Secretary Department of Education

1. Education’s Contribution to Tasmania Presentation to the AEU Branch Council Jenny Gale Secretary Department of Education

2. The importance of improving education outcomes in Tasmania • A strong education is key to equipping young people with the skills they need to succeed in life. • Completing more years of education is associated with a range of social, health and economic benefits for both individuals and communities. • Improving educational outcomes is vital to Tasmania’s social and economic prosperity.

3. Heckman’s Equation Source: http://heckmanequation.org/heckman-equation

4. International research tells us why quality education is so important The message of The Early Years Study was clear if we truly wish to provide our children with an equal opportunity to maximize their potential, whatever that might be, it is vital that we do everything we can to enhance their early development. (The Early Years Study, Putting Science into Action, 2007 by Margaret McCain and Fraser Mustard) Skills have become the global currency of the 21st Century…Skills transform lives and drive economies. Skills affect people’s lives and the well-being of nations in ways that go beyond what can be measured by labour-market earnings and economic growth. (Better Skills, Better Jobs, Better Lives: A Strategic Approach to Skills Policies, 2012, OECD Publishing) A growing body of work suggests that education offers a wide-range of benefits that extend beyond increases in labour market productivity…Education has been shown to reduce crime, improve health, lower mortality, and increase political participation. The social benefits from these impacts can be sizeable. (Non-Production Benefits of Education: Crime, Health and Good Citizenship, 2011 by Lance Lochner, National Bureau of Economic Research)

5. Human Brain Development – Language and Cognition 01-003 Language Sensing Pathways Higher (vision, hearing) Cognitive Function 9 -3 3 1 0 6 4 8 12 16 -6 Months Years Conception AGE C. Nelson, in From Neurons to Neighborhoods, 2000.

6. Tasmania has the highest levels of socio-economic disadvantage of any state or territory and almost twice the levels of Australia overall… the lowest Gross State Product per capita of any state or territory lower productivity than Australia as a whole, with the gap widening over the past 20 years lowest average wages lowest labour market participation below average life expectancy at birth for both males and females poor health outcomes Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

7. Part of the explanation is the relatively small share of Tasmania’s adult population with skills Adult population share with post-school qualifications, 25 to 64 years

8. Income in Tasmania is linked to years of schooling Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing, 2011, Table Builder files

9. We’ve struggled with retention ratesYear 10 to 12 retention rates - 2014

10. We’ve struggled with our numbers of students completing year 12 (or equivalent) or Certificate III or above Percentage of 20-24 year olds, 2015

11. Community aspiration Community support Workforce participation Joined up approaches (health, education, children’s services) Family attitudes to education and training Self-concept School cultural and social capital Mobility 7-12 Pathways Attendance Justice system Early learning (LiL, LIFT) Socio-economic status (plans, aspirations and expectations) Dispersed population Aspiration Efficient system Reduce family violence Connections CFCs Parental engagement Transport Parental support Schools as hubs Extra curricular Blended learning Health outcomes (drug-ed, mental health) OUTCOMES More Tasmanians staying in education and training longer and achieving more Housing Community Partnerships (extra curricular) Parental support and engagement School nurses Preparation/skill sets for Pathways (Vocational Education/ Higher Education/work Self-concept Supportive School culture 26 TEN High expectations High standards (incl. 11/12 curriculum and structure) Meeting the needs of all learners Quality education system Birth-Adult Student engagement and aspiration L&N specialists Mutual respect Quality teaching Maternal education Sectoral collaboration Quality leadership Quality teaching and teacher influence Understanding of Learning needs Industry Links/ Partnerships Student enjoyment TTC Student voice LINC Quality classroom Interactions (teachers and students) My Education Career information and aspiration

12. We know what makes a difference… • Quality teaching and strong educational leadership • Shifting attitudes to valuing education • Attendance and participation • Measurement and data • Parent and community partnerships

13. What are we doing to address the factors… • edi– a powerful tool for teachers and school leaders • Reviewing the Education Act and changing the compulsory years of education and training • Years 9 to 12 Review (new budget initiative) • Developing our Workforce Strategy • Review of literacy teacher training and practice (new budget initiative) • STEM Implementation (new budget initiative) • Reviewing the Tasmanian Education Act to set high standards and expectations for education and training • B4 Early Years Coalition • Child and Family Centres; LiL and LIFT programs • Family Partnership Model Program - PLI • Employing 25 literacy and numeracy specialists • Funding 80 schools to deliver LIFT • Literacy and numeracy support initiative (new budget initiative) Priorities • Extending regional high schools to years 11 and 12 • Learning for life and School Community Hubs (new budget initiative)

14. Additional Gonski Funding

15. Additional Gonski Funding

16. Importance of Education Reform Reform is not only necessary, it is essential in order to ensure that our students are equipped with the knowledge and skills for the twenty-first century. We can’t expect different results by doing the same thing.

17. We have begun the process…Education Act Review Education Act sets the legal framework for K-12 education in Tasmania. The Review sought to ensure that this legislative framework: supports our education system to provide the best possible outcomes for all learners is contemporary, clear, cohesive provides for greater national consistency where this increases social and economic opportunities for Tasmanians, while responding to local needs and circumstances supports Tasmania’s educational, social and economic prosperity.

18. Expected benefits of key reforms under proposed legislation Lower school starting age (and lower Kindergarten starting age) i. Establishes high standards and expectations in the Tasmanian community that education is from Kindergarten to Year 12 or equivalent ii. Earlier universal access to quality early learning and development experiences for all children iii. Increased participation in, and completion of, Year 12 or equivalent iv. Social, health and economic benefits for individuals and communities v. Greater alignment between school starting ages in Tasmania and other states and territories Increase minimum leaving age to the end of Year 12 or equivalent or 18 years

19. We know that legislation alone won’t solve the challenges we face. But it is the foundation and sets the standards and expectations for education. We need to continue to build on partnerships externally and internally to achieve positive outcomes for Tasmania’s children and young people.