I would like to provide you with my ‘wish list’ for the future provision of education in Tasmania.  These are simple dot points which I would be happy to expand on if you require further clarification.

1.       That all schools; rural, regional or urban provide education to year 12
2.       That the provision of education services be demographically informed
3.       That the provision of education be aligned with the industry make-up within the relevant rural, regional or urban context
4.       That a first class transport service be provided to students
5.       That education services be integrated with LINCs, post-school education providers (vocational and tertiary) and other education and training providers.
6.       That other public services be integrated with the provision of education so that employment opportunities and optimal health is ensured
7.       That the provision of education services are integrated on a long term basis with the State and Regional Economic Development Plans as well as the Industry Diversification Plan resulting from the Tasmanian Forests Intergovernmental Agreement. 

Historically, Tasmania has always experienced net migration losses in the younger education and working ages of 15 to 29 years as a direct result of a lack of education and employment opportunities. This is particularly exacerbated in rural and regional areas of the state where schooling is not often provided beyond year 10 and where there are no post-school education options at all.  Yet, at the same time, much of the state’s contribution to economic growth is sourced from industries in these rural and regional areas.  This results in a serious mis-match between supply of labour and demand for labour - particularly educated, skilled and experienced labour.

I believe that the above dot points can be achieved through a strategic approach to integrate education with economic development through the provision of infrastructure, services and amenities.  Following the process of identifying potential industries and areas of economic growth, investment in ‘infrastructure hubs’ should be a priority.  These hubs should include the provision of education to year 12 as well as vocational and tertiary (utilising LINCs and the NBN), health, transport and recreational services, including services such as aged, disability and child care and cater to the needs of the sub-population.  The need for these hubs should be informed by the population demographics, the industry make-up and the prospects of the region. 

An infrastructure hub approach to the provision of public services has the potential to provide opportunities to Tasmania and Tasmanians not previously possible, including reducing the disbursement of the population, the opportunity for critical mass and economies of scale.  

Population ageing is sometimes overwhelming, often misunderstood, and, more critically, its importance to our economy and livelihood is ignored.

Demography is the study of human populations and thus population ageing. 

For all countries and regions (apart from one) economic growth is the mandate for all governments and economies. It is believed that economic growth increases standards of living. It is the term used to indicate the increase of per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and refers only to the quantity of goods and services produced.

Economics is the branch of social science that deals with the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services and their management through the analysis of the Factors of Production. The factors of production are the four resources which enable production; land, labour, capital and enterprise.

Focussing on the labour component, labour is a measure of the work done by human beings. Labour economics seeks to understand the functioning and dynamics of the market for labour. Such analysts are predominantly concerned with labour in terms of labour force participation and unemployment.

But, given that labour must be produced on a daily basis to achieve economic growth it should also be accepted that labour must be reproduced on an intergenerational basis. 

This theory results in a concept known as Total Social Production. Total social production is where neither production nor reproduction can take place in the absence of the other. Therefore economic production and demographic reproduction are mutually interdependent. 

Most economic analysts see demographic reproduction as secondary to economic activity. This ignorance has been a significant contributory factor as to why we are experiencing population ageing now. What has been missed by policy makers is the ability to ensure that production and reproduction can co-exist.

To manage the implications of population ageing into the future, the role of demography is paramount and can not be ignored any longer. It is time social policy and economic policy co-existed.