Since the latter part of 2014, the IEU, along with other key education stakeholders, has been involved in the Tasmanian Government’s process of reviewing the Education Act. The government’s review has now resulted in a number of significant recommended changes, including:
• extending the compulsory years of education and training by:
- lowering the school starting age from five years to four years and six months, with a flow on to kindergarten entry age of three years and six months. This will apply to children born in 2016, and
- lifting the minimum education and training leaving requirement to completion of Year 12 or equivalent (certificate III, apprenticeship) or until 18, whichever occurs first. This will apply to students in Year 7 in 2016
• for families of students with serious non attendance issues – a compulsory conciliation conferencing process to address the issues associated with the non attendance
• allowing for the collection of information to enable the development of risk management plans to better support students who have conditions which may cause behaviour that leads to risk of harm of themselves or others
• the ability to set a minimum standard for adult behaviour (eg parents/guardians) in the context of schools
• providing for dual enrolment of students with disability between a mainstream school and special school across government and non government sectors
• for non government schools, increased options in the registration process – for the SRB in assessing applications, and for schools to be able to register as systems of schools if they meet particular criteria, as is the case in a number of other states, and
• in respect to home education/schooling – a stronger regulatory approach including standards for registration as a home educator and annual reviews of student achievement, and the ability for partial enrolment in a school.
One area that the IEU believes still needs examination is the proposed school starting age. Currently in three Australian states a child may start school at four years and eight months, while in the other three states it is four years six months. The rationale for adopting the younger start in Tasmania has not been given.