Greens spokesperson for Education Hon Alison Xamon MLC has welcomed the announcement from the Premier Mark McGowan that the Government will reverse its decision to close Schools of the Air (SOTA) and revoke a number of other ill thought out cuts to Education, but stresses the Government must now rethink the way it does business.
Ms Xamon said while she shared in the relief of the community which had shown so much outrage over the decisions, today’s backflip must be the last time the Government is forced to back-pedal because of poor decision making on their part.
“While I’m glad the Government has reversed its position on Schools of the Air and some of the other cuts, this must be the last time the Government makes such a poorly thought through decision.
“We saw it during the Perth Modern debacle and again now with Schools of the Air – the groundwork has not been done and there has been no consultation.
“It is a disturbing pattern that decisions which adversely affect our community are being made seemingly off the cuff, without due diligence having been undertaken nor with the communities which stood to be affected, being consulted.
“This cannot be the way that Government operates. Frankly, it is just incompetent.
“There are still a number of other terrible cuts which have been proposed in the Education portfolio. They should also be reversed and, instead, the money can be found by not proceeding with the highly unpopular and completely unnecessary $21 million relocation of the International School to Doubleview.”
