Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery has announced a new Board Chair for the School Curriculum and Standards Authority commencing in late December 2021.
Ms Pauline White has a long and successful career in education in Western Australia spanning several decades and is looking forward to stepping in to this significant role.
Ms White holds a Bachelor of Economics and Diploma of Education and has many years of experience teaching and leading mathematics education before progressing into school leadership roles.
In 2018, she became a member of the Authority's Standards Committee, before becoming a Board member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Management Committee in late 2020.
Her recent experience in a school combined with her work on the Committees and Board makes her well qualified for this appointment at a time when senior secondary syllabuses are in their review cycle and as we progress towards all schools moving to NAPLAN Online
Ms White succeeds Emeritus Professor Patrick Garnett following his ten years at the helm.
Professor Garnett was chair of the Curriculum Council in 2011 and led the transition to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority and its increased functions resulting in a comprehensive Kindergarten to Year 10 curriculum for WA and increased rigour and standards in Years 11 and 12.
His involvement in the nationally groundbreaking introduction of the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment has resulted in improved outcomes of Year 12 graduates coupled with the significant improvement in Year 9 NAPLAN results.
As stated by Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery:
"Ms White brings a strong education background and her recent experience as a Board member to the role of Chair to further the Authority's strategic directions.
"She has been dedicated to education in Western Australia with a career spanning thirty-five years, of which the last fifteen were as the principal at Wanneroo Secondary College before retiring at the end of 2020.
"I am confident Ms White's commitment to education and her recent school experience will continue to ensure a robust and high standard of education for all WA students.
"I would like to extend my thanks to Professor Garnett for his outstanding leadership of reform to the Western Australian Certificate of Education and his dedication to the improvement of education for all WA students.
"His reputation as a strong advocate for the needs of WA students is widely known as is the respect he has earned for his collaborative approach to ensuring the very best outcomes."
