Economy
How they targetted the schools to close
WHAT had seemed heaven sent for 20 small Tasmanian schools – $13.5 million in federal stimulus upgrades, seemingly locking in their survival – suddenly became a weapon against them.
The Tasmanian Education Department, which had helped secure the federal Building the Education Revolution funds, was suddenly charged with finding $190m in cuts after a tough state budget. And in a move galling to the schools it targeted, the department used the new BER facilities to claim the 20 schools had unused capacity and should close.
Those schools without sufficient student numbers to suggest 60 per cent of physical capacity was being used were in breach of the department’s guidelines and vulnerable to closure.
For “18 days of hell” the school communities fought the government with a wave of protests, Facebook campaigns and lobbying. Eventually they won a reprieve, with Education Minister and Greens leader Nick McKim scrapping the plan on Monday, conceding the process had been “a mistake” and caused “distress”.