Jeremy Rockliff

Premier of Tasmania



29 May 2016

Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for Education and Training

Labor stuck in the past on education

Labor has confirmed yet again they have learned nothing as they plan to take Tasmania’s education system back to the failed policies of the past.

Their plan to roll back the successful extension of schools to Years 11 and 12 is a breathtakingly ignorant thought-bubble that ignores the evidence and is based on their ideological opposition to our policy. 

Their claim that they will abandon the policy but somehow continue the program in regional schools already rolled out is absurd and defies belief.

Labor has no credibility on education after they left Tasmania with the worst educational outcomes in the nation after their 16 years in Government. 

The Hodgman Liberal Government came to Government promising changes to fix Tasmania’s education system and we’re getting on with the job, with 30 schools set to extend to Years 11 and 12 from next year. 

No schools have been forced to change. The strong demand for schools to extend has been driven by school communities who want to make positive change. Now Labor want to take this opportunity away.

The figures speak for themselves- there has been a 57 per cent increase in enrolments at the first 12 high schools to extend to Years 11 and 12 since 2014, according to the latest census data.

The census confirms that this increase has not come at a cost to colleges, with an overall increase in Tasmanians enrolled in senior secondary schools.

We are committed to giving young Tasmanians the very best chance at success, and Labor have confirmed yet again they cannot be trusted with the future of Tasmania’s education system.

School Name

2014 (Baseline)

2016

%    Change 2014-16

Huonville High School

36

95

163.9%

Scottsdale High School

30

38

26.7%

Smithton High School

32

38

18.8%

St Helens District High School

50

60

20.0%

Campbell Town District High School

na

8

na

New Norfolk High School

na

15

na

Extension Rosebery District High School

4

5

25.0%

School 2016 Mountain Heights School

13

14

7.7%

Tasman District School

10

2

-80.0%

Total All Extension Schools

175

275

57.1%



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