Education a "benefit" to communitiues

The school’s principal Lee Barker said it was good for the whole community, not just the students. 

“I think building partnerships with the community will be important for their further education,” she said. 

“The most important thing is that it opens up lots of options, so the students can stay on until grade 12. If they choose to move away then they can and if they choose to further their work skills, they’ll actually stay in the community and I can see that being really valuable.

“More education does lead to a quality future and that’s what we want. We want them to be successful and enable to afford in a good future.” 

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said the decision was about creating a job ready Tasmania. Schools such as Smithton High and St Helens District have already expanded to year 12, which the minister said was a success.

“The best opportunities we can provide our young people and to maximise their opportunities, school and participating in school longer is a clear factor,” he said. 

Mrs Barker said that while the decision will keep people in the community, it needs to be resourced to be successful.

“We had consultation with the community through the school association, we had consultation with the students and then also with the staff and looked at the pros and cons,” she said.

Chair of the Deloraine school association Darryl Bowels said the decision is a chance for families to stay together. 

“I think it gives families an opportunity to stay together and not move out of the district and keep the family going,” he said.

“But also for those kids unsure about what they want to do… an opportunity to keep learning and keep in the system until they realise what they want to do. 

“You’re better off to stay in your own community, where you have friends and support. That’s why we as a group decided to go with it.”

He said the parents he had spoken to supported the schools decision. 

Thirty schools will start educating until grade 12 in 2017, with eight expanding in 2018, including Wynyard High School, the three support schools and the Tasmanian E-School.