Jo Hersey outlines CLP’s plans to fix ‘disastrous’ state of NT education

A Northern Territory education leader says a focus on truancy officers, NAPLAN results and school recruitment are at the forefront of the CLP’s plan to tackle our “disastrous” education system. Here are their plans.

Reinstating truancy officers and tackling youth crime will be key to getting kids into schools and boosting academic results, an education leader says.

Opposition Education Spokeswoman Jo Hersey said her biggest concerns regarding schooling in the Territory revolved around attendance and NAPLAN results.

Having come from a family of educators and as a mum of three kids, Mrs Hersey said the state of the NT’s education system was “disastrous”.

Opposition Education Spokeswoman Jo Hersey. Picture: Che Chorley

“I want kids to be able to go and have a happy healthy education and attend school and every child should have that opportunity,” she said.

“As a parent, if I go to school and I want to know what the class list is and there’s no teachers there, it’s concerning.

“Then it leaves everyone anxious in the school environment.”

Results

Territory students fell well below the nation’s average NAPLAN results in 2023, with 35 per cent of NT students scoring in the lowest performance band.

Mrs Hersey said students’ poor academic results were alarming.

“For parents, NAPLAN shows how their child is doing compared to national standards and for students, it’s a chance to show what they’ve learned,” she said.

“The CLP will enact meaningful reforms that prioritise the educational welfare of all NT students, regardless of their socio-economic background or geographic location.”

Attendance and engagement

Mrs Hersey said the CLP would bring back truancy officers to maximise kids’ attendance.

“If kids aren’t getting into school, they’re not getting in front of a classroom, and they’re not going to be learners,” she said.

Ms Hersey said it was also critical to “work with families and schools” to encourage kids into classrooms.

Last year’s budget estimates revealed seven compulsory conference notices and one compliance notice was issued in the first term of 2023.

“Parents need to be accountable for their children for their children to get to school.

“If they need support getting their child there or getting to the bus, then there needs to be support measures, not just in education, but across Territory Families and other departments to help as well.”

Teacher shortages

Mrs Hersey said the annual abundance of teacher shortages ahead of the NT school year was “extremely concerning”.

She said something more than national recruitment campaigns were needed to support teacher attraction and retention – including tackling crime.

“Talking to teachers (in Katherine), some teachers don’t feel safe … long-term locals are leaving their community because they don’t feel safe,” she said.

“Last year in estimates, I asked questions to (then Education Minister) Eva Lawler, we found out that 28 teachers have been injured (last year).”

Mrs Hersey said there had been eight edged-weapon incidents and 215 school break-ins costing Territorians $880,000.

She said the CLP’s approach to filling school vacancies would revolve around making teachers feel supported and safe at work.

“What we need to do is make sure that victims are actually better supported, their rights are in front of the perpetrator,” Mrs Hersey said.

Effective enrolment and the SRS

Though the election is just seven months away, Mrs Hersey would not comment on the CLP’s stance on Effective Enrolment.

She said the Opposition’s position on the controversial funding model would be made clear to voters “further down the track”.

“We haven’t had a good look at the figures and put in budgets of where we think money should go,” she said.

“Being the Education Minister, I’ll be hitting the ground running, and it’ll be something that we will be looking into when we see the budget figures and see where that allocation of funding is going.”

Mrs Hersey said the first step to correcting the almost $8000 funding deficiency per NT public school student was ensuring money was being funnelled to the right places before asking for federal support.

“There are other issues affecting those funding agreements (and) elements of the funding,” she said.

“You need to find out where you need to focus the funding that we have for the Territory now, but make sure that you were using that wisely and in the right areas before you go back to the federal government and ask for more.”