Research released today by the Grattan Institute supports Labor’s call for an independent review of Tasmania’s education disruption.
Shadow Education Minister Josh Willie said the Institute has highlighted that inequalities resulted in some students not doing well doing the period of remote learning.
“It’s clear that some students and families struggled with remote learning, and the Institute’s modelling found some students may have lost as much as a month of learning over the period of lockdown.
“Labor backs the Grattan Institute’s call for investment in ‘catch up’ learning to ensure that learning disadvantage isn’t carried forward.”
Mr Willie reiterated his call for the government to commission an independent review of the education disruption, specific to Tasmania, to objectively identify areas that require additional support and improve student engagement and retention moving forward.
“Before the pandemic hit, data from the Productivity Commission showed Tasmanian school students had the worst post-school outcomes, lowest literacy, and lowest attendance and retention rates in the country.
“Not all students did poorly during remote learning, and some who struggle to remain engaged in a classroom thrived during this time.
“Anything we can learn from the education disruption that helps keep students engaged and in school is worth looking at.”
Josh Willie
Shadow Minister for Education
