Schools Reopen Amid Sand Recall, Violence & Exam Failure

This collection of media releases from 13-23 November 2025 presents statements from Jo Palmer MHA, Minister for Education, Labor Leader Josh Willie MHA, independent member for Nelson, Meg Webb MLC and the Australian Education Union (AEU). The releases reveal a contentious period in education, focusing primarily on the safe reopening of schools following a nationwide coloured sand recall, but also highlighting serious concerns over school violence, resource allocation to senior secondary education, the mistakes in Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) Biology 3 exam and TasTAFE course cuts.

Asbestos Safety Failures Exposed Across Schools

Media release – Jo Palmer, MHA  Minister for Education, 23 November 2025

Schools fully reopen following sand recall

All previously closed Tasmanian Government schools will reopen tomorrow following an extensive cleaning effort.

A number of schools were closed or partially closed as a precautionary approach following the nationwide recall of coloured sand.

Minister for Education, Jo Palmer, said over the weekend, specialist cleaning was completed at the remaining affected schools, and our expert advisors have now cleared them for reopening.

“It is reassuring that all air monitoring conducted has confirmed it is safe for schools to resume normal operations,” Palmer said.

“Testing of physical sand samples from Tasmanian Government schools has not indicated the presence of asbestos.”

Additional cleaning will be undertaken over the coming week at sites where small areas may have been impacted, and to safely remove the isolated product.

Schools have been keeping families updated over the weekend once they received confirmation cleaning was completed to the required levels.

“We appreciate that the closure or partial closure of schools has had an impact on students and their families and carers, staff and volunteers,” Palmer said.

“At all times, the safety of our students and staff has been our priority.

“We thank families, carers, and the community for their understanding and patience, and we look forward to welcoming students back to school tomorrow.”

Media release – Josh Willie MHA, Labor Leader, 22 November 2025

Minister Palmer MIA on school violence crisis

This week, in Budget Estimates, Labor uncovered shocking departmental figures revealing the true number of violent incidents and assaults occurring in Tasmania’s classrooms and school yards and it is a devastating figure.

In 2024, there were 1,363 reported incidents in Tasmanian schools and colleges of physical violence between staff and students, and between students themselves.

This means every school day in schools right across Tasmania there are seven serious incidents occurring where a Tasmanian student or teacher is being physically assaulted with an object or weapon, or has been kicked, punched, bitten, spat-upon, grabbed, or worse.

What is even more alarming is the department revealed a 195 percent increase in reported incidents in just the last two years.

I accept that this is a challenging issue and all of society walks through the school gate each day, but this is a shocking situation with real consequences for Tasmanian teachers and school support staff.

Earlier this month, we learned 100 Tasmanian teachers were injured so severely last year they couldn’t return to work, and workers compensation claims for psychological harm are up 60 per cent in just two years.

Providing a safe learning and working environment is surely the first responsibility of every education minister.

When asked in Parliament earlier this month to take responsibility for the unsafe and unsustainable conditions in our schools, Minister Palmer appeared to point the finger at everyone else.

Now we know just how serious the crisis really is, when will the Minister listen to school staff and support improvements to their conditions?

This is a Minister who famously said it wasn’t her job to be across the details of negotiations with the workforce and is missing in action whenever there is bad news in her department.

No wonder her own workforce has no confidence in her.

Media release – Jo Palmer MHA, Minister for Education, 21 November 2025

More schools reopen following sand recall

The Tasmanian Government continues to actively manage the recalled sand situation and is working to reopen schools safely as quickly as possible.

Preliminary testing of physical sand samples from Tasmanian Government schools has not indicated the presence of asbestos.

Overnight, eight more schools were fully reopened after a specialist clean.

We are working towards having all schools fully reopened on Monday, pending final clearance from our expert advisors.

The Department for Education, Children and Youth is working closely with specialist advisors and licensed cleaning contractors to ensure all schools meet safety standards before reopening.

We are aiming for all sites to reopen to students on Monday, however final clearance remains a safety requirement before a school can officially reopen.

