Media release – Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations (TASSO), 7 March 2024
School Upgrades Welcome – But Pork-Barrelling Isn’t
The Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations (TASSO) has weighed in on recent election promises around education capital expenditure.
Krissy McCance, TASSO President said tonight: “Whilst it is great news that political parties are promising much-needed one off upgrades at specific schools, this doesn’t change the fact that our schools are chronically under-funded”.
“Whilst politicians are happy to announce projects, they can cut a ribbon for – $10 million here, $5 million there – they forget to mention in their speech to the parents that the school will still be under-funded by more than $2000 per student per year in terms of teachers, support staff and educational materials unless they agree to increase needs-based funding to the minimum standard.” McCance said.
“Meanwhile, there is a $1 million shortfall for the education of kids at a 500-student school each and every year – this year, next year, and the year after”; McCance continued.
TASSO has been calling for increased needs-based per-student funding under the School Resourcing Standard (SRS) for Tasmanian government schools, whilst several key metrics for education in Tasmania remain the worst of any state.
TASSO has called on parties to support a transparent, independent and arms-length prioritisation process for capital spending, starting with election pledges. “If these projects were top of the priority list, then we’d assume they would have been happening anyway so they are announcing something that’s already going to happen. But if not, does this mean that another school who needs urgent work like mould removal or a leaky roof replacing will get a raw deal and go further down the list?” McCance said.
“That is why TASSO is calling for greater transparency through an external oversight board, who can make sure that spending on our schools’ infrastructure is truly assessed based on need – just like student funding”.
TASSO has called for state parties to commit to school sites having a publicly available independent and comprehensive safety and building audit complete by the end of 2025; maintenance works to be project based with all projects ranked by priority; recommendations for capital works to be made based on the priority list, and only when the cost benefit is considerable are project grouped at one school, allowing projects to climb the list.
“School infrastructure should not be a part of a political campaign. The creation of an oversight board will allow the schools most in need of upgrades to be prioritised over political whims aimed to sway the voting public.”
TASSO continues its advocacy for a fair, equitable, and transparent education funding system in Tasmania, the organisation calls on State and Federal Governments to urgently prioritise full funding for government schools.
TASSO maintains that proper funding is essential to eliminate disparities, provide equal opportunities for all students, and build a robust foundation for the future of education in Tasmania.
