The University of Tasmania’s relocation to Inveresk released some more concrete plans, met its fair share of public criticism, but continued to gain support from business and education advocates. 

The effort to bring the heart of the university’s northern campus into Launceston sparked plenty of debate about the judicious use of federal and state funding, and the long-term value of the move.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Rathjen departed UTAS for Adelaide, and Provost Professor Mike Calford announced his move to Canberra. Melbourne University leader Professor Rufus Black was named new Vice-Chancellor, to take up the role in March 2018.

Some kerfuffle in March about the Australian Maritime College and its role alongside a new South Australian maritime training facility was clarified, confirming the college’s long-term role in Tasmania. AMC principal Neil Bose left for his former college in Newfoundland later in the year. 

The National Tertiary Education Union campaigned all year for a single enterprise agreement covering all university staff. Finally, in December, an in-principle agreement was reached.

Announced in 2016 as part of the Education Act overhaul, the state government’s plan to lower the voluntary school starting age to three-and-a-half years old for kindergarten and four-and-a-half for prep was met with increasing resistance.

Concerns over the plan’s impact on the development of young children, the impact on childcare centres and costs of sending children to school at an earlier age were all debated: education expert Steve Biddulph claimed school principals had been unable to speak their mind to the state government and to parents.

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff wanted to see all children start play-based learning in a bid to bring Tasmania’s children up to the level of their mainland peers.

Fiercely opposed by Labor, the education union, TASSO and parents, Mr Rockliff finally announced that following an independent report providing a “deep insight” into the plan’s impacts socially and economically, it was scrapped in August.

Mr Rockliff actively lobbied for the federal government’s needs-based school funding reforms to pass the Senate in June.

Nicknamed Gonski 2.0, the funding model was a refresh of the original Gonski legislation championed by federal Labor: the new reforms were claimed by Education Minister Simon Birmingham to be “truly” needs-based.

Federal and state Labor strongly opposed the funding changes that, they said, would see Tasmanian schools lose $68 million.

Then-Senator Jacqui Lambie also supported the legislation, securing $20 million for Tasmania to support the transition to the new model, and funding for students with a disability. Her vote helped the legislation over the line in the Senate.

Fair funding for students with a disability has been a hot topic in Tasmania for many years, with disability advocates pushing for a switch from an IQ-based, medically-assessed funding model to a needs-based model.

In November, Mr Rockliff announced a needs-based funding model would be rolled out across the three government support schools in 2018.

TasTAFE made the headlines for all the wrong reasons as its chief executive resigned following an Integrity Commission report was released alleging improper handling of conflicts of interest and nepotism.

The chief executive, Stephen Conway, received a controversial payout of $188,000 as he left. Senior excutive Lori Hocking also resigned in May, leaving a gulf in the organisation’s structure.

Nick Burrows, chair of TasTAFE, joined the exodus in September.

An independent audit was commissioned by the state government into TasTAFE’s employment and recruitment processes causing further problems, but Mr Rockliff refused to release its full documents to parliament.

Fielding heavy criticism from the opposition, Mr Rockliff brought in a new face to take over the struggling education institution, national education name Jenny Dodd. Former Auditor-General of Tasmania, Mike Blake was announced as TasTAFE Chair in November.

A report commissioned by the Australian Education Union Tasmania branch showed the state’s teachers and principals are operating under stress, frustrated by high levels of paperwork and administration, and in need of more specialist support staff.

Workers compensation claims for stressed-out teachers rose significantly across the year.

The AEU launched a campaign urging all political parties to commit to hiring an additional 200 teachers and 250 support staff, met with a lukewarm response from political parties.

Another report released by the AEU showing a drop in teacher staffing levels was dismissed by Premier Will Hodgman as “fake news”.

Continuing efforts to reduce Tasmania’s education attrition rate, Mr Rockliff announced in December that a re-elected Liberal government would roll out grade 12 to all state schools by 2022.

Arguing that extending regional and urban schools would provide greater option and encouragement for students to study through to grade 12, Mr Rockliff said the college system would remain supported by the state government.

Champions of the college system decried the move as unsustainable and undermining Tasmania’s colleges.

Industry and economists welcomed the plan as a key part of securing Tasmania’s economic future. Labor promised no schools would be forced to extend if they were elected.