Andrea Dawkins MP | Greens Education spokesperson
Government figures specify the number of full time teachers in the Department of Education at 4,555 in June 2014 and 4,396 in June 2015, a reduction of 158, after rounding.*
Minister Rockliff has claimed that 108.75 teachers have been employed since March 2015 and that this is an improvement of 17.7 FTEs on 2014 levels.
Based on the Government’s own figures the most optimistic scenario would be a reduction of 50 FTEs at least since June 2014, shortly after the Liberals came into office.
If the Education Minister isn't wilfully misleading the public, the only explanation is that he's handpicked a month in 2014 with low teacher employment numbers, well into his government's term, as a point of reference.
December, for example, sees a high volume of temporary teacher contract come to an end, that are quickly renewed the next year.
Minister Rockliff has either wilfully misled Tasmanians, or he's tried to spin them.
The Education Minister needs to come clean now about the number of teachers slashed under the Hodgman Liberal Government.
