Pre-primary schooling for all children in Western Australia will become compulsory from 2013 after the State Government passed legislation through both houses of Parliament.

 

State Education Minister, Peter Collier, said that the School Education Amendment Bill 2013 will come into effect on January 1 next year.

 

“Every Western Australian child of pre-primary age will be guaranteed a place at their local public school from the first day of the 2013 school year,” Mr Collier said.

 

The Minister said pre-primary was a vital step in children’s learning where they acquired foundation skills and became used to the routine of school life.

 

“Pre-primary is also the year when every public school student is assessed on literacy and numeracy so their teachers can plan the best learning programs for them,” he said.

 

“This on-entry assessment includes aspects of oral language, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, counting, ordering, early spatial awareness and simple measurement comparisons.”

 

Mr Collier said the passage of the pre-primary legislation meant WA children would attend 13 years of compulsory schooling and be well-placed to take advantage of the Australian Curriculum as it continued to be rolled out ahead of 2015.