Roger Jaensch,Minister for Education, Children and Youth
Every child has a right to have an education, to be heard and to be kept safe from harm.
The 2022-23 State Budget is about delivering for all Tasmanians and that is why the Tasmanian Liberal Government will invest $26.1 million over four years to employ a Safeguarding Officer in every Government school.
There will also be $9.7 million in funding each year after 2025-26 to secure the future of the Safeguarding Officers.
Safeguarding Officers were recommended as a key strategy for proactively keeping children and young people safe following the Independent Inquiry into the Tasmanian Department of Education’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The Safeguarding Officers, who will be employed as part of a Support and Wellbeing Team, will plan and implement risk-management strategies for every Government school to protect students from sexual abuse.
The Safeguarding Officers will work closely with the Office of Safeguarding Children and Young People, which has been established to drive long-term cultural change and continuous improvement in the Department of Education so that it can be an exemplary child safe organisation.
Appointing a Safeguarding Officer in each school will help build a safeguarding network across the State Government school system, providing a central point of contact for all matters related to child safety in schools.
Nothing is more important than the safety of our children and young people.
This State Budget allocation demonstrates the Government’s commitment to strengthening the future of all Tasmanians by making our schools safer and protecting the rights of the child.
