· No confidence in the Premier’s claims about student retention and engagement in new PY10 system
· Premier challenged to release the evidence to support his claims, which are totally out of whack with feedback on the ground
· Premier continues to dismiss the myriad of concerns about his rushed Tas Tomorrow reforms as mere ‘teething problems’
The Premier has been challenged to release the evidence on which he bases his claims that there is 95 per cent retention into Term 3 in the new polytechnics and academies.
The figure is totally out of whack with what teachers are telling us and the Premier dodged backing up his claims with data and evidence in Parliament today.
For the Premier to also continue to dismiss the myriad of issues plaguing the Tasmania Tomorrow system as ‘teething problems’ – as he did again in Parliament today – is arrogance and incompetence of the highest order.
Yesterday, in an answer to our questions over what he was doing to ensure a proper and full response to the Ivan Webb “Needing to be Heard” review of the Tasmania Tomorrow reforms, Mr Bartlett indicated that there was a 95 per cent retention rate.
At the same time, however, the Premier effectively admitted that there were problems with enrolment and attendance records by announcing an investment in ICT reforms which have been one of a number of major ongoing criticisms coming from staff.
Today, when questioned about the issue again, the Premier refused to admit that late last month at the Hobart Campus there was a motion of no confidence in claims that student retention and engagement have improved this year.
I have been told that ICT Services at Hobart Campus have been so inefficient that there was no facility for removing students from the Campus books, despite requests from staff to do so.
And rather than a 95 per cent retention rate, I am hearing that some Polytechnic classes are running at only 30 per cent capacity. Indeed, teachers continue to tell us that their Year 11 and 12 Polytechnic class attendances are dropping dramatically.
Although Mr Bartlett conceded that there were some ICT issues at campuses generally, he continued to spin the line that the reforms have another two years to run to meet COAG targets and that these ‘teething problems as they are’ would eventually be sorted out. He also refused to have an independent audit of current active enrolments, suggesting that we wait for figures from the Annual Report. These will not provide an up-to-date assessment of current enrolments, nor overcome what appear to be massive inaccuracies in the data systems.
Well, Premier, that is simply not good enough.
For the Premier and Minister for Education to continue to refuse to take genuine action to resolve the myriad of issues and concerns demonstrates his total lack of leadership.
His 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.
I call on the Premier to finally show some leadership and guarantee that he will initiate a full independent audit of current active (i.e. attending) enrolments, so that we can have full confidence in the data, as well as to commit to ensuring that course completion and success results are available to the public by the end of the year.
In the interim, Mr Bartlett should at least release the data and definitions used to substantiate his 95 per cent retention rate.
And if he refuses to believe reports of poor attendance, then Mr Bartlett should go up to Hobart College to talk to teachers and witness it for himself.
The Tasmania Tomorrow system is in crisis and it is the Premier’s responsibility to implement real action to improve the current situation and get the system back on track as soon as possible.
Right now, there appears to be very good reasons for a ‘time out’ on the further transfer of remaining Colleges.
Sue Napier MP Shadow Minister for Education
