Media release – Roger Jaensch, Minister for Education, Children and Youth, 5 July 2022
Term 3 COVID-safe schools plan released
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is releasing stage three of the COVID-safe schools operational plan which outlines how schools will continue to safely manage COVID-19 in Term 3.
This forward planning is important to ensure Tasmanian Government schools continue to stay open and support learning in COVID-safe ways.
Being at school is the best place for our children and this next plan builds on everything we have learnt and implemented in the first half of the school year and since the start of the pandemic.
I would like to thank our dedicated teachers, support staff and all of the Department of Education employees who have worked tirelessly this year to ensure learning could continue.
And thanks to all of our students, families and carers for their cooperation and flexibility. It has been an enormous start to the school year, but everyone has done their part to keep our schools as safe as possible.
In Term 3, Tasmanian Government schools will be able to support a wider range of school activities compared to the start of the school year, including the return of intrastate school camps and overnight excursions.
The Department of Education has worked closely with Public Health in the lead up to the end of the emergency declaration to ensure schools continue to be safe places for learners.
Important COVID-safe measures such as increased ventilation and additional cleaning will continue into Term 3 and students and staff will continue to practice good hand hygiene, follow social distancing and wear masks when they can’t, test when they have symptoms and stay home if unwell.
The Department continues working closely with government school communities and the non-government sector to support them with managing COVID-19 in their communities.
The COVID-safe schools operational plan will continue to be monitored and reviewed to ensure our learners remain safe at school.
For more information, and to access the COVID-safe schools operational plan, visit the Department of Education website.
Josh Willie MLC, Shadow Minister for Education and Early Years, 5 July 2022
Jaensch COVID “plan” for Term Three does nothing to help students catch up
The Rockliff-Ferguson Government has done the bare minimum to ensure student and teacher safety as COVID continues to run rampant in the community.
As Education Minister Roger Jaensch today released a “plan” for the next school term starting at the end of this month, there has been no improved effort to recruit relief school staff and, importantly, no thought put into how students will catch up on learning missed in the first half of the year due to COVID disruptions.
With the threat of a third COVID wave looming the government has today made no new safety provision for vulnerable students or students with a disability.
We learned during the Estimates process that the Liberal Government’s promise at the beginning of the year that it had access to more than 1,700 relief teachers is not a true indication of the number of teachers available with 911 of the pool already working part time, with limited capacity to do more.
We know that the second dose vaccination rate among five-to-11 year olds has totally stalled at just over 51 per cent because of weak government messaging, even though it prevents serious illness and hospitalisation.
And we know that student absentee rates through the first half of the year were significant and that has the potential to impact student outcomes.
Mr Jaensch has failed today to outline what additional teaching support will be offered – if any – for catch up learning.
With the most recent Tasmanian NAPLAN results showing 28.5 per cent of Year Nines can not read above the level expected to engage in the wider curriculum, 41.5 per cent could not express themselves in written form and 23.4 per cent were not numerate, Mr Jaensch and the Liberals have today yet again proven that even faced with a disruption as serious as COVID, education is simply not their priority.
Media release – AEU, 6 July 2022
AEU Tasmania statement re Studentworks
The Australian Education Union Tasmania Branch is extremely concerned about the imminent closure of Launceston’s Studentworks – a longstanding, successful program that has been supporting students for more than 40 years.
It is beyond belief that the State Government would consider closing such a vital program that supports local disengaged students into work.
The AEU understands that this move, to make cuts to Education by stealth, is based on an incomplete review of the program.
The Minister is being careful with the facts by claiming this incomplete review will help determine the next steps for this type of educational provision.
This outstanding program has significant support within the community and is strongly endorsed by local business leaders.
This year Studentworks has involved more than 30 students from 10 different schools in a range of disciplines.
It is difficult to understand how these students will be catered for in their local school, particularly given the severe shortage of teachers.
Every Tasmanian public school is currently underfunded $1,289 per student per year and the state is in the middle of a teacher shortage leaving many schools struggling to cope.
No school will be able to support these types of programs when they are already struggling to staff classes.
Cutting funding, teaching positions and support to Studentworks just shows the Liberal Government doesn’t understand education and training and doesn’t care about anything that isn’t one of their political priorities.
Studentworks and Tasmanian students deserve better. The Minister must reverse these cuts and support Studentworks to continue its important work.