Schools will provide families with confirmation as soon as it is received over the weekend.

Families will be notified throughout the weekend if the status of their school changes.

A final list of each school’s status for Monday will be added to the Department’s website at 6pm on Sunday.

We recognise that school closures or partial closures have affected students, families, carers, and staff.

At all times, the safety of our students and staff has been at the forefront of our decision making.

We thank families, carers, and the community for their understanding and patience, and we look forward to welcoming students back to school next week.

For more information, please visit the DECYP website.

Media release – Australian Education Union Tasmania, 21 November 2025

Millions spent on empty Extension Schools as exam regulator and curriculum flounders

AEU Deputy President (Secondary Colleges Sector) James Broad said the TCE exam errors were symptomatic of government underfunding one area of education so it can prop up its unsustainable extension school program.

Broad said the issue with the TCE Biology 3 exam is much worse than Education Minister Jo Palmer has portrayed.

“It is one of the worst exam mistakes we have ever seen. Biology teachers are telling us that large parts of the exam have been rendered unviable for assessment,” he said.

“While other mistakes, such as the error in the Legal 3 exam are manageable, the Biology exam is not easily resolved at all.

“These mistakes have devastating impacts not just on students but teachers who put their heart and soul into preparing for exams only to have the rug pulled out from underneath them.

“It is symptomatic of a government that continues to prop up its failed year 11 and 12 extension school program at the expense of core areas of year 11 and 12 education such as exam delivery and curriculum development.”

The exam errors will impact students and our teacher members and we want TASC to ensure that no student is worse off due to this error, Broad said.

A Deloitte independent review of the education regulator, Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification (TASC), found that under resourcing was mainly to blame for last year’s exam debacle.

“The Education Minister was told how to fix this after last year’s exam errors, yet has done nothing substantive to improve resourcing at TASC which is outrageous,” he said.

Senior secondary curriculum writing has also ground to a halt, leaving students with courses that are not fit for purpose.

“This government continues to funnel millions into its extension school facilities some of which have no or just a handful of students while the rest of senior secondary education withers into crisis.”

Media release – Jo Palmer MHA, Minister for Education, 20 November 2025

Update on recalled sand testing

Preliminary testing of physical sand samples from Tasmanian Government schools has not indicated the presence of asbestos.

The Department of Education, Children and Youth will continue to engage in monitoring and testing.

The advice from the national Environmental Health Standing Committee has confirmed there is very low risk to human health.

Overnight, four schools fully reopened and a further 11 have transitioned from full closure to partial closure.

Schools are implementing safe and creative solutions, such as relocating classes to alternative spaces and adjusting delivery, to maximise attendance and maintain continuity of learning.

The safety of our staff and students remains at the centre of every decision we make.

We are working closely with relevant specialist advisors to implement our cleaning program, which is being delivered by licensed cleaning contractors.

Initial work has commenced at priority sites and the program will expand to other sites in the coming days.

I would like to thank families and staff for their patience and understanding while we work through this process.

We will continue to support schools to return to normal operations as soon as possible.

Media release – Meg Webb MLC, Independent Member for Nelson, 20 November 2025

Education Minister Not Consulted on TasTAFE Laboratory Technician Course Cuts

Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb said today Education Minister Jo Palmer confirmed she was not consulted on the TasTAFE cuts to the Laboratory Technician courses.

Webb said the Minister made the admission to her questions during Budget Estimates Scrutiny Hearings, despite 67 laboratory technicians currently employed across the State’s schools and colleges.

“I call on the Premier to intervene and reverse the upcoming TasTAFE subsidisation cuts,” Webb said.

“The Education Minister and the Department confirmed they were not consulted about the TasTAFE cuts to the laboratory technician training courses, or how that may impact upon the department’s capacity to recruit necessary and qualified school technicians.

“This just goes to prove what a badly ill-informed, and counter-productive thought-bubble these TasTAFE cuts are.”

Webb said the Department requires as a minimum applicants to hold a Certificate III or Certificate IV in Laboratory Techniques, or preferably a Diploma, to even be considered for a position in a Tasmanian school or college.

