General disclosures

General disclosures

 
Ministerial directions

No directions were issued by the Minister for Education and Training in 2020–21 relevant to:

  • the setting or achievement of desired outcomes or operational objectives
  • investment activities
  • financing activities.

 

 
Good governance and compliance with public sector standards and ethical codes

Our commitment to promoting the highest standards of corporate governance, professional conduct and ethical behaviour continued through ensuring our practices complied with relevant obligations, such as Public Sector Standards in Human Resource Management and the Code of conduct requirements in the Western Australian government sector.

In 2020–21, we led a number of initiatives to help foster a culture of integrity and provide assurance over the governance of the public school system. These included:

  • launching a new Code of Conduct and Standards for the Department
  • continuing work on a Department-wide Integrity Framework, aligned to the Integrity Strategy for WA Public Authorities 2020–2023
  • monitoring and responding to trends in business intelligence through the Corporate Executive, chaired by the Director General, which met 12 times
  • re-engaging external members (including the Chair, Mr Colin Murphy PSM) for our independent Audit and Risk Committee, which met four times
  • updating the Department’s key enterprise risks to explore proactive identification and treatment of emerging risks
  • adopting a new longer-term internal audit plan to provide insight to the effectiveness of risk management, with nine strategic audits commenced
  • leading six major reviews of the Department’s policies to better guide practices and achieve outcomes, and an additional 33 minor reviews
  • preparing a corporate fraud and corruption control plan based on better practice and lessons learnt in the public sector
  • ensuring mandatory Accountable and Ethical Decision Making training was available to all staff
  • making enhancements to our Working with Children compliance controls in collaboration with the Department of Communities.

We have met all obligations of the Office of the Auditor General’s recommendations for managing compliance with Working with Children Checks, published on 15 July 2020. To complete all four recommendations, we:

  • updated our Working with Children Check policy and additional guidance
  • upgraded our Working with Children Recording System with improvements to the reporting and data collecting functionality to aid compliance
  • now ensure the Working with Children cards of all individuals are cross-referenced with the Department of Communities database prior to commencement, and daily thereafter.

We monitored staff records in compliance with the Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 (WA) and conducted regular compliance reviews of schools and other Department worksites. An audit conducted in June 2021 found a compliance rate of 98.5% across sites.

In 2020–21, 10 interim negative notices and 23 negative notices were issued to current Department of Education employees by the Department of Communities. Employees issued with an interim negative notice or negative notice are dismissed for repudiation of their employment contract.

We issued $1,351,527 in reimbursements ($841,431 in 2019–20) to staff and volunteers required to renew Working with Children cards as part of their employment.

In addition to our independent Audit and Risk Committee, there are two governance committees that support our Corporate Executive: the Finance and Investment Committee and the People and Services Committee. These two committees monitor the Department’s major projects and programs. At 30 June 2021, 53 major projects and 16 programs were underway. During 2020–21, we closed 101 projects.

In 2020–21, our Screening Unit processed 21,019 criminal history record checks (18,288 in 2019–20) of prospective employees, volunteers, contractors and tertiary students undertaking practicums in the education and training sectors. The Screening Committee refused 26 cases that were referred for consideration, due to the criminal history being in breach of the Department’s Criminal Convictions Suitability Criteria, which was the same number as 2019–20.

We conducted selection panel training to ensure all our recruitment processes and employment decisions were conducted in accordance with the Public Sector Commissioner’s Instructions: Employment Standard and Filling a Public Sector Vacancy. In 2020–21, 306 staff members attended selection panel training.

We managed breach of Standard claims as required by the Public Sector Management (Breaches of Public Sector Standards) Regulations 2005 (WA). We completed 46 breach of Standard claims. Of these, one was upheld by the Public Sector Commission against the Employment Standard. We supported staff and improved compliance by reviewing breach of Standard claims and identifying practice improvements.

 
Freedom of information

The Freedom of Information Act 1992 (WA) creates a general right of access to documents held by all state and local government agencies. We are required to make available details about the types of documents we hold and assist the public to ensure personal information we hold about them is accurate, complete, up to date and not misleading.

Details about the freedom of information process is in our Information Statement, available on our website.

 

 
Recordkeeping plans

In 2020–21, 11,911 staff completed the mandatory online recordkeeping awareness training, including 11,211 school staff. The online recordkeeping awareness training is compulsory for all new employees of the Department, and outlines their recordkeeping obligations as government employees, and their requirements in adhering to our recordkeeping plan.

In addition, 293 staff were trained to use our electronic document records management system (TRIM), including 48 staff as advanced users.

In 2020–21, we made 462 visits (including follow-up visits) to schools to provide training, advice and support on their recordkeeping practices, with 2,089 school administrators and teachers receiving face-to-face or online training on recordkeeping practices.

