Schools cash boost to benefit students

Schools in the Murray-Wellington electorate will receive much-needed support with extra funding for staff announced on Friday, March 9.

Waroona District High School, Brunswick Junction Primary School and Yarloop Primary School shared in funding equivalent to 3.5 full-time additional educational assistants across the schools.

Kingston Primary School, Parkfield Primary School and Treendale Primary School were also among schools to share in funding to free up Level 3 teachers to work in leadership roles outside the classroom.

Harvey Senior High School was also allocated additional funding for its existing Aboriginal and Islander education officer.

Waroona District High School principal Catherine de Thierry said its funding would go towards early years educational assistants from Kindergarten to Year 2, who helped bridge gaps in learning for students in those crucial years.

“Research shows us that if we can get to students in the early years it had continued success in their later years at school,” Mrs de Thierry said.

“We really welcome the additional support as it provides the much-needed extra support to put them on the right learning pathway.”

She said the school had already employed a number of excellent educational assistants not on full-time hours who could now be brought in more often.

“We have some highly effective educational assistants who are not working full-time and have the availability,” she said.

While the funding was announced on March 9, Mrs de Thierry said the school had started allocating the money immediately.

“We’ve been able to bolster their programs,” she said.

“We’ve already got it happening.”

Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke said the funding aimed to provide extra support in the classroom, giving students the opportunity to achieve their best.

“Students can get extra help when they need it and the rest of the class can stay focused on their learning,” Mrs Clarke said.

Harvey Primary School was also among 100 school across the State to receive funding to transform a classroom into a science lab between 2018 and 2019.