Today, Tasmanian students and teachers have been betrayed.  They have been betrayed by Labor and by their bedfellows, the Greens.

The Liberals will be voting against the Tasmania Tomorrow legislation, because it is a total sham and does very little to improve the current dire situation in post year 10 education. We will not support an inferior product when we know we are obliged to stay true to our word – genuine restoration of colleges.

We tried to work with the Greens on this – we briefed Greens’ Education Spokesman Paul O’Halloran. We offered to consider improvements or amendments from the Greens on this bill, but we heard nothing back – until the announcement of a dodgy deal between the Greens and Labor.

The shonky deal has resulted in the Government not giving any ground and the politics of the cosy arrangement have killed off any chance of high school students having access to a decent and well organised education system.

The Greens are so deep in the pockets of Labor that they chose to sell out Tasmanian students, give up on proper education reform, and turn their backs on thousands of post-year 10 students who are looking for a meaningful qualification with which to start their careers. The Greens did not want to annoy their big brothers at the Labor Party, and so Tasmanian students are left behind.

This is a terrible outcome for Tasmanian education. Labor’s changes have affected educational outcomes, have concerned parents and have left teachers feeling disenfranchised from their own profession.

Tasmanians deserve educational excellence – this means a robust curriculum, support for all in the classroom, a rewarded and recognised workforce – and parents given a respected voice.

It is not too late for Mr O’Halloran to actually deliver on his election promise to roll-back Tasmania Tomorrow and I have written to him again today offering to negotiate on this issue.

David Bartlett has confirmed via Facebook that he has broken his “rock-solid” promise to members of the A-Team Support Group that he would consult them and remain available for personal contact in the event of a breakdown with his department.

The Labor Government has claimed that it will continue the A-Team under a review regime through to June 2010; however it is clear that the Government is starving the program of student places, undermining the role of staff and ultimately planning to terminate the program.

As David Bartlett has refused to respond to letters and phone calls from members of the Support Group, an attempt was made to engage the Premier via Facebook.

We now know that:

• Vacancies will not be filled as it is only for continuing 2009 students; in some recent sessions, only one student has been present.
• There is now no new professional development for school-based teaching staff available.
• The review has apparently commenced and excludes the input of the support group in either the design of the review and its conduct.
• Even more embarrassingly for the Premier, is that although the review has apparently commenced, the department has not even consulted with Autism Tasmania regarding timeline, process and parameters etc.
• It is also now clear that the department, through Learning Services North, has taken direction from the caretaker government to have nothing further to do with the support group or parents.

In a letter sent to the A-Team support group in February, the General Manager of Learning Services North, Liz Banks, confirmed that the Bartlett Government will “transition” students out of the A-Team.

Concerningly, Ms Banks also cancelled a proposed meeting with the A-Team Support Group scheduled for 8th February, without giving any reason why.

It is now abundantly clear that a re-elected Bartlett Government will abolish the A-Team, and worse, they are now not even prepared to talk to affected parents about it.

So much for Mr Bartlett’s claim that he is “listening”.

Furthermore, at a National Disability Forum pre-election debate on Monday, Labor’s nominated representative refused to cooperate with requests to facilitate the promised meetings – saying only that his excellent connections would allow him to contact employees in the department.

In contrast a Hodgman Liberal Government will provide an additional $1.3 million for the A-Team (Autism) model program, which will not only fund the continuation of the program in the North, but will see the program rolled out around the State for a three year trial.

A Hodgman Liberal Government will raise education standards by overhauling Tasmania Tomorrow and investing $30 million in revitalising our high schools, focussing on results, and providing more support to our students and teachers.

Under a Hodgman Liberal Government, there will be no more experimentation with our childrens’ education.

We will overhaul Tasmania Tomorrow based on strong feedback from teachers, students, parents, industry, and the community that Labor has got it wrong.

Mr Bartlett’s education experiment has divided Tasmania’s community and forced students to choose too early in life (just 16 years old) whether they want to pursue an academic or technical career, at a time when international researchers were warning against early streaming.

We will tackle retention, improving our qualifications outcomes and absenteeism by putting an increased focus on the critical middle schooling and high school years.

Tasmanians have had enough of noisy and glossy reform announcements such as Essential Learnings, and Tasmania Tomorrow, which have failed to deliver the educational outcomes that Tasmanian students need for the 21st Century and beyond.

What we will do:

We will overhaul Tasmania Tomorrow.
Tasmania Tomorrow is a failed educational experiment. We do need to improve education outcomes in this state but David Bartlett’s policy has made things worse, not better, with retention rates continuing to fall and students forced to choose between academic and vocational futures too early.

It is a fact that Tasmania’s retention rates have gone backwards under Labor since 2004, and have fallen still further under the first year of Tasmania Tomorrow.

Under our plan, all Colleges which have transitioned to the Polytechnic and the Academy will be returned to their status as Colleges, and will offer both academic and vocational/technical training education from 2011 onwards.

In addition, regional and rural high schools will take on an expanded role to years 12

The Tasmanian Liberals recognise that some parts of Tasmania Tomorrow have worked, in particular, the Skills Institute. For that reason, rather than returning to the old TAFE system, we will retain the Skills Institute and expand its operations to cater for adult vocational and technical skills training, second chance and adult education which has been the responsibility of the Polytechnic.

We will revitalise our high schools
The Tasmanian Liberals understand that a good High School education is a vital ingredient to post-year retention. That is why we will invest an additional $12 million ($4 million per year) to support the revitalising of our middle and high schools in Tasmania.

We will expand Rural and Regional High School educational responsibility to Year 12
We will ensure that the 16-18 year old learners in their community are accessing, actually participating in, and completing academic and vocational training whether that is through the local Trades Training Centre, The Skills Institute, the High School, or an alternative training system.

Expanded capital works program
We will establish a Renewing Our High Schools Capital Works Fund of $8 million over four years for the redevelopment of secondary school facilities throughout the State.

Pathway Planners
We will invest in and valuing pathway planning officers in our students career and vocational learning pathways by providing an additional $7.5 million to support up to 35 new Pathway Planners in our schools and colleges.

More professional development
We will invest in improving teacher quality and capacity to make a real difference to improving education outcomes for our children by providing $1.95 million ($650,000 each year over the next three years) to our schools for additional teacher professional development.

Labor has failed Tasmanian students. For too long, our kids have been treated as guinea pigs in an educational experiment of the Labor Party.

Mr Bartlett has made it is clear that he will not making changes to his failed Tasmania Tomorrow experiment.

On March 20, Tasmanians will have a choice – four more years of experimentation with our children’s education, with worse results, or the real change and results focussed plan put forward by the Tasmanian Liberals.

For full details on this exciting policy, please visit www.tasliberal.com.au

Please click on the links to open the full policy statement on the Liberal website http://tasliberal.com.au/policy

Drive our Economy Forward
Backing Business to Invest in Renewable Energy
Four-Lane Midland Highway
Getting Better Returns from Government Businesses
Making Tasmania a Magnet
Protecting and Creating Jobs in our Tourism Industry
Statewide Residential Planning Code
Tasmania’s World Class Tarkine – Growing our Tourism Potential
Fixing Tasmania’s Critical Infrastructure
Farming for the Future
Urgent repairs to the Midland Highway
Building Better Regional Roads
Abolishing Land Tax
Putting Tasmanian Products on the World Stage
Deliver Accountable Government
A New Culture of Accountability and Transparency
Fixed Terms
Greater Budget Honesty
Achieve Better Health Results
Smarter Health Care for the North
A New Generation Royal Hobart Hospital
At-Risk Children
Better Quality of Life for Tasmanians with Disabilities
A Fairer Tasmania
The Sooner the Better: No more Endless Waiting Lists
Upgrading the Mersey
Equity for North-West Cancer Patients
Exciting new health services for Tasmanians with the Royal Flying Doctors
More step down beds for the Huon
Raise Education Standards
Free Bus Travel for Students
Pathway Planning
Supporting students with Autism
A better deal for Teacher Aides and Support Staff
Better retention and results – ending the experimentation with our education system
Protect our lifestyle & strengthen our community
Continuing to make our Roads Safer
Double Demerits
Forest Protests
Linking Responsibility – At School and on the Road
Mandatory Employment Screening For All People Working with Children
Parole Board
Police Highway Traffic Patrols and High Visibility Police Vehicles
Police Workers Compensation
Road Safety Authority
Sentencing Advisory Council
Sex Offender Programs
Tougher Sentences for Sex Crimes
Vehicle Impoundment Program
Saving lives – providing specialist smoke alarms
Light Rail in Hobart

Fixing Labor’s Water and Sewerage Debacle
Using social media to reduce street violence
Supporting our Surf Life Savers
Strengthening Penalties for Arson
A Plastic Shopping Bag Free Tasmania
A New ‘Chance’ for young people in Glenorchy
Lights for King George V Oval, Glenorchy
Tackling Tamar Silt
Protecting Launceston from Flood
Devonport Aquatic Centre
Recognising and supporting grandparent carers

The State Government’s last-minute change in attitude to support the ATC is welcome and, if properly followed through, would allow a successful training model to strengthen the state’s education system.

With the Tasmania Tomorrow reforms in relative disarray, this standout college was worth fighting for. It’s one of the best in the nation simply because of Northern Tasmanian effort and enterprise which is our trademark.

Congratulations to everyone involved, especially our students, who fought for an institution which is valuable, effective and needed.

I’m so glad that something that so many people of goodwill built from nothing has been saved through their continued positive actions.

The fight is far from over, but victory is in sight.

This is not a win for any politician – it is a victory for decent people who care about our youth.