The Rockliff Liberal Government is failing Tasmanian children learning to read.
In 2021, then Minister for Education and Training, Jeremy Rockliff, made a commitment that "by Year 7 all young people will meet an expected reading standard that is above the national minimum by no later than 2030."
In 2022, under a different assessment structure to the latest NAPLAN results, 92.9% of Tasmanian Year 7 students were at or above national minimum standard.
Last week's results show under the new proficiency standards, 37% of Year 7 students in Tasmania aren't meeting reading expectations.
The new proficiency standards and the 2023 results put the government further away from its target, and it appears to have lost all urgency in fixing the problem. This was clearly demonstrated when Minister Jaensch failed to recommit to all Year 7 students being at a minimum standard by 2030 when NAPLAN results were released last week.
A Legislative Council Question Without Notice (attached) has also revealed that the Department for Education, Children and Young People has so far failed to award a contract to deliver a new literacy training program for education staff, despite a tender closing on 12 July with an estimated contract starting date of 1 August 2023.
Grade 7 is a critical juncture in a student's education but it's clear the Liberal Government isn't responding to low reading levels with the urgency required to meet its own target.
If a student isn't meeting reading standards as they enter high school it makes it very difficult to engage with the rest of the curriculum and they run the risk of falling through the gaps of the education system.
After 10 years of a Liberal Government, Tasmania's education outcomes are at the bottom of the class and it's our students who are paying the price.
Premier Rockliff made commendable promises when he was Education Minister in 2021 but two years on he hasn't given the issue the attention it deserves and it is holding Tasmanian students back.
Josh Willie MLC
Shadow Minister for Education & Early Years
