Department of Education

Services
Individual outputs of the Department of Education in
2010–11 were provided under the following output groups:
• Pre-Compulsory and Compulsory Education –
Output Group 1
• Post-Compulsory Education and Skills Development –
Output Group 2
• LINC Tasmania – Output Group 3
There were 201 government schools and colleges including
the Polytechnic and other learning centres at the start of
2011, comprising:
• 128 Primary
• 29 Secondary
• 26 Combined (Kindergarten – Year 10)
• 8 Colleges
• 1 Polytechnic
• 9 Special (this includes the four Early Childhood
Intervention Centres)
The schools (not including Colleges or the Polytechnic) are
distributed across the following Learning Services:
• Learning Services (North) – 54
• Learning Services (North-West) – 53
• Learning Services (South) – 45
• Learning Services (South-East) – 40
Education services for students who are unable to attend a
school are provided by Distance Education Tasmania
through the Tasmanian eSchool.
Early Years is responsible for the promotion of early years
learning and care for young children. The unit provides
support for schools, education and care services and their
communities in the implementation of high quality programs
and effective practices that support learning from birth to
eight years. There is a strong focus on strategies that assist
early literacy development and school readiness. The unit
assists the Learning Services to implement Launching into
Learning, which supports families and young children in
Tasmanian school communities. Support is also provided to
the Child and Family Centre project.
Located within the Early Years, the Child Care Unit
licenses and regulates education and care in Tasmania.
The unit is responsible for the administration of the Child
Care Act 2001 and supports and monitors the development
of high quality education and care programs and services in
Tasmania.
Learning Services (four regions) support the
implementation of programs at a local level and provide
support for schools to initiate and promote system
requirements and directions. They are led by General
Managers with accountability and responsibility for the
delivery of a high quality service. Support provided by
Learning Services to schools includes professional learning
in teaching, curriculum and assessment, operational human
resources, finance, and facilities support. Learning Services
have a key role in facilitating the sharing of resources,
knowledge, innovation and learning between schools and
across the state, and respond to schools on the basis of their
improvement needs.
Post-Year 10 education and training is provided through
the Tasmanian Polytechnic and the eight colleges of
the Tasmanian Academy. Some combined and regional
secondary schools also provide post-Year 10 education and
training services either on their own or in partnership with
the Tasmanian Polytechnic or Tasmanian Academy.
The Tasmanian Polytechnic provides industry-relevant,
applied learning opportunities for Tasmanians for the
purposes of work preparation and career development.
It delivers qualifications from certificate 1 to advanced
diploma across a wide range of industry areas. It supports
students, particularly those re-engaging with learning,
and wherever practical works with rural and regional
communities to expand their access to education and training
opportunities.
The Tasmanian Academy provides post-Year 10 education
services to young students to support their achievement of
the Tasmanian Certificate of Education, and their entry into
the workforce or further education and training. Through
its eight colleges, the Academy provides Year 10 leavers with
pastoral care together with a diverse selection of academic
and vocational courses, the latter of which may be provided
in partnership with the Polytechnic or other providers.
LINC Tasmania is an integrated statewide service network
that provides all Tasmanians with access to opportunities for
skills development and information access through its four
main service areas:
• archives and heritage
• library and information
• literacy and courses
• online and computers.
The network is comprised of online services along with
physical service points, with services accessed through:
• urban and regional LINCs, including Risdon Prison LINC
• online access centres
• branch libraries
• the Hobart LINC, the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage
Office and State Library Service (located in the 91 Murray
Street building).
LINC Tasmania’s focus is on lifelong learning for all
Tasmanians and to deliver information, literacy support,
education and training services statewide.
As part of LINC Tasmania, the Tasmanian Archive and
Heritage Office preserves and manages the cultural memory
and documentary record of Tasmania, including the legal
framework for government recordkeeping.
Central support
The department service delivery areas are supported by the
following business units responsible for corporate support,
policy development, resource allocation and review. Many
of the business units contribute to more than one service
delivery area.
Strategic Policy and Performance (SPP) in consultation
with key stakeholders, leads the department’s contribution
to, and implementation of, national education policy and
strategy from the early years to Year 10, and ensures
alignment with state and national policy and strategy.
SPP provides support to the Secretary and Learning Services as
they develop, implement and align Tasmanian education policy,
and where required, leads statewide policy development. SPP
also represents the department in cross-government activities
and liaises with peak educational bodies.
SPP develops and implements data and information systems
about school, student and state performance that supports
school leaders and helps to improve overall education
performance. The unit is also responsible for overseeing
and supporting the development and implementation
of accountability frameworks to promote sustained
improvement in education and child care services.
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Department at a Glance – Services