grants of $5,000 to regional state, Catholic and Independent schools P&F’s and P&C’s.
However, the best way to find out exactly what each party is promising, is to invite them to your school and ask them. We encourage P&F’s/ Parent Groups to continue working in partnership with your school leadership team in organising school community forums, providing opportunities for local members to come along to your school and respond to the concerns of parents. It is particularly important to ascertain which election commitments are available to Catholic schools and which are not. As parents, you have a vital role to play in this election. You are the people who will cast your vote on March 13 and it is essential you let politicians know what your concerns are and question what commitments they are willing to make. We need the voice of every school community to ensure the voice of parents is heard.
We strongly encourage you to read more about the ‘Every Child Counts’ campaign at https://www.everychildcounts.net.au The information contained within, will help to inform your conversations with your local members.
Should you need any assistance in organising a forum with your local candidate and school community please contact us at theresa@csp.wa.edu.au or siobhan@csp.wa.edu.au or events@cewa.edu.au
CSPWA, in partnership with Catholic Education WA, have advocated passionately for an increase in funding to address the increasing challenge of the mental health and wellbeing of our children. The Covid-19 experience has shone a light on an area which has become one of prime concern to parents. Whilst the two major parties have made commitments to address this growing epidemic, it is important to ask what percentage will be going to Catholic school students. Access to mental health and wellbeing professionals should not depend on where your child goes to school –‘ Every Child Counts’
Covid-19 is still impacting our everyday lives and looks like it will continue to do so for some time yet. It is essential that we continue good health and hygiene practices and Catholic Schools have done a wonderful job ensuring that our children have access to everything they need to keep safe and healthy and compliant with government regulations. However, this costs money and whereas the State government has been able to find $43m to ensure children and teachers in government schools are safe and healthy, Catholic schools have not received any state assistance. As taxpayers in this state we see this as unfair and inequitable. Access to state government assistance during a pandemic should not depend on where your child goes to school – ‘Every Child Counts’.
Parents who chose a Catholic education know from the outset that they will be expected to contribute to their child’s education through the payment of school fees. This is widely accepted and for those parents who want to exercise their choice in selecting an education which best meets their children’s needs, it is a price worth paying. However, it is the additional levies that parents are expected to pay, particularly building levies that are starting to be a strain on the family budget. Catholic school parents contribute more than 80% of the cost of building new schools. This is a huge burden on top of school fees and needs addressing. Access to state government support to ensure all children and young people have access to contemporary, world-class facilities, should not depend on where your child goes to school – ‘Every Child Counts’.