School year ends but no COVID safe school answers from Courtney

Tasmanian Labor

Shadow Education Minister Josh Willie has congratulated all Tasmanian students, families and school staff on a successful school year without interruption, but will next year be the same?

The final day of the 2021 school year has come with students, parents, teachers and other school staff still left in the dark with an unacceptable lack of information from Education Minister Sarah Courtney.

Mr Willie said Ms Courtney had utterly failed to tell families and educators what she will actually do to ensure Tasmanian schools are equipped to be COVID safe for the start of Term One next year.

He said Ms Courtney had three basic questions to answer today – after offering scant and meaningless motherhood statements about school safety over the past two months.

Will she release the COVID safety schools audit carried out by her department earlier this year?

Will the work to keep students and staff safe in every school be completed by the start of Term One?

What is the specific funding for school COVID upgrades from the Liberals’ $300 million COVID contingency fund?

“To not answer these critical questions is simply irresponsible and evasive,” Mr Willie said.

Josh Willie MLC

Shadow Minister for Education and Early Years

/Public Release. View in full here.