Inner-city Hobart high school no closer as study drags on

A NEW inner-city high school for Hobart is no closer to being built.

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff during Budget Estimates. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

A FEASIBILITY study into a new inner-city high school for Hobart is still to be completed, but will take broader education infrastructure needs into account.

The State Government announced a year ago that an analysis would be undertaken of the need for a CBD school, with co-ed option Taroona High at capacity.

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No funding was provided to advance the project across the forward estimates in this year’s budget, and an estimates committee on Thursday heard that the study was ongoing.

A geospatial analysis method first used in South Australia has been adapted to Tasmania, the committee heard.

It will assess population and demographic data to make enrolment projections to 2036.

It comes after Governor Kate Warner told the Mercury this week that she was backing the expansion of high schools to Year 12, the retention of colleges and more collaboration between staff at both.

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Students from inner-city schools have enrolled at Taroona or single-sex options New Town High School (boys) and Ogilvie High School (girls) since the closure of the Hobart High School.

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff was quizzed about the future of colleges with all high schools expected to offer Years 11 and 12 within this term of government.

Inner-city schools had begun talks about collaborating in an arrangement similar to the Eastern Shore’s tagana collective, Mr Rockliff said.

“I do not want to see our colleges undermined, they are very valuable,” he said.

Labor drew attention to the urgent need for upgrades at Clarence High School, quoting a letter from Tasmanian Association of State School Organisations vice-president Nigel Jones. Facilities for students with disabilities were substandard, Mr Jones said.

“The photos of the Learning Centre could lead you to think you are looking at a basement or dungeon in the school,” he said.

Mr Rockliff said the school was the result of “gross under-investment” under Labor before 2014.

Labor spokeswoman Michelle O’Byrne accused the Government of a $90 million black hole, with disability support reforms left unfunded.