The Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME) welcomes the improvement in minimum literacy and numeracy standards for school leavers.
CME chief executive Reg Howard-Smith said he was pleased to see the successful student achievement results released today.
“Minimum standards of literacy and numeracy in secondary education are critical for the demands of everyday life, industry and the ongoing success of Western Australia’s resources sector,” Mr Howard-Smith said.
“The State Government set out three years ago to raise the bar in education to ensure minimum standards are met by school leavers. By identifying those students who are struggling with reading and writing and providing them with tailored help at an earlier stage will mean they are much better placed to engage with the training or the work environment when they leave school.
The resources sector supports the continual improvement of the education system in Western Australia to ensure improved outcomes which not only benefit the individual but will be of benefit to their future employers.
CME encourages the State Government to continue to place importance on literacy and numeracy skills so that school leavers can confidently progress to the next stage of their lives, whether that be further education, training or employment.
Background
In January 2013, the State Government announced major reforms to Western Australia’s secondary school education system, stipulating all students would be supported to meet minimum literacy and numeracy standards by the time of graduation.
The percentage of WACE- eligible students meeting minimum literacy and numeracy standards rose to more than 90% for 2016’s Year 12 students, compared to 28% when those students were in Year 9. This improvement was captured in results from WA’s Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA), introduced as part of wider WACE reforms and designed to raise the bar in secondary education.
