Reforms to the funding formula for school administration staff will come into effect in Term 1 this year, after the state government conducted a review of resource funding for state schools last year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
However the opposition wants to see a full review of school administration requirements to assess teacher needs.
Mirroring the needs-based funding formulas being adopted nationally for school funding, the new formula is expected to produce another 17 full-time equivalent school administration staff positions around Tasmania.
The first major review of school administration funding since 2008, the new formula is designed to share resources equally, with a major focus on ensuring accurate funding systems in primary schools.
Victoria University’s Professor Stephen Lamb worked with the steering committee for the state government’s reforms to provide advice on creating the new funding system.
Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said the state government had employed 70 support staff since elected, including 14.8 full-time equivalent professional support staff including speech pathologists, psychologists and social workers.
“Our Budget announcements in May included $70,000 per annum over four years, specifically for research and funding for health and safety of our principals,” Mr Rockliff said.
A recent survey of Tasmanian school principals and teachers by the Australian Education Union reported many principals were bogged down with administrative workloads that could be better conducted by other staff members, such as business administrators.
The union has been lobbying for greater focus and commitment on higher school staffing numbers from both Liberal and Labor.
A similar survey in New South Wales, commissioned by the state’s Education Department to review staff workloads, prompted a $50 million investment into more school administration staff in September 2017.
Opposition education spokeswoman Michelle O’Byrne said high administrative loads impacted all staff and “severely impact” teaching time and the ability for teachers to respond to students’ needs.
“Labor will work with school leadership and the AEU to identify ways to minimise the administrative load and non-essential paperwork,” she said.
“A full review of admin requirements is needed and Labor is working through the AEU request for additional staff in schools.”
