Jo Palmer, Minister for Education, 24 June 2024

Delivering improved educational outcomes for Tasmanian students

The Tasmanian Government will undertake an independent review of the state’s education system, appointing Vicki Baylis to lead the targeted work.

Minister for Education, Jo Palmer, said Tasmania’s education system is critical in supporting young Tasmanians in gaining the skills they need to fully contribute to our community and economic future, and lead their best lives.

“As part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, we are investing in improving literacy and our schools, so we welcome the interest in ensuring our resources and efforts are helping our learners succeed,” Minister Palmer said.

“We have delivered significant change in the education system over the past ten years, including extending high schools to years 11 and 12 and changing the law to ensure young people are in education or training.

“This is paying off with 80.2 per cent of 15-19 years old in formal education or training which is in line with the national average.

“We have recently introduced nation-leading structured literacy and phonics programs in our schools but are always open to further improving our education system, which is why the Government will undertake a transparent, independent review within the Tasmanian context.”

Vicki Baylis – an experienced and well-respected educator with over four decades of experience in Queensland and the Northern Territory – will lead this work in consultation with the Department of Education, Children and Young People, and stakeholders.

Ms Baylis will consider Tasmania’s demographic profile, socio-economic characteristics, and the relationship of all levels of education, as well as learning from other jurisdictions.

The Review will be future-focused, with the intent of further improving Tasmania’s education system, including literacy and numeracy outcomes over the next decade.

The Tasmanian Government will release the Terms of Reference in the coming weeks.

Minister Palmer said Tasmania was not unique in facing challenges within the education system regarding student pressure points and the education workforce.

“I continue to engage with stakeholders and Ministers from other jurisdictions about the key focus areas within the education system,” Minister Palmer said.

The Tasmanian Government also continues to negotiate with the Federal Government regarding the next ten-year funding agreement, with a strong focus on ensuring Tasmanian schools are fully and fairly funded.

The Review will be completed, with the report provided to the Government by the end of 2024.

Media release – Australian Education Union (AEU) Tasmania, 24 June 2024

AEU Teachers response to Education Review announcement

David Genford, Australian Education Union (AEU) Tasmania President, said:

“The Minister for Education must rule out any cuts to education in the State Budget, if a review into education is to be taken seriously.

“The Minister has ruled out cuts to ‘schools’, but educators and schools rely on the support services of the Department and any review is likely to expose existing failures caused by under-funding.

“The Department currently can’t cope with curriculum work, principal support or even paying educators on time – we don’t need a review to tell us that any cuts to the education budget will hurt our kids and increase the workload pressures currently driving teachers out of the profession.

“If the Minister wants this review to be taken seriously, she must rule out any cuts to education.”

The Department doesn’t currently even have the resources to engage in a Review, let alone make improvements based on recommendations that may follow.”

Media release – TasCOSS, 25 June 2024

Review welcomed as important first step to improving education outcomes

TasCOSS welcomes the announcement of an independent review of Tasmania’s education system as an important first step to improving education outcomes but urged the Government to include effective responses to socio-economic disadvantage faced by students in its Terms of Reference.

TasCOSS CEO, Ms Adrienne Picone, said the review presents an important opportunity to strengthen Tasmania’s education system to ensure it achieves improved educational, social and economic outcomes for every Tasmanian.

“A good education is key to combating entrenched, generational poverty, and ensuring Tasmanian children and young people living on low incomes have the same opportunity to participate in learning and enter the workforce as their peers,” Ms Picone said,

“Full resourcing of schools and classrooms should be the first point of call, however this review also needs to recognise that addressing education disadvantage can’t be solely solved in the classroom, it’s also about making sure Tasmanians can access essential services — such as health services and appropriate housing — to ensure Tasmanian children and young people living in poverty are not left behind.

“Extensive consultation with early education, schools, vocational education, training and tertiary education representatives and employers is also essential to the success of the review, as well consultation with the broader community including parents, children and young people.”

Ms Picone said in addition to a review of Tasmanian education system, all public schools needed to be resourced at a minimum of 100% for the Schooling Resource Standard by 2028.

“Targeted investment in our state schools is essential to ensuring our children have the best launch pad in life,” she said.

TasCOSS is calling for the Tasmanian education reviews Terms of Reference to include consideration of the following:

  • Funding for Tasmania’s schools, in the context of a forthcoming ten year federal-state funding agreement, with a particular focus on equitable funding for public schools.
  • Socio-economic barriers to educational engagement faced by Tasmanian families, including insecure housing, digital inequality, food insecurity and the cost of living crisis, as well as family violence.
  • How the high prevalence of mental health conditions amongst children and young people is affecting their engagement with education and learning.
  • The effectiveness of the Working Together for three year olds initiative in providing quality early learning available to all Tasmanian families.