Labor leader Josh Willie says a nearly half-a-million-dollar consultancy to evaluate the state government’s schools reform is more evidence the trial should be scrapped.
Speaking outside Moonah Primary School on Thursday, Willie criticised a $482,015 contract awarded to Melbourne firm ACIL Allen to evaluate the multi-school organisation trial.
The five-year contract, awarded on May 6, will see the firm assess Education Minister Jo Palmer’s reform through to March 2031.
The MSO model groups Hobart’s Moonah Primary, New Town Primary and Risdon Vale Primary under a shared executive leadership team.
It is based on England’s multi-academy trust system and was recommended for trial in the 2024 Independent Review of Education in Tasmania.
Willie said the minister was pushing ahead without backing from teachers and school leaders.
“This is half a million dollars for the minister’s pet project,” he said.
“She’s been told by the workforce they don’t like this.”
Willie said Labor would prefer to see investment in early years education, including five-day kindergarten and universal three-year-old preschool.
“These are practical reforms that will have a way bigger impact in the early years,” he said.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff defended the spending, saying the evaluation would help deliver better outcomes for teachers and students.
“This is a relatively small investment of $480,000 over five years to bring schools together, create efficiencies around their management and make those schools stronger by working together,” he said.
“The teachers themselves will do less paperwork and have more time to teach in the classroom.”
Concerns about the rollout have been raised since the trial began in Term 1 this year.
A statewide Australian Education Union (AEU) survey of principals released in February found 90% lacked confidence that MSOs would improve student achievement.
It also found 95% felt “left in the dark” about their school’s funding and staffing for 2026, while 79% did not support the government’s strategic direction for public education.
AEU state manager Brian Wightman in February said the minister had “completely lost the confidence of school leaders”.
“These reforms are being done to schools, not with schools,” he said.
Palmer previously told parliament she accepted “it hasn’t been the rollout we wanted it to be”, but maintained the model would reduce teacher workload.
A further two MSOs are set to be rolled out in 2027.
