The Tasmanian Government will support Education and Care services to transition to the reforms proposed in the new Education Act.
We will provide more than $2.5 million in additional funding for early childhood centres and partner to provide HECS free university qualifications to employees in the education and care sector.
Tasmania’s education and care sector plays a very important and valued role in supporting Tasmanian families and the development of our children, today and into the future.
They share in our passion and commitment to the early years, which are critical for the development and success of our children.
This is why, through the Education Bill, we are providing these important years with the funding and structural reform they need to succeed.
While an earlier starting age for prep and kindergarten through the Bill will create unprecedented opportunities for our children, we acknowledge it will have an impact on the education and care sector.
That’s why we have been consulting and working with the sector for more than two years to ensure we continue to work in partnership to offer the best start to life for Tasmanian children, and the support to Tasmanian families that they need.
As a result, there will be greater training opportunities for staff, additional investment in infrastructure, one-on-one business advice and more grants available to centres.
From 2017 we will build on our strong partnership with the University of Tasmania, who will provide scholarships for university level qualifications for those in the education and care sector, including Diploma and Professional Honours.
This study opportunity is valued in excess of $6,300 per student, and is uncapped.
We are also investing $2.25 million, including up to $2 million to support centres to transition and $250,000 to provide individual, business advice to the sector.
We understand that a one size fits all approach to supporting the sector will not work, and that’s why the consultant will be available to work one-on-one with individual providers to give advice on their business model, and how it can thrive into the future.
The centres will also share in up to $2 million in funding for support including capital works upgrades, for professional development, and to ensure centres are up to date.
In addition, on top of the $600,000 already provided in grants to the sector, we will provide a further $150,000 recurrent from next year, totalling $750,000 to support centres.
This means more projects can be undertaken, including infrastructure updates, operational support, to ensure they provide a safe and stimulating environment for our children.
Finally, a new position, Principal Project Officer – Early Years, has been created in the Department of Education to work collaboratively with early childhood educators in all sectors to reframe and strengthen the delivery of early learning in Tasmania.
As a Government we are absolutely committed to improving educational outcomes for Tasmanians.
The changes in the Education Act Bill represent the most significant transformation of and investment in the structural reform of education, in more than half a century.
Tasmanians deserve better, today and for generations to come.
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