Hansard of the Legislative Council
Wednesday 29 April 2015

Educational Outcomes Campaign

Mr FINCH question to LEADER of the GOVERNMENT in the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, Dr GOODWIN

[2.33 p.m.]

I ask the honourable Leader:

(1)  Has the Government noted the call by the chair of the Tasmanian Early Years Foundation, Elizabeth Daly, for a broader approach to achieving educational outcomes?

(2)  Mrs Daly wants a public education campaign to stress that apart from helping to secure employment, education opens doors, helps people to achieve their lifelong goals, makes life easier, improves the quality of life, increases life expectancy and improves health outcomes.

(3)  Will the Government consider such a campaign?

ANSWER

Mr President, I thank the member for Rosevears for his question. 

The Minister for Education and Training has been working to implement election commitments and develop longer-term strategies for education in Tasmania, including raising community awareness, and to encourage education to be every Tasmanian's business.

Since coming to the portfolio, the minister has driven significant community discussion on education including, but not limited to, his announcement of the review of the Tasmanian Education Act.  This review has sparked significant discussions regarding the importance of education, including appropriate starting and leaving ages.

As members are no doubt aware, further demonstration of the commitment to raise the profile of education was recently announced through the State Government partnership with the University of Tasmania to establish the Peter Underwood Centre for Educational Attainment.  The centre will include a focus on organising and coordinating activities to raise aspiration and participation in education within communities, targeting areas of relative disadvantage.  The minister considers that community awareness regarding education is the key to driving greater educational outcomes.  So whilst a specific campaign such as that suggested by Mrs Daly has not been pursued, the issues raised in her suggestion are being actively pursued through a variety of other avenues.

The minister also notes the strong role that Legislative Council members are currently playing in the ongoing education debate throughout Tasmania and thanks them for their ongoing efforts to raise the profile of education amongst their community.