The AEU welcomed the Hodgman Government’s announcement today that it will partially repair the school cuts made in its first state budget.
“The partial repair of the school cuts is welcome. We hope this is just the first step in the Hodgman Government returning all of the teachers and support staff it axed in its first budget,” said Terry Polglase, AEU Tasmanian Branch President.
“The Hodgman Government cut 250 teachers and support staff in 2014 and the return of 105 educators will provide some welcome relief for schools but they’re only getting back less than half the staff that were originally axed,” said Mr Polglase.
“Schools have not yet returned to the number of teachers and support staff that they had before the Hodgman Government cuts were made and the vast majority of schools will still be worse off than they were two years ago.”
“It must be remembered that Gonski money was designed as additional funding to meet student need and not as a resource for plugging Government cuts.”
Mr Polglase said National Gonski Week was a great opportunity for Premier Will Hodgman to build on the momentum from today’s announcement and explain his plan to convince Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to deliver the fifth and sixth years of Gonski funding.
“A new Prime Minister provides Premier Will Hodgman with a new opportunity to convince the Federal Government to deliver the fifth and sixth years of Gonski funding and Mr Hodgman needs to explain how he will seize this opportunity for Tasmanian students,” he said.
Terry Polglase, AEU Tasmanian Branch President
