Liberal incumbent Jeremy Rockliff, opposition education spokeswoman Michelle O’Byrne, and Greens education spokeswoman Andrea Dawkins share their vision in the lead-up to the state election on March 3.

One of the biggest challenges holding Tasmanian students back is the lack of opportunity for them to complete their education at their local school- making the decision to go onto grade 11 and 12 that much harder.

Extending high schools to grade 12 removes the perception that schooling finishes at grade 10, and removes barriers such as travel which can stop students completing their education.

Our high school extension program is working, with an increase in attainment across all sectors - in 2016, 56.4 per cent of 15-19 year old Tasmanian students received their TCE, an improvement of around 10 per cent since 2012, and the grade 10 to 11 direct retention rate has been at 87 per cent for the last three years, which is a 10-year high.

By removing fees for public education so that all Tasmanians can access education, restoring teacher numbers and improving student support we can improve attainment rates. A majority Labor Government will remove public school fees.

Putting staff back into schools and investing in professional staff will address the issues of disengagement. Labor will employ more than 300 new teachers and support staff and restore Pathway Planning.

There’s no doubt we have pockets of significant disadvantage in Tasmania and that those communities require additional support.

The Greens’ policy for 11 new Child and Family Centres would increase the capacity for families to engage with educational opportunities, and ensure engagement with education starts in early childhood and carries through.

Our policy prioritises early years’ education in 11 high-need areas across the State.

There are tremendous success stories from the Ravenswood CFC, about families who have hope for improved educational outcomes for their children. The network of support through Neighbourhood Houses, health centres and public education facilities is key to achieving that success.

Tasmanian students should have access to the highest quality education no matter where they live. To support students successfully complete their education Labor will reinstate pathway planning.

By waiving fees for public education and providing free bus travel to nearest schools, Labor will reduce the barriers to attend school.

Labor will formalise school networks so students enrol in grade 7 right through to grade 12 in their local school network including a college. Labor will build six new Child and Family Centres in places like Smithton and Sorell to give our kids the best learning start.

The Greens support the extension of grades 11 and 12 in regional and rural high schools, but that can only be successful with the hub and spoke model - where colleges can have a lead role in supporting those schools. Tasmania’s college system has provided excellent educational outcomes for many students.

Our policy outlines the importance of additional support staff to help keep students who may otherwise fall through the cracks due do family stresses, mental health issues or other associated issues.

A re-elected Hodgman majority Liberal Government will extend all high schools to grade 12 by 2022, to remove some of the barriers of having to change schools after grade 10.

We will ensure all students are supported through their schooling, with Literacy and Numeracy Coaches in every school to help make sure all students are supported. This is along with School Nurses, Psychologists and Speech Pathologists to give students specialised assistance.

For students interested in agriculture we will invest over $16 million into our school farms, to employ 10 new school farm teachers and upgrade infrastructure at school farms across Tasmania, to give them a strong career pathway from grade 12 to a job.

The strengths of our education system are undoubtedly the students and educators, support staff and the community bonds. We live on an island with a small population and while not all our infrastructure is at its best, we know that there is a collective will to assist our students to their greatest potential.

The weakness of our system is the political nature of education debate. Policy and operations are too often based on the election cycle.

To get the best for our young people and the future of the state, education must be quarantined from the fluctuations of politics.

There is no doubt our teachers, support staff and principals are our strength and I admire their commitment and dedication to their students and to improved educational outcomes

We are at a turning point right now, changing an education system where our young people receive as much as two years’ less education than their interstate counterparts.

We are working to fix both ends of education – we will extend all High Schools to grade 12 to give all students, no matter where they live, the choice to complete their schooling at their local school, and we will roll out our Working Together for Three-Year-Olds program to give Tasmanian children in need free early access to play-based education.

Tasmania’s education system is strong because of the teachers and staff who put in so much time to build strong connections with communities, families and students.

Tasmania has high quality and dedicated principals, teachers, support staff and school communities.

Access to education due to financial barriers is a weakness of the current system, which is why a majority Labor Government will waive fees to remove those barriers. We also need to address the issue of trauma in students and respond appropriately.