Government primary schools in Tasmania will be required to teach at least one hour per day of structured literacy from 2025, as part of the 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future.
Minister for Education, Ms Jo Palmer, said all primary school teachers will deliver the structured literacy instruction for Prep to Year 6 aligned to the Australian Curriculum.
“We remain committed to ensuring that every young person will have the skills they need for life when they leave the school system, allowing them to thrive and reach their full potential,” Ms Palmer said.
“Tasmania is on the front-foot nationally with this work, which will see an impact to student outcomes in the coming years. Learning to read is foundational to all other learning.”
Tasmanian Government school principals gathered in August for a masterclass in literacy leadership with a language and literacy expert, to help them practically implement change in their school.
“I was pleased to attend the Tasmanian Government’s Northern Principal Forum to see first-hand how our principals are building their capacity to deliver a structured and nation-leading approach to the teaching of reading in all schools,” Ms Palmer said.
“Language and literacy expert Emina McLean has led specialised professional learning for both teachers and school leaders this year.
“Ms McLean’s sessions have explored the science and evidence around how the brain learns to read and how schools can harness this knowledge to ensure every student becomes a confident reader.”
All Tasmanian educators will undertake Qualiteach, a training package developed by the Department for Education, Children and Young People, which builds foundational knowledge in structured literacy and a multi-tiered system of supports for reading (MTSS).
MTSS is a framework for intervention that provides every student with the help they need with reading, when they need it.
More than 6,900 teachers have already started their Qualiteach training this year.
The professional learning is part of Tasmania’s Lifting Literacy Plan that mandates that by 2026, all Tasmanian students will be taught to read in a systematic and explicit way based on the latest research and evidence.