We reviewed and revised our online recordkeeping awareness training, and both our intranet content and face-to-face training on records management.

We also implemented new processes to improve governance over the disposal of school records, including surveying schools about storage and arrangements and moving school records from offsite storage to centralised storage.

Organisations are required to evaluate their recordkeeping systems not less than once every five years. Our recordkeeping plan is due for review with the State Records Office of Western Australia in 2022.

 

 
Disability access and inclusion plan outcomes

We continued to implement our Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2018–2023, which identifies strategies to enhance equitable inclusion of people with disability in our schools, services and employment. It covers outcomes required under the Disability Services Regulations 2004 (WA) and the additional outcome of improving learning outcomes for students with disability.

In 2020:

 

 
Expenditure on advertising and market research

In 2020–21, we incurred expenditure centrally of $0.71 million ($1.82 million in 2019–20 and $0.95 million in 2018–19) with media advertising organisations, advertising agencies and market research organisations (refer to Table 6). There was no expenditure with polling and direct mail organisations.

Table 6: Central expenditure on advertising and market research 2020–21

Category and providers Amount ($)
Media advertising organisations
   Carat Australia Media
   Initiative Media

305,551
Advertising agencies(a)
   Ad Capital
   Gatecrasher
   Rare Creativethinking

364,660
Market research organisations
   Metrix Consulting
   Thinkfield

38,483

Source: Communications and Media, and Education Business Services
(a) Provided full range of creative services.

 

 
Unauthorised use of credit cards

During 2020–21, staff reported 504 instances of unauthorised use of corporate credit cards with no cases referred for investigation. Thirty‑one of these were reported by staff in central services and regional offices, and 473 by school staff. Generally, unauthorised transactions were as a result of cards being used in error. If repayment was not received within five working days, strategies were employed to recover the amount owing including reminder notices and cancellation of cards.

The number of instances reported in 2020–21 decreased by approximately 5% (29 instances) in comparison to the 2019–20 results (533 instances). For further information, refer to Table 7.

Table 7: Unauthorised use of credit cards 2020–21

Category Amount ($)
Aggregate amount of personal use expenditure for 2020–21 21,528.26
Aggregate amount of personal use expenditure settled by the due date (payment due within five working days) 16,994.32
Aggregate amount of personal use expenditure settled after the due date (after five working days) 4,534.00
Aggregate amount of personal use expenditure outstanding at 30 June 2021(a) -0.06

Source: Education Business Services
(a) All personal credit card use reported in 2020–21 has been settled. The repayments for personal use included rounding of $0.06.

 

 
Act of grace payments

During 2020–21, the Department made act of grace payments amounting to $27,025.02. For further information, refer to Table 8.

Table 8: Act of grace payments made in 2020–21

Purpose Payment date Amount ($)
Payment made on compassionate grounds  Sept 2020 10,600.00

Payment of six supplier debts due to an insolvent Parents and Citizens’ Association

 Oct 2020

16,425.02
Total   27,025.02

Source: Education Business Services

 
Pricing policies of services provided

We charge for goods and services rendered on a full or partial cost‑recovery basis. We determined these fees in accordance with the Department of Treasury’s Costing and Pricing Government Services guidelines.

The School Education Act 1999 (WA) and School Education Regulations 2000 (WA) govern the setting of fees, charges and contributions for students in public schools.

The Education Service Providers (Full Fee Overseas Students) Registration Regulations 1992 (WA) prescribes fees for registration and re-registration of international education service providers in Western Australia.

Fees and charges associated with teacher registration were governed by the Teacher Registration (General) Regulations 2012 (WA) and the Teacher Registration (Accreditation of Initial Teacher Education Programmes) Regulations 2012 (WA). Refer to the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia’s website for their Schedule of Fees.

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority charged for its regulatory functions relevant to certification, assessment and examinations as prescribed by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority Regulations 2005 (WA).

Fees for residential colleges were prescribed in regulation 14 (7) of the School Education (Student Residential Colleges) Regulations 2017 (WA).

 

 
Annual estimates

In the 2021–22 Budget Statements, the estimates for the Department of Education and the School Curriculum and Standards Authority are consolidated within a single Division of the Consolidated Account Expenditure Estimates. The annual estimates representing the budget for the Department of Education excluding the School Curriculum and Standards Authority are in Appendix 4.

 

 
Board and committee remuneration

Members of boards and committees, as defined in Premier’s Circular 2019/07 – State Government boards and committees, were remunerated as determined by the Minister for Education and Training, on the recommendation of the Public Sector Commissioner. Details of these remunerations are in tables 9 to 13.

