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Tasmanian business owners ‘left in the air’ after indefinite public school ban on some outside school activities

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Tasmanian business owners ‘left in the air’ after indefinite public school ban on some outside school activities

Quick readTasmania's education department has indefinitely banned a number of activities for public school students.The restricted activities include horse handling and riding, quad bike and
Quick readTasmania's education department has indefinitely banned a number of activities for public school students.The restricted activities include horse handling and riding, quad bike and

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Jo Pickett’s horses have a special job.

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Calm, friendly and non-judgemental, the herd animals are experts at helping people with disabilities learn communication and social skills.

“They’ll give so many warnings before they actually bare their teeth,” Ms Pickett said.

“The clients learn to read these, because this is body language.”

For the past eight years, Ms Pickett has been welcoming school students and NDIS clients to her property in Osmaston, in northern Tasmania, to participate in “equine assisted learning”.

“It was a way of engaging with these kids and giving them some life skills that helped them cope with the dysfunctional life that they were living outside school,” she said.

A woman holding a horse.

Jo Pickett’s business, Donovan Park Sport Horses & Rehab Services, