Today we take a momentous step forward in improving education in Tasmania with the passage of the Education Bill 2016 through Parliament.
The Education Bill is a contemporary and forward-looking education framework which delivers equitable early access to quality education, and represents the most significant transformation of and investment in the structural reform of education in more than half a century.
This Bill is part of our long-term plan to improve education results in Tasmania and along with our extension of High Schools to Year 12, will help close the gap where currently Tasmanian students can receive up to two years less schooling than their interstate counterparts.
The Hodgman Government listened carefully to the community and consulted widely with education experts. With unprecedented levels of public debate and involvement throughout the extensive review process it is exceedingly clear how much education matters to the Tasmanian community.
At its heart, the Education Bill 2016 provides clarity and consistency, as it recognises the rights of every Tasmanian child to receive an education through to Year 12 whether at their local school through universal access to the government education system, through non-government schools, or through home education.
Voluntary six month earlier access to Prep and Kindergarten will provide universal access to government funded pre-school education sooner for every child in Tasmania, and brings Tasmania in-line with the rest of Australia.
This change means more teachers and support staff in our schools, infrastructure upgrades where required, and most importantly, more quality play based early education for all Tasmanian children, and a detailed Implementation Plan will ensure potential social and economic impacts of voluntary access to early learning are taken into account.
As Minister for Education I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone involved throughout the process of developing, consulting and passing this Bill, for their shared recognition of this vision for education in Tasmania and their cooperative approach to making it a reality.
We believe Tasmanians deserve better today and for generations to come, which is why we are investing in the future of this state so we can help children reach their potential, upskill our workforce, and create a job-ready generation.
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