Parliamentary Question

Minister Representing: Question No:156
Portfolio:Education and Training Question Date:04/11/2006
Year:2006Answer Date:04/11/2006
Parliament:37Question Type:Question Without Notice
Session Number:1Asked By:Hon PETER COLLIER
Chamber:CouncilTabled Paper No:

Question:



GENERAL ACHIEVEMENT TEST - VICTORIAN GENERAL APTITUDE TEST


156. Hon PETER COLLIER to the Minister for Education and Training:

(1) Will the minister confirm that all students undertaking the new courses of study implemented in year 11 in 2006 will sit the general achievement test on 7 June?

(2) Will the minister confirm that the GAT is modelled entirely on the Victorian general aptitude test?

(3) Given that in the most recent correspondence from the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre, which deals with the scaling committee’s review of international baccalaureate scores and GAT results, the figures indicate an inaccurate correlation between final results achieved by students and GAT, what justification can the minister provide for this method of moderation of internal school results being implemented to predict results in Western Australian schools?

Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied:

I thank the member for some notice of this question. Before I provide my response, I will just say that I was absolutely amazed to read in The West Australian that there is now yet another shadow spokesperson for education. I was quite getting used to Hon Simon O’Brien in that capacity, and now I find that the spokesperson on the other side is Hon Peter Collier. I have a word of advice. The idea of this game is that the opposition spokesperson is supposed to get me; he is not supposed to implode. He is supposed to come for me, and then we are supposed to make some of the changes. The guys opposite are not supposed to restructure internally. However, I have done some calculations. Given that each member has served four months as the opposition spokesperson for education, and given that there are 12 other members of the Liberal Party in this chamber and that there are three years in this term of Parliament to go, I reckon it could all be broken down, and each member could serve three months. That would just about do it. It really goes to demonstrate the lack of talent on the other side. However, I am quite happy to provide the answer to the honourable member.

(1) Yes, apart from in limited extenuating circumstances.

(2) No. The general achievement test - the GAT test - was developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research and is used by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

Hon Simon O’Brien interjected.

Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH: I know Hon Simon O’Brien is grumpy because he has lost his job. However, he has only himself to blame, because Hon Peter Collier has forged ahead of him, and he will continue to forge ahead of others. Hon Simon O’Brien should just accept responsibility for not being good enough. I will go back to the answer.

(3) The use of GAT results in Western Australia will not be the same as in Victoria. GAT results will not contribute to graduation requirements and will not count towards the WACE or tertiary entrance rank. The GAT will not be used to statistically moderate individual achievement.