With the first month of the school year almost over, education reporter MANIKA DADSON talks to Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff about his thoughts on improving education in Tasmania.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
EDUCATION Minister Jeremy Rockliff says it is time to rebuild Tasmania’s education system now the budget is under control.
It has been almost two years since the Liberals came into power and most major educational changes promised in the election have been implemented.
Now, it is time to celebrate and ‘‘rebuild in the areas that need it most’’, Mr Rockliff said.
The review of the 20-year-old Education Act, announced in September 2014 and which has since undergone consultation, is Mr Rockliff’s main priority for 2016.
Mr Rockliff said the outcome of the review – due out for final consultation in March – would need to be seen through, debated and approved.
‘‘The number one game is to give our kids the best opportunities possible,’’ Mr Rockliff said.
‘‘I believe that with the education review and indeed the outcome of the act going through parliament, it will set Tasmania up like it has never been set up before.’’
A key discussion in the review is to make it compulsory for children to start school younger and remain until they turn 18.
Mr Rockliff said Tasmanian children attended school up to two months less a year than those interstate.
‘‘We can do better and we must do better,’’ Mr Rockliff said.
‘‘The evidence clearly suggests that the longer kids can stay in school, the better opportunities they have in life.’’
Mr Rockliff said he was excited about all the high schools that had and were extending to year 12.
‘‘Wherever I go, I’m speaking to students that would not have continued into year 11 without the opportunity of going into their level 12 in their local school,’’ he said.
Investing in the early years is another key Hodgman government initiative.
Mr Rockliff said he was proud of the investment the government had made in child and family centres, and the introduction of its new Learning in Families Together initiative.
Learning in Families Together was launched on Wednesday and is being delivered to 8500 kinder to grade 2 pupils and their families at 80 schools.
Mr Rockliff said the $17.75 million targeted program provided literacy, numeracy and parental engagement support and catered for children and their families with the greatest need.
Mr Rockliff believes Tasmanian teacher numbers are improving and will continue to improve now the budget is under control.
‘‘Once the census results come in, which are being undertaken pretty much as we speak ... the evidence will be there that we have more teachers in schools than we did in 2015,’’ he said.
Another goal for Mr Rockliff over the next few months is bringing the My Education program, that replaced pathway planning, to all grade 7 to 12 students, before it is rolled out to every Tasmanian student in 2017.
Mr Rockliff also wants people to continue to discuss education as ‘‘there’s no more important discussion to be talking about’’.
He said the state needed an evidence-based, policy-driven approach to education.
He said that was why the Peter Underwood Centre of Education Attainment was set up, so policies created by the Hodgman government could be seen through no matter who was in power.