Andrea Dawkins MP | Greens’ Education spokesperson
Labor’s education plan is insufficient, lazy policy that’s extremely disingenuous. They have let down educators, the AEU, but most of all – Tasmanian children.
Labor have put forward a lukewarm education plan, that fails to address the additional need for teachers and support staff within our schools. It barely puts back what the Liberals have cut from the education system.
Their claim that there will be “50 teachers returned to schools from the departmental bureaucracy” is concerning. What they’re really talking about are critical support services.
Labor needs to outline which support services they are going to gut. Will they take staff away from curriculum services, English as an additional language, or even student with disabilities support?
The reality is that the vast majority of departmental staff already work in our schools. By gutting support services, educators will be stranded without the support services, and the program development and delivery they rely on within the so-called ‘departmental bureaucracy’.
Tasmania relies on data for determining direction for education programs and funding. Without the capacity to support the core priorities of educators, and face to face student-centred learning, the department flies blind.
Language teachers, specialist disability educators and curriculum services teachers all have vital roles in our schools and should be protected from job cuts.
While the Liberals cut jobs and funding, Labor’s plan will leave parents and teachers underwhelmed as kids head back to school this week.
The Greens are the only party who have put forward an election policy that commits to a quality public education for Tasmanian children.