Tas Tomorrow: a system in crisis

Survey of Tas Tomorrow teachers and staff by well respected educator Ivan Webb reveals huge concerns about the Premier’s rushed changes
· Teacher emails also claim that the Premier has created a “Frankenstein”

These are much more than teething problems and they require leadership from the Premier

The Tasmania Tomorrow system is in crisis.

A progress review, “Needing to be Heard”, conducted by respected educator Ivan Webb for the Australian Education Union, has exposed many extremely concerning reports about how the new post year 10 structure is actually functioning on a day to day basis.

The report found:

At this stage, many but not all, staff members in all PY10 organisations are reporting high levels of frustration, anger and in some cases hopelessness as well as concern for their colleagues and students

The vast majority of respondents are not thriving and are in need of very substantial and immediate assistance.

Some of the Academy’s teacher responses included:

I can’t think of one thing that is better in the new system

The best are the things that have been there all along. I can’t think of one new thing that is even satisfactory

A Polytechnic teacher said:

My qualifications and experience are being wasted. The polytechnic leadership is focused on meeting budgets and has little regard for outcomes for students

And feedback provided to me by some teachers yesterday included:

It is a long while since I have had to endure such unequivocal drivel and bull**** as I did at the meeting yesterday…whoever thought of this whizbang new delivery model has obviously never worked in a college…anyone with half a brain can see that it is unworkable

And

It is so frustrating that there seems to be no avenue for action against this abomination, no way to vent our spleens and let the world know that David Bartlett’s baby is a Frankenstein.

Despite this the Premier continues to wipe his hands of the bungled implementation of the reforms and, importantly, refuses to take genuine action to resolve the myriad of issues and concerns.

He’s also ignoring the need to call time on further transition to the new regime so that everyone can take stock and ensure we get this shambles right.

The Premier refused to postpone the implementation of the reforms as moved by the Tasmanian Liberals. The AEU was also initially led to believe that the reforms would be delayed until 2011, and when the Premier changed his mind, they branded him a liar and attacked his betrayal.

The students who are being failed by this government are the same students who were the Essential Learnings debacle guinea pigs.

And the Government’s failure to address the many major sources of concern will not only result in even further alienation and deterioration in profession success and well being, but will further undermine improved student participation and the needs of Tasmania’s skilled workforce, particularly in light of the worrying nature of many of the responses collected by the survey.

The Premier claimed that there has been a 12% improvement in enrolments in post-year 10 education, a claim that we cannot verify as the current August Year 11 and 12 census data of active enrolment (those actually attending) in Colleges and the Polytechnic and Academy has not been released. It is certainly completely at odds with what teachers are telling us – that is that there is significant non-attendance by students.

Enough is enough. Real action is needed from the Premier now to improve the current situation and get the system back on track as soon as possible. The information collected from the survey needs to be taken seriously. It’s time to see some leadership from the Premier on the implementation of these reforms, but we are not getting that now.
Will Hodgman MP Leader of the State Opposition