Minister vows to table major WA education review as frustrations reach boiling point

Frustrations over a major review of the state’s Education Act have reached boiling point after a freedom of information request returned pages upon pages of redacted material.

And Education Minister Sabine Winton has told this masthead she wants to table the review – and the government’s response – by the end of the year, but noted “this review is a significant piece of work that requires careful consideration”.

Education Minister Sabine Winton has not confirmed any details about the review.Credit: Charlotte Vinson

The review of the School Education Act was first announced at the end of 2023, with the final report sent to then-education minister Tony Buti by December 2024.

The review was aimed at improving education outcomes for students with disabilities and helping teachers deal with “complex behaviours”.

But nearly a year on, there was no update on when or if the findings will be released after the report was provided to Winton.

Advocacy group Square Peg Round Whole founder Symone Wheatley-Hey requested a copy of the final review and any related documents under freedom of information laws in July.

That request, which took months to finalise, came back heavily redacted – almost the entire document marked as “out of scope” or redacted under clause six, which “exempts deliberative process documents if disclosure would be contrary to the public interest”.

The documents did confirm the review’s overall finding was “that we need to better support the WA education system to provide high-quality, inclusive education for all students”, but provided no further details.

Wheatley-Hey said she was “shocked and dismayed by the level of censorship and redaction”.

“This represents the worst level of secrecy and avoidance of accountability that Square Peg Round Whole has seen since we began advocating in Western Australia,” she said.

“What is so serious that it must be hidden from the public? What exactly is being kept from the families and schools who participated [in public consultation] in good faith?

“The government has had the report for almost a year, yet continues to refuse even basic transparency about its content or next steps.

“This is not a private matter – it was a public review.”

Wheatley-Hay said the community, particularly parents and educators of students living with a disability, were “deeply concerned” by the level of secrecy and “deliberate avoidance of accountability”.

“The community, families and schools have waited long enough,” she said.

“It is unacceptable for decisions about disabled children’s education to be made behind closed doors.”

In response to questions from this masthead, Winton revealed the timeline to table the review, but said, “any future changes to the legislation would take time to implement”.

“We acknowledge there is strong interest in the findings of the School Education Act review from families, carers, and students with disability,” she said.

“It is important that this review is considered in the context of broader disability reform happening at both state and national levels.

“Our government values the contributions made by families and stakeholders to the review, which is why I intend to progress the tabling of the review and our government’s response before the end of the year.”

Opposition education spokesman Liam Staltari said it had been almost a year since the review was handed to the government, “and the community has heard crickets”.

“In the lives of these families, a year in limbo is a lifetime,” he said.

“Children with a disability – and their parents and teachers – deserve honesty and respect. They deserve better than to have their earnest requests for information flatly rejected or redacted beyond recognition.

“The education minister needs to do the right thing.

“It’s well past time to release the review in full so that the community can continue the conversation on how we better support students with a disability in our schools.”

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.

Most Viewed in National

Loading