Teacher support team faces job cuts a week after denial from minister's office

A specialist education department team working to support children with disabilities is set to lose a quarter of its staff despite Tasmanian Education Minister Jo Palmer's office claiming it was safe a week ago.

The Australian Education Union (AEU) has labelled the the cuts "disgraceful" and questioned whether the minister lied or if the department had kept her in the dark.

The Inclusive Practice Team (IPT) is based in the state's Department for Education, Children and Young People and works with educators to share expertise in teaching students with disabilities.

On Tuesday last week the AEU claimed its members had been told staffing cuts were on the way for the team, sparking concerns about the impact on student outcomes.

A spokesperson for Ms Palmer told the ABC that day that there had been "no proposal put forward to reduce staff numbers in the Inclusive Practices Team".

Now staff in the IPT have now been told of a 25 per cent cut, going from 16 full-time staff to 12.

"This government needs to actually either own what they're doing or they need to stand up to [Treasurer] Eric Abetz and say we cannot make these cuts to the disability services," AEU state president David Genford said.

The ABC has again contacted Ms Palmer for comment.

Labor leader Josh Willie said Ms Palmer had been "exposed" and questioned whether she had broken the Ministerial Code of Conduct by lying.

"Now Minister Palmer has been caught out she needs to correct the record immediately and explain why she thinks it's OK to cut this critical frontline service," he said.

'Manipulative' government upsets parents

Hobart mother Julia Scott said the work of the Inclusive Practices Team this year had helped her daughter Ada have a meaningful schooling experience for the first time.

"The Inclusive Practice Team helped Ada's teachers develop her individual learning plan, which recognised her potential to learn, rather than focusing primarily on her functional/therapy goals," she said.

Ada, who is in year 4 at a primary school in the state's south, communicates through an eye-gaze system and uses a range of mobility aids.

Ms Scott said Ada's teachers had always done their best but there was no way ordinary training could prepare them.

"This team of inclusive practice coaches are the bridge between education and children having access to it," she said.

Ms Scott said the government had been putting out "manipulative media spin" and was concerned how the team's reduction would affect Ada.

"She's going to have a new teacher next year. There are new TAs [teacher's assistants] that are going to be supporting her and who's going to help them?" Ms Scott said.

"We're going to be back at square one."

Team's workload to be reviewed

A change proposal for the IPT, seen by the ABC, said the cut to the team would be met through ending fixed-term contracts, reduced hours, and natural attrition.

"As a consequence of the reduction in staffing, the current functions, priorities, and service delivery model of the Inclusive Practice team require review," it said.

Consultation will begin in October and the staffing changes are expected to be implemented by the end of the year.

Mr Genford said the cut to the IPT would leave schools and students waiting longer for help to keep them engaged.

"Teachers say it is highly valuable, the government has multiple reports saying that this is a team that should be improved, that should be strengthened," he said.

"Instead they're cutting the team."

He said the number of students who were categorised as needing "extensive" help had doubled in recent years, going from 764 in 2023, to 1,529 in 2026.

The Department of Education, Children and Young People (DECYP) has been tasked with finding $228 million in savings over the next four years, as part of the treasurer's $1.5 billion "operational efficiencies" program.

The state budget also noted a push in DECYP to reduce "back-office functions" by around 10 per cent.