Bartlett yet to seek Auditor General review of Tas Tomorrow attendance figures

Premier appears to indicate that the Auditor-General will not scrutinise current attendance figures in the post year 10 system

Mr Bartlett has completely misjudged the pain and confusion that his poorly implemented changes are causing

A broader independent review and a moratorium on further transition to the new system is required

As the Tasmania Tomorrow reforms continue to unravel, the Premier today appeared to indicate that the Auditor General would not go into post year 10 schools to ascertain real retention and active enrolments of students – despite all the problems we now know are being experienced in monitoring attendance.

It would be a sham for the Premier to simply ask the Auditor General to sign off on figures at the end of the year when he knows they may bear no resemblance to reality.

It is further evidence that the Premier is a hypocrite when he says he relies on data and evidence.

If the Premier is serious about getting to the bottom of claims of mass non-attendance at the Tasmanian Polytechnic, then the Auditor General should be sent into campuses now – and not merely sign off on a set of figures once holidays have started.

The Premier has also completely misjudged the pain and confusion that his poorly implemented changes are causing and to compound the problem, has resorted to using dubious figures to make them look better and sweep concerns under the carpet.

Stop-work meetings are now looming and the Australian Education Union this morning said that the changes are based on misinformation and political rhetoric. The AEU has also said that the stupidity of the changes can be illustrated by Launceston College, where not one subject or learning opportunity students are missing out on by not being in Tasmania Tomorrow can be identified.

The Premier is putting his short-term political self-interest ahead of the long-term interests of Tasmanian students.

It is appropriate that the Auditor-General reviews attendance figures, but we also need a broader independent review of this mess and a moratorium on further transition to Tasmania Tomorrow until the problems are sorted out.
Will Hodgman MP Leader of the State Opposition