Dr WOODRUFF question to PREMIER, Mr ROCKLIFF
The Australian Education Union’s Investment in Australia’s Future report has frightening figures for Tasmania. A survey of 300 educators, principals and support staff has revealed that 95 per cent said the complexity of their students’ needs had grown, 82 per cent of principals said they had experienced teacher shortages and every single one of them had unfilled positions, and a concerning 9 out of 10 school leaders say there isn’t adequate wellbeing support that students need, which is required more than ever now as food insecurity and housing issues grow. This is Tasmania’s public school system right now on your watch – overstretched, underpaid – and your government wants to usher in more austerity by adding intergenerational debt repayments for a stadium.
For all the teachers struggling to actually provide Tasmanian children with what they need for a prosperous future, tell them why you think it’s a priority to spend at least $866 million of state money on building a stadium instead of investing into school support?
ANSWER
Honourable Speaker, I thank the honourable member for your question. Of course, we have been investing in school support continuously for the last decade and more in our range of areas. I can take you through the increase in FTEs when it comes to our education system and our school system. The growth funding that we’ve been able to secure back in 2017 on that bilateral agreement between the Federal and State Government at the time. I was Education minister at the time. More recently, minister Palmer secured an agreement for growth funding as well.
When I came to the Education portfolio back in 2014, the Labor‑Greens government signed up to a deal where the growth funding for private schools was higher than the growth funding for the public schools – to your shame. We’ve reversed that over the course of the last decade and are investing in need when it comes to our education system and supporting students with disability. We have nation-leading student with disability support. When it comes to not only our highly valued support schools around Tasmania, but also the investment based on need going to the student, irrespective of the type of that need to ensure barriers to learning are reduced. Investing in trauma-informed practise within our schools as well.
The Wellbeing Unit within the Department of Education, Children and Young People as it was when I was Minister of Education, and no doubt that focus is there still as well. When it comes to surveying the students and their wellbeing as well. That’s why we also take in what really is a whole-of-community responsibility to ensure that our young people are well fed, when it comes to the breakfast programme, which Minister Palmer spoke of this morning; when it comes to school lunch program which we speak of many times, all designed to enhance the wellbeing of our young people in the school environment and take away the barriers to learning, because all the evidence points to, when young people feel safe and comfortable in an environment in school, then they learn through reducing those barriers to learning.
What is also important is we value the staff as well, whether that be the support staff, the facilities attendance, our teacher assistants and our principals, and of course our teachers as well. In fact, since 2014 we have 1975 more fulltime equivalents in our schools and that points to continuous investment. What is a challenge is the ongoing disruption created –
The SPEAKER – The honourable Premier’s time has expired.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION
Dr WOODRUFF – A supplementary question, Speaker?
The SPEAKER – I will hear the supplementary question.
Dr WOODRUFF – I note all the things that the government has invested in that the Premier’s pointed out, but the survey and the evidence shows it is not enough to match the complexity of need and support that is required in schools in Tasmania today. Can the Premier tell teachers why you are choosing to spend $866 million of state money to build a stadium instead of choosing to put that money towards extra money into schools that’s required?
Mr ROCKLIFF – Again, and I know you know this, investment in stadium infrastructure, investment in our roads, investment in the capital improvements of our schools, investment in new schools is capital expenditure. It’s not recurrent expenditure where I believe the focus of your question lies.
Dr Woodruff – No, it will be $70 million at least every year.
The SPEAKER – Order. Dr Woodruff, you can ask another question. I ask that the Premier be heard, please.
Mr ROCKLIFF – What is important is we continue to invest in enabling infrastructure such as stadia infrastructure, so that supports a growing economy. Therefore, when the economy grows, of course people invest. They pay their levies and taxes, and we are able then to fund those essential services that you care about; I care about, and I know that everyone else in this parliament cares about too. When it comes to a current expenditure, we’ve clearly demonstrated –
The SPEAKER – The honourable Premier’s time has expired.