All of which TasTAFE provides locally.

“There will be turnover amongst the 67 laboratory technicians employed across Tasmanian schools and colleges, including those reaching retirement age, and a need for continual recruitment but instead of investing in a locally trained source of future qualified technicians Minister Ellis is shutting them down.

“By pulling the rug out from beneath our highly regarded Tas TAFE courses, Minister Ellis is also pulling the rug out from beneath our schools’ future capacity to employ crucial and locally trained laboratory technicians.”

Webb also highlighted concerns the interstate Registered Training Organisations Minister Ellis is now relying upon to offer laboratory technical training do not accept individual students but instead prioritise work-place training for those already employed.

“The Education Department will now either have to recruit new lab technicians from interstate or hire unqualified staff who will then need to seek training via an interstate RTO which may not accept individual applicants.

“How is that an improvement on having a trained pool of local potential recruits, who received their highly regarded qualifications locally?

“Premier Rockliff cannot continue to just stand by and watch the undermining of this crucially skilled workforce. He must intervene, overturn this damaging decision and restore all TasTAFE laboratory technician courses.

“Tasmania’s students, schools and colleges cannot afford this bad decision.”

Media release – Jo Palmer MHA, Minister for Education, 19 November 2025

Update on coloured sand recall

The Tasmanian Government is prioritising cleaning at schools impacted by the coloured sand recall so they can reopen as quickly and safely as possible.

Timing for reopening will be on a case-by-case basis. It will be determined by expert advice from an accredited asbestos assessor once all required cleaning is completed.

Schools currently fully closed will be prioritised.

We are acting on expert asbestos advice and managing each school according to its specific needs.

The Department for Education, Children and Young People will coordinate the safe collection and removal of any contaminated material, carried out by qualified specialists.

Principals are being provided direct support and guidance to ensure safety remains the focus at every school.

All expert advice to date indicates the traces of asbestos fibres in the coloured sand presents a low-risk situation.

We are taking a cautious and proactive approach to the safety of children and staff.

The Tasmanian Government continues to follow advice from the ACCC, WorkSafe Tasmania Regulator, and independent expert advisors, and we are keeping schools and sites updated as new information comes to hand.

I would like to thank families and school and education staff for their patience and understanding as we work through this process.

A list of impacted schools is available on the DECYP website, which will be updated progressively.

More information and advice about the recalled products is available at the ACCC website.

Media release – Australian Education Union, 13 November 2025

Educators appalled by Minister’s dismissal of classroom violence

The Australian Education Union has slammed Education Minister Jo Palmer for comments in Parliament yesterday that downplayed the daily violence and aggression faced by Tasmanian educators.

AEU Tasmania President David Genford said the Minister’s remarks showed a “flagrant disregard for the safety and wellbeing of her workforce.”

“Educators are appalled that the Minister appears to be writing off violence in schools as simply a result of student trauma – as if that somehow makes it less serious,” Genford said.

“Educators understand better than anyone that student needs are more complex than ever, and that many children are living with trauma. We are the ones offering solutions while the Minister continues ignoring us. It’s the Government’s responsibility to ensure those students – and the staff who work with them – are safe and properly supported.”

Genford said the Minister’s comments revealed how out of touch the government is with what’s really happening in classrooms.

“The solutions are clear: more school psychologists and social workers, safe staffing ratios, and more in-class support so educators can manage complex needs safely,” he said.

“More than 2000 students are still waiting to get the support they need from school psychologists. Wait times are over a year on average – many students wait much longer without intervention. Where’s the investment in more psychologists and cutting wait times?”

“Instead, the Minister’s answer is another round of toothless ‘wellbeing’ programs for staff – bandaids to patch up the damage after violence happens. That’s not a solution. That’s an admission of failure.”

Mr Genford said educators are demanding real action to make schools safe.

“Violence in schools isn’t fixed by staff wellbeing. It’s fixed by investment – in psychologists and social workers, more in-class support, and smaller class sizes that allow educators to give every child the attention they need.”