Education

Services
There were 203 government schools 1 at the
commencement of 2013 – including senior secondary
schools and the Tasmanian Polytechnic, comprising: 2
• 131 primary
• 30 secondary
• 25 combined (Kindergarten–Year 10)
• 8 senior secondary 3
• 1 polytechnic (in various locations across the state)
• 8 special. 4
Schools (not including the Tasmanian Polytechnic) are
distributed across the following Learning Services:
• Learning Services (North) – 56
• Learning Services (North-West) – 55
• Learning Services (South) – 91.
Education services for students who are unable to attend
a school are provided by the Tasmanian eSchool.
The LINC Tasmania network provides services through
89 physical service points in 69 locations across the state,
together with LINC Online.
1. This is a count of school entities and is not a count of school campuses.
2. Includes school changes as at the commencement of 2013 – see
‘New arrangements’ section in this chapter for further information.
3. Senior secondary schools were previously referred to as colleges.
4. Count of special schools includes four Early Childhood Intervention
Service Centres. Although these are services, they are classified in
the department’s organisational structure as ‘schools’.
Early Years and Schools
The Early Years and Schools Division delivers its services
to approximately 63,000 school aged students 1,2 attending
203 schools. It oversees schooling delivered through
programs operating in schools, senior secondary schools
and in established child and family centres. Educational
leadership within Early Years and Schools is provided by a
Deputy Secretary with support from a General Manager
for Curriculum and Program Services and General
Managers in three Learning Services.
Eleven networks of schools across the three
Learning Services are each supported by a principal
network leader whose role is to support the school
principal with a focus on school improvement and
accountability.
The Early Years and Schools Division is continuing to
progress the priorities outlined in the department’s
Learners First Strategy and key areas outlined in
the School Support and Expectations 2013 resource.
2013 has seen an ongoing emphasis on the implementation
of the Australian Curriculum. During 2012, English,
Mathematics and Science was successfully implemented
in all schools. History was voluntarily taken up by almost
half of the schools. In 2013, all government schools are
implementing the Foundation to Year 10 (F–10) History
curriculum and some schools have voluntarily opted to
implement the F–10 Geography curriculum.
Improving literacy and numeracy will always be a priority
for the department. In alignment with the Literacy and
Numeracy Framework 2012–2015 the department has
developed birth to Year 12 literacy and numeracy support
packages for teachers. Lead teachers in literacy and
numeracy in each network provide direct support to
schools and teachers. Eight curriculum teacher leaders
with specific learning area responsibility across
Years 9–12 have been appointed to provide direct
school based support for the Australian Curriculum with
a focus on literacy and numeracy.
Student safety, health and wellbeing are important
priorities. The Early Years and Schools Division is
developing the Building Better Behaviour resource for all
staff, to enable whole school approaches that support
positive classroom management and teacher and learner
wellbeing. This will be launched in October 2013.
The division is responsible, through its regulatory
authority, for implementing the National Quality Framework
for Early Childhood Education and Care. This includes a
national system of regulation, and assessment and rating
of education and care services which aim to improve the
quality of outcomes for children attending these services.
The regulatory authority also licenses and monitors a
number of other child care services, mostly occasional
care, under Tasmanian legislation.
1. Includes students in all senior secondary schools (previously referred to
as colleges). Senior secondary students were not included in the figures
published in the 2011–12 Annual Report given that the colleges were not
part of the Early Years and Schools Division during that period.
2. Does not include the students in the Tasmanian Polytechnic.
Aboriginal Education Services (AES) supports
schools, child and family centres and Learning Services in
their programs and services for Aboriginal students and
their families. The work of the service is closely aligned
to the six priority areas of the Closing the Gap Strategy
which is at the centre of the Australian Government’s
National Indigenous Reform Agenda and the Tasmania’s
Aboriginal Education Framework 2012–2015. AES provides
comprehensive support to schools to address the
challenges of readiness for school, engagement and
connections, attendance, literacy and numeracy, leadership,
quality teaching, workforce development and pathways
to post-school options. AES plays a key role in the
development of the department’s policies and initiatives.
Curriculum Services has a team of curriculum
officers who work with the Professional Learning Institute,
Learning Services, Educational Performance Services,
Information Technology Services and the Tasmanian
Qualifications Authority to provide teachers and school
leaders with support to implement the Australian
Curriculum and deliver the Tasmanian Curriculum. The team
provides targeted curriculum and pedagogical support
for school leaders through curriculum teacher leaders,
principal network leaders, literacy and numeracy lead
teachers, local networks and lead schools. It supports
dynamic learning environments through access to high
quality digital resources and networks. Curriculum Services
supports improved literacy and numeracy outcomes
through a lead school network model of statewide
support for literacy and numeracy. Curriculum Services
also provides high level educational leadership in each of
the curriculum learning areas and supports developing
program continuity to assist transition and retention from
Years 9–12. In addition, it works in collaboration with
relevant inter-agency and community service providers to
promote health and wellbeing learning outcomes.
Early Years is responsible for the promotion of early
years learning for young children. The Early Years team
provides support for schools and their communities in
12 Department at a Glance » Services