Tasmania's Education Minister admits his Government's ditching of plans to lower the school starting age to three-and-a-half is a policy backflip.
The Government has abandoned the plan and will instead provide free access to preschool programs for eligible three-year-olds starting in 2020.
The Minister, Jeremy Rockliff, used social media on Monday night to outline the alternative, saying the Government had listened to the community.
This morning he agreed it amounted to a backdown.
"Some people have accused me of a backflip and it probably is," he told ABC Radio.
"But sometimes, I think all times, government should be listening and when things can be done in a better way and a more collaborative way and then government should be open to that and that's what I'm very keen on doing.
"Our childcare sector in Tasmania at this point in time is vulnerable.
"Some centres fed back, some 63 per cent of them in fact, are not making a profit and in some cases unsustainable."
The change of heart follows a KPMG report into the plan, which will be tabled today in Parliament.
"Because of this report, the Government has made a decision to provide earlier access to play-based learning in a different way through providing the opportunity of an additional year of pre-school to Tasmanian children who are vulnerable or disadvantaged," Mr Rockliff said in the Facebook post.
"This will be offered when the children are three, in partnership with the early childhood education and care sector, and will provide free access to quality preschool programs for eligible three-year-old children and this will commence in 2020.
"The program will funded by the redirection of some of the funds currently set aside for implementing the earlier starting age.
"To be clear, because of this change we will not be lowering the starting age."
'Most embarrassing backflip'
A recent EMRS poll commissioned by the United Voice Union found 75 per cent of respondents were opposed to the plan.
The State Opposition said the change of plan was an embarrassing backflip.
"Clearly the Government has been very spooked by the poll results that they have received to the point that they are backflipping on one of their signature initiatives," Opposition education spokeswoman Michelle O'Byrne said.
"The Minister refused to listen, he was adamant that he would lower the starting age and has had today to do one of the most embarrassing backflips I have ever seen of a government.
"Frankly, I think this is an opportunity for him to talk about all of the good ideas that were put forward that he ignored."
The Government had planned to lower the compulsory school starting age by six months, pushing the voluntary kindergarten age down to three-and-a-half.
It was part of efforts to better engage school students in education and improve retention rates.
The Government has faced strong opposition from several quarters, including parents, unions and childcare providers who said it would force centres to close.
Many parents believe three years of age is too young for the school environment, with some children still in nappies and needing day sleeps.
Last year, the Government backed away from making the lower school age compulsory after a community backlash.
