An analysis of the most recent NAPLAN results has found a significant proportion of Tasmanian school children fall further behind their mainland counterparts in literacy and numeracy as they progress through the schooling system.
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Dr Lisa Denny - demographer at the University of Tasmania's Institute for Social Change - compared past and present NAPLAN results to track age cohorts as they progress through school, to see how their progress compared.
She found that of the Tasmanian students in grade 9 last year, 28.5 per cent could not read at the expected level to engage in the wider curriculum, compared with 16.5 per cent when they were in grade 3.
A greater decline was seen in writing, where 41.5 per cent could not express themselves in written form compared with 10.9 per cent when they were six years younger.
Numeracy saw a slower decline, with 23.4 per cent not considered numerate, compared with their earlier result of 18.9 per cent.
There was also a decline in comparison with the same age group in 2011. Dr Denny noted an "alarming" decline in Tasmanian students in the high proficiency bands for literacy and numeracy, and a similar increase in those below the expected standards.
The latest Grade 3 NAPLAN results - from 2021 - showed Tasmanian students were performing comparatively better than in the past, but the downward trend as they progressed was continuing.
There was a "substantial" socio-economic gap, while boys were also far more likely to fail to exceed the standard for writing.
Dr Denny said the trends should prompt serious conversations about improving Tasmania's education outcomes.
"It is critical that this trend is arrested immediately and that subsequent generations are supported throughout their schooling to not only exceed the expected standard in literacy and numeracy skills but to engage widely in learning, successfully complete their schooling and have the opportunity to pursue further education and training or work," she said.
"The cost is too high not to. It is surprising that there is not a greater level of outrage expressed by the industries, business community and community groups who bear the cost of this failure, particularly when it is entirely preventable."
Her concerns centred on the changing nature of employment, in which people with poorer literacy and numeracy would increasingly find it more difficult to find work due to technological advances.
Labor education spokesperson Josh Willie said the government needed to do more to ensure Tasmanian students kept pace with the rest of the country, while Greens leader Cassy O'Connor said the analysis showed earlier intervention needed to occur rather than just focusing on year 11/12 attendance.
Acting Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said all schools would have access to a further 40 "school quality literacy coaches" this year.
He said the government had a target that all students would be able to read at the NAPLAN minimum standard before they enter grade 7 in 2029.
"Other important initiatives to improve literacy include the expert Literacy Advisory Panel which was established last year, which is driving the development of a community-wide framework to achieve a Literate Tasmania," Mr Rockliff said.
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