Cash ploughed into schools
buildings, modernised IT and commitments to child safety are key planks of the education budget.
While the education union criticised the budget for failing to invest in more teachers, Education Minister Roger Jaensch said the government was in the midst of the largest infrastructure program in schools in more than 20 years.
“The Tasmanian government’s current allocation for capital works totals $250m over the forward estimates including $69.7m for 2022-23,” Mr Jaensch said.
“Our continued investment in education infrastructure not only provides vital improvements to student learning environments, it also grows the Tasmanian economy through additional jobs during planning and construction.”
School building projects across the state include agriculture VET facilities at Bothwell and Campbell Town district schools, a multi-sports facility at Bayview Secondary College at Rokeby and a multipurpose hall at Springfield Gardens Primary.
More than $20m will be spent to upgrade the former New Town and Ogilvie campuses into the new co-ed Hobart High School.
Major redevelopments are being undertaken at Cambridge Primary School, Cosgrove High School, Exeter High School, Lauderdale Primary School, Penguin District School, Sorell School and Montello Primary School. New schools will be built at Legana and Brighton.
A new Support School will be built in the North-West.
Mr Jaensch said $12.2m would be spent over four years to modernise and integrate school administration systems.
“The student systems renewal phase 2 initiative recognises the importance of bringing together all essential information on students, providing schools and parents with tools to improve student wellbeing, learning and engagement,” he said.
“This initiative will also help improve the delivery, management and productivity of education in Tasmania by ensuring the right people have access to the information they require to do their jobs.
“Importantly this initiative will help keep learners at school by providing systems to support the department with managing and monitoring attendance and other key data sets.”
The government is continuing to roll out a 2018 commitment to employ 250 more teachers over six years.
Before the budget, the governNEW
ment announced a $36.4m investment over four years to safeguard children and young people in schools, in line with the ongoing Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff reiterated the government’s commitment to child safety.
“It is our clear intention to adopt all the recommendations once the COI has finalised, but we are not waiting for the inquiry to finish before we start this important work – we are listening and acting now,” he said.
“The 2022-23 budget includes significant investments to ensure our children and young people are safe and have the supports they need for the future.”
The funding will provide for school safeguarding officers, additional psychologists and social workers, more senior support staff, and mandatory professional development for all department staff on preventing and responding to child sexual abuse.
In vocational education and training, Mr Jaensch said the government had committed $114m in new money for TasTAFE since last year’s election.
This includes funding for 100 more teachers, new facilities and improved access for people in regional areas. The budget includes $5m to complete the new water and energy trades centre of excellence at TasTAFE’s Clarence campus.