Table 9: Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia remuneration 2020–21

Position
Member name		 Term of appointment Membership length
(2020–21)		 Remuneration
Type Base salary/ sitting fee Actual
(2020–21)
Chair
Margaret Collins 5 years 12 months Annual $23,433 $23,433
Deputy Chair
Ron Dullard 5 years 12 months Meeting $505 $5,555
Member
Casey Bakunowicz 2 years 7 months Meeting $505 $2,020
Nicole Brown 3 years 12 months Meeting $505 $5,050
Jeremy Bruse 2 years 5 months – – –
Peter Collins 2 years 5 months Meeting $505 $2,525
Emily Donders 2 years 7 months – – –
Kate Offer 3 years 12 months Meeting $505 $5,050
Julie Woodhouse 3 years 12 months – – –
        Total $43,633

Source: Teacher Registration

 

 

Table 10: Non-Government Schools Planning Advisory Panel remuneration 2020–21

Position
Member name		 Term of
appointment		 Membership length
(2020–21)		 Remuneration
Type Base salary/ sitting fee Actual
(2020–21)
Chair
Audrey Jackson 3 years 12 months Half/full day $380/580 $2,480
Member
Gavin Agacy 1 year and 9 months 12 months – – –
Anne Coffey 3 years 12 months – – –
Natalie Gulberti 3 years 12 months – – –
Giselle Lau 3 years 4 months – – –
Lisa Powell 9 months 8 months – – –
Carmel Quinn 2 years and 4 months 4 months – – –
Llewellyn Woodford 3 years 12 months Half day $250 $1,250
        Total $3,730

Source: Strategy and Policy

 

 

Table 11: School Curriculum and Standards Authority Board remuneration 2020–21

Position
Member name		 Term of
appointment		 Membership length
(2020–21)		 Remuneration
Type Base salary/ sitting fee Actual
(2020–21)
Chair
Emeritus Professor Patrick Garnett 5 years 12 months Annual $37,380 $37,380
Member
Chapple Professor David Andrich 2 years 12 months Annual $23,475 $23,475
Associate Professor Lennie Barblett 3 years 12 months Annual $23,475 $23,475
Ms Pauline Coghlan 4 years 12 months Annual $23,475 $23,475
Dr Lynette Henderson-Yates 3 years 12 months Annual $23,475 $23,475
Dr Bruce Matthews 4 years 3 months Annual $23,475 $6,952
Ms Denise O’Meara 3.5 years 12 months Annual $23,475 $23,475
Mrs Pauline White 3 years 9 months Annual $23,475 $9,661
        Total $171,368

Source: School Curriculum and Standards

 

 

Table 12: School Curriculum and Standards Authority – Curriculum and Assessment Committee remuneration 2020–21

Position
Member name		 Term of
appointment		 Membership length
(2020–21)		 Remuneration
Type Base salary/ sitting fee Actual
(2020–21)
Chair
Ms Denise O’Meara 3.5 years 12 months Meeting $550 $2,750
Member
Mr Jeffrey Allan 4 years 9 months Meeting $370 $740
Associate Professor Caroline Barratt-Pugh 3 years 12 months Meeting $370 $1,480
Ms Elizabeth Blackwell 4 years 12 months – – –
Mr Martin Clery 4 years 9 months – – –
Ms Amanda Connor 4 years 12 months Meeting $370 $1,480
Ms Fiona Forbes 2 years 12 months – – –
Mr Armando Giglia 4 years 12 months – – –
Ms Jillian Jamieson 2 years 12 months Meeting $370 $1,110
Mr Tony Misich 3 years 12 months Meeting $370 $0
Ms Kristine Stafford 4 years 12 months Meeting $370 $1,850
Ms Katherine Ward 3 years 12 months – – –
Mr Roderick (Rod) Wood 2 years 12 months Meeting $370 $1,480
        Total $10,890

Source: School Curriculum and Standards

 

 

Table 13: School Curriculum and Standards Authority – Standards Committee remuneration 2020–21

Position
Member name		 Term of
appointment		 Membership length
(2020–21)		 Remuneration
Type Base salary/ sitting fee Actual
(2020–21)
Chair
Dr Bruce Matthews 4 years 3 months Meeting $550 $1,100
Ms Pauline Coghlan 4 years 9 months Meeting $550 $1,650
Member
Ms Jocelyn Cook 4 years 9 months Meeting $370 $1,110
Ms Anne Ford 3 years 12 months Meeting $370 $1,480
Ms Melissa Gillett 2 years 12 months – – –
Associate Professor Stephen Humphry 3 years 12 months Meeting $370 $1,110
Ms Pauline White 2 years 3 months – – –
        Total $6,450

Source: School Curriculum and Standards