DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION
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Schools

Tasmanian government school education from Kindergarten to Year 10 is the responsibility of the School Education Division.

There are 139 primary, 27 combined (district high), 31 secondary and 10 special schools (including early learning services). Services and support are provided to schools through the Southern, Northern and North-Western branches, and schools are grouped into 27 clusters.

A board of principals associated with each of the clusters of schools coordinates learning support, particularly for students with special and additional needs. Support services for these students are provided by support teachers, guidance officers, social workers and speech and language pathologists who are based in schools.

Within the School Education Division the Curriculum Standards and Support branch is responsible for:

  • recommending curriculum for the pre-school years
  • providing and supporting curriculum for government schools from Kindergarten to Year 10
  • providing advice on curriculum for Kindergarten to Year 12
  • forming partnerships to support the curriculum in Catholic and independent schools
  • developing Tasmanian curriculum standards.

The branch also provides policy, guidelines and publications to support the curriculum, pedagogy and assessment.

The Leadership and Learning branch, also within the School Education Division, is responsible for the provision of services for students with special and additional needs, services for students for whom English is a second language, supportive and inclusive schooling, and Aboriginal education. This branch is also responsible for:

  • professional learning and leadership initiatives supporting the implementation of the curriculum
  • ensuring that schools are equipped to implement policy requirements and that teachers and staff are supported
  • professional learning for supportive and inclusive schooling and improving school effectiveness
  • the use of ICT in teaching and learning
  • all distance education and flexible learning services, including Distance Education Tasmania and the Centre for Extended Learning Opportunities (CELO).

Evaluation and review of educational processes and student outcomes is undertaken by the Office for Educational Review (OER). The office is an independent unit that reports to the secretary on significant educational issues. The unit is responsible for:

  • monitoring and measuring students’ performance, including levels of achievement in literacy and numeracy
  • managing collection of student, school and departmental data for reports
  • moderation processes enabling all teachers to make consistent assessments of student work
  • the School Improvement Review program
  • the Student Assessment and Reporting Information System (SARIS)
  • compiling the A-E Report Card based on teacher assessments and distributing it to parents and carers
  • the production and distribution of the Tasmanian Year 10 Certificate
  • coordinating the states’ participation in national and international assessment programs.

Colleges

Tasmania’s eight senior secondary colleges provide education for students in Years 11 and 12. A number of high schools and combined schools also provide access to a range of education and training opportunities for students who have completed Year 10.

The Office of Post-Compulsory Education and Training (OPCET) manages resourcing and accountability for senior secondary colleges. In relation to college education, the office:

  • supports the Tasmanian Learning and Skills Authority in providing advice to the Minister about the policy, planning and provision of post-Year 10 education and training services
  • provides improved opportunities for Tasmanians to participate in post-Year 10 education and training in meaningful ways through the implementation of Tasmania: A State of Learning
  • provides curriculum review for Years 11 and 12
  • supports high schools and colleges in the provision of vocational learning programs
  • provides pathway planning and transition support to students in government high schools, combined schools and colleges.

Assessment, accreditation and certification for senior secondary college students are provided by the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority (TQA). As a statutory authority, the TQA reports separately.

New arrangements

In April, the Office of Youth Affairs (OYA) transferred from OPCET to the Department of Premier and Cabinet which will report on the OYA.