The Tasmanian education system has received poor marks in the Productivity Commission’s latest Report on Government Services. Without the support they need, disadvantaged Tasmanian students are struggling to stay in school and get the qualifications and life opportunities they need.
Tasmania has the second highest proportion of low Socio-Educational Advantage Students in the country, as high as 43.3% in public schools. This number is the highest it’s been in at least a decade. It’s a clear sign of the Tasmanian Government not prioritising funding and support for students and teachers in public schools.
The number of students staying on to year 12 has declined in the past decade, from 72.1% in 2015 to 69.7% in 2024. Tasmania has among the lowest levels of people who’ve completed a Certificate III or higher qualification – and it’s continued to deteriorate in recent years.
School attendance rates have also declined over the past five years, with Tasmania now the second lowest attendance rates in the country. The number of students attending public schools more than 90% of the time has declined to 61.9%, from 79.8% in 2016.
Every young Tasmanian person deserves access to quality public education that prepares them with the skills and knowledge they need for the future. But in this state, the Liberals are allowing children’s addresses and the wealth of their parents to determine educational outcomes.
It’s clear the Liberal Government has been distracted by an unaffordable mega-stadium rather than keeping Tasmanian kids in schools and ensuring they leave better equipped for life. The Liberals simply must do better to ensure every student is afforded every educational opportunity, no matter who they are and where they live.
Tasmania’s teachers are doing their best to give their students the best start in life, but they can only do so much in an under-resourced system. Struggling Tasmanian students need more support.
There’s so many areas of the education system that need proper funding. The Liberals should start by giving teachers and support workers the fair deal for pay and conditions they’ve denied them for months.
