In a submission to the state government's review of the Education Act, the University of Tasmania's Education Faculty said its support for lifting the school leaving age from 17 to 18 was only given if the change was coupled with curriculum and learning practice innovation.

"For many reasons, including social, educational and economic, Tasmania should align with the national benchmark starting and leaving age," it said.

The Tasmanian Catholic Education Office said if the leaving age was lifted, significant changes to the year 11 and 12 curriculum were needed.

"Currently we have approximately 60 per cent of our grade 11-12 student population at school because, under the Education Act, they have to be. We need to ensure that the activities they are engaged in are purposeful and engaging," its submission said.

The Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia said in its submission that starting ages should be changed but that school should start at prep, as in other states, and kindergarten should form part of early learning.

But support for changing school starting and leaving ages was not shared by all contributors to the review.

The Tasmanian Association of State Schools Organisation wrote that it was concerned that parents may not enrol their children in kindergarten if the starting age was lowered, and instead enrol their children first in prep.

Early Childhood Educators of Tasmania questioned whether the actual intention of the changes was to make kindergarten compulsory.

"Has consideration been given to the implications for kindergarten if the age that children begin prep is lowered. [For instance, that] children would commence kindergarten at age three years, six months?"

Bill Inglis, of Hobart, wrote that 3½ was far too young for children to leave the family environment to be placed in an impersonal school.

"For the unfortunate students who do not achieve and cope at school, who truant and become increasingly alienated, a prolonged period at school from 3½ to 18 years must seem like a life sentence of difficult and pointless incarceration."