Key education outcomes have been steadily declining under the Liberal Government since they took office in 2014, and the recent annual report from the Department of Education confirms this.
Only 61.5 percent of children are achieving the Kinder Development Check expected outcomes by the end of Kindergarten. This is down from 74.1 percent in 2014.
Government documents have previously described the reporting of KDC data as politically risky. There has been no real push to understand the decline, just a change of reporting requirements which will inflate future figures. This means developmentally vulnerable children will continue to fall through the cracks.
Additionally, we are seeing further declines in literacy and numeracy skills, especially in year 7 and 9 reading, year 5, 7 and 9 numeracy.
There is a growing gap between Aboriginal and non-indigenous students, with the gap growing since 2019.
Absence rates are growing as well. Even since COVID came to Tasmania the increase in lower attendance rates means more children become at risk to falling behind in their learning and engagement. It sets a trend that will be harder to correct.
Roger Jaensch has continued the Liberal Government legacy of facilitating worsening standards in our education system.
This is our state's future and Jeremy Rockliff and Roger Jaensch need to get the basics right in education, rather than spending all their energy focused on a Hobart AFL waterfront stadium nobody wants.
Josh Willie MLC
Shadow Minister for Education and Early Years
