The Liberal government is continuing to fail Tasmania’s students and teachers, with teachers set to take industrial action because a lack of government support.
Teachers have been negotiating and pleading for 18 months for the in-class support our students need.
As the Australian Education Union has said, every public school student in Tasmania is funded at $2,000 a year below the minimum SRS required – with students missing out and teachers leaving the profession in droves.
But instead of providing the in-class support that will benefit everyone, the Premier and his government continue to put an expensive stadium in Hobart over the basic education needs of Tasmanian kids.
The Premier’s contempt for teachers and students was on full display yesterday – as he attended a photo-op with primary school children on the same day teachers told him they’re withdrawing from negotiations and taking industrial action because he’s not listening.
After nearly a decade in power, the Liberals have achieved nothing but the erosion of Tasmanian education standards and a decline in outcomes, particularly for reading and numeracy.
The Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services shows Tasmania has the lowest proportion of students at or above the minimum standard for reading and numeracy across all age groups, except the Northern Territory.
A Labor Government will invest heavily in literacy reform, guided by the experts, to help set students up for a good life.
And we will prioritise the needs of our students and provide the in-class support they deserve to set them up for a good future and the support teachers need to keep the in the profession.
Josh Willie MLC
Shadow Minister for Education and Early Years
