Sacking teachers at Skills Institute unnecessary – VET system overhaul would deliver bigger savings

Just like forcibly closing schools, culling teachers at the Skills Institute is not the right way for Mr McKim to plug his budget black hole. We have estimated that around $30 million in efficiencies could be made, without sacking teachers, by finally removing the costly duplication caused by Labor’s failed Tasmania Tomorrow mess. This would [...]

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Dissent among school viability group on enrolments being used to shut schools

Revelations that the panel charged by Nick McKim to develop criteria for shutting schools was unable to agree on the criteria, demonstrates there is uncertainty and conflict over the recommendations.

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Schools will find out this year if McKim is going to shut them down

If Nick McKim accepts the recommendations in the School Viability Reference Group Report, schools will have it confirmed by August of this year if the Minister has them in his sights for closure. In a case of déjà vu, ‘consultations’ with those communities against already set criteria would conclude by late September, less than two [...]

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School closure enrolment criteria means up to 48 schools on the chopping block

Last year Nick McKim tried to forcibly shut down 20 Tasmanian schools, now there are up to 48 schools in the Minister’s sights. Recommendations released today on closure criteria show that based on enrolments, the number of schools in the firing line has more than doubled, and still there is not a single mention of [...]

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School closures are all about budget targets – not student outcomes

Lara Giddings is desperately trying to convince Tasmanians in rural and regional communities that closing their local school is a good thing and not some nasty budget measure. The fact is closing small schools is all about saving a few bucks at the expense of rural and regional communities, because her Government has blown the [...]

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