The Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations wants to see a full audit of data around state school students’ retention and graduation results, the cost of extensions, and the effects on colleges.

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said the “successful” policy would continue to be rolled out.

TASSO president Lisa Gillard said not everyone had been convinced of the policy’s cost-value results and impact on schools.

“We’ve asked for an audit of the whole process and the actual results,” she said.

“It would be interesting to see the cost of running these programs in the schools … [comparing] what it costs a college of 900 students to run grade 11 and 12, compared to a high school who is running 80 or 60 or five students.”

An Education Department spokesman said state schools preparing to extend to grade 12 received an additional teacher allocation for one term, leadership resourcing and “a small cash allocation”.

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But opposition education spokeswoman Michelle O’Byrne said an internal audit was not enough and said she believed a parliamentary inquiry was needed.

“Because the rollout has been so fast, we need a joint houses parliamentary inquiry,” she said.

“It’s such a significant policy and I’m sure there will be success stories [through that inquiry] … but there is enough concern within the education sector to warrant a full inquiry.”

Mr Rockliff said the 38 state schools that had already extended had seen increases in enrolment, retention to grade 12 and a 10 per cent increase in attainment of the Tasmanian Certificate of Education.

“We will continue with our plan to extend Tasmanian schools to year 12, because it is working,” he said. 

“It’s hard to fathom why anyone would want to wind this successful policy back, or oppose what’s in the best interests of Tasmanian young people.”