School results mixed

Labor says outcomes poor

LABOR has pointed to poor education outcomes outlined in new data from the Productivity Commission, in response to the Liberals’ celebration of improved retention.

The latest data on school education from the Productivity Commission shows Tasmania’s apparent retention rate to year 12 in government schools was 80.4 per cent in 2019.

The figure is above the national figure of 78.0 per cent.

In 2014 when the Liberals took office the retention rate was 70 per cent. But Labor pointed to the figures across all schools, which show a lesser improvement and a result below the national rate.

Across all government and non-government schools in Tasmania the retention rate to year 12 was 74.3 per cent. The figure was below the national rate of 82 per cent and the second worst in the nation – but a 5 per cent improvement since the Liberals took office.

Labor education spokesman Josh Willie said the Liberals were failing Tasmanian students, families and teaching staff with the state’s education outcomes still among the worst in the nation.

“Mr Rockliff has cherry picked figures from the report making his claim based on state schools only when in fact he is the Minister for all schools,” Mr Willie said.

“Retention is just one piece of the puzzle and what Mr Rockliff fails to inform the public is that barring the NT we are spending the most in the country per student for the worst outcomes.

“Attainment rates for Year 12 students by socio-economic status across all schools in Tasmania are just 58 per cent – significantly lower than the national average of 72 per cent – and that figure remains the same as 2008.”

Australia Education Union Tasmania state manager Brian Wightman, a former Labor education minister, said Tasmanian public schools were getting “great results”, but the government should not get the credit.

“If there’s improvements in retention and results at our Tasmanian public schools and colleges, it’s educators who should get the credit for hard work with minimal resources,” Mr Wightman said.

The state government has hailed the retention figures as a vindication of the Liberals’ policy to extend all Tasmanian public high schools to year 12.