Next year 18 Tasmanian urban and regional high schools will extend to Year 11 and 12 as part of an accelerated rollout of our targeted initiative to improve educational outcomes.
As a Government we are absolutely committed to improving education in Tasmania and now with the budget under control and the economy back on track, we are focussed on investing the dividends into the core services including education.
The increase in schools extending reflects a more than doubling of participating schools, from 12 to 30, and exceeds our commitment to extend 21 regional high schools to year 12 by 2018.
Importantly, this is driven by the demand from school communities who want this opportunity afforded to their teenagers, after the first year of the initiative resulted in an average increase in enrolments of 38 per cent at the first six extension schools.
We have listened and acted, while also considering the fact that every school and its community is different to the next, and there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution.
Over coming months the Department of Education will work with the school communities to design delivery models that best suit the individual needs of their school and students.
Since the implementation of this policy, we have seen a variety of innovative models emerge including schools creating virtual classrooms connecting to college classes, as well as offering courses so students can achieve their Tasmanian Certificate of Education at their local school.
Schools have already started designing how the program might work in their community as a part of the expression of interest process. The 17 additional schools extending in 2017 will join the previously announced Cressy District High School, where construction works to allow for the senior secondary expansion are now underway.
This is the next exciting stage of our $45 million initiative that will improve educational attainment and completion in this state, by removing the barriers and perception for many that schooling finishes at Year 10.
We understand that better qualifications mean Tasmanians have the best chance of getting a good job and living a fulfilling life.
Schools to extend to Years 11 and 12 from 2017:
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