While the Green-Labor Government has an agenda to close schools, a majority Liberal Hodgman Government has a policy to invest in them and the future of our children.
Our high schools to year 12 policy is about increasing year 12 completion rates which are currently the worst in the nation, and creating a job ready generation. It is also about changing the Tasmanian perception that school finishes at year 10.
Current secondary school capacity figures show that there is under-utilised space in many of our high schools, particularly those in rural and regional areas where the policy will be rolled-out first.
While claims that our high schools can’t accommodate Years 11 and 12 are a welcome acknowledgement that the policy will mean more students completing year 12, they are also flawed, because they are based on the false assumption that Colleges will close.
As we have repeatedly said, Colleges will not close.
For those schools which will need an investment in infrastructure, we have shown we are serious by setting aside $60 million dollars in our Alternative Budget to begin that process.
As is always the case, we will provide full costings prior to the next election, and after the current consultation stage with school communities which we have commenced. We will not rush this consultation.
The Green-Labor Government may not be prepared to invest in the future of our children, well we say we can’t afford not to.
Research shows that increased participation in education produces outcomes such as higher wages, increased likelihood of labor force participation, health benefits, increased life satisfaction and reduced offending behaviour and crime.
I am not prepared to see another generation of Tasmanians left on the scrap heap because they don’t have the qualifications or skills needed to get a job.
We are already engaging with communities and we will continue to do so, it is important that what is implemented is responsive to individual community needs and therefore supported by that community – we are not proposing a one size fits all model and so it is wrong to pre-empt what resourcing requirements specific schools will require.
