Shadow Education Minister Josh Willie has been left gobsmacked by today’s “lacklustre” education announcement by the Liberal Party.
“For a party that has presided over such a rapid decline in educational outcomes, you would think they could do better than what they dished up today.
“But clearly education policy is an afterthought for the Liberal Party.
“Whether it is their underwhelming 50% increase to the 84.5 literacy coaches that won’t even meet their own targets or their dismal funding pledge for support staff which falls more than $30 million short of Labor’s commitment, the Liberals have again been caught out underfunding education in this state.
“Peter Gutwein and Jeremy Rockliff do not seem to understand that it is investment in students, teachers and support staff that help students learn not just politicised shiny new buildings.
“Labor has a clear plan to make our education system something every Tasmanian can be proud of because we know that investing in our education system will lead to better outcomes for our children.
“Under a Labor Government, government-funded healthy lunches will be available in all government primary schools, an extra 350 teachers will be hired to roll out a systematic, phonics-based program in primary schools, and we will invest $50 million to improve school infrastructure that has been neglected by the Liberal Government.
“Jeremy Rockliff and the Liberals have had seven years to improve our education system, but their lack of inspirational ideas has failed us at every turn.
“There’s a clear choice at next Saturday’s election, a Labor Government with a renewed focus on improving children’s lives through education or eleven straight years of lacklustre performance. Our children and our state deserves better”
Josh Willie MLC
Shadow Education Minister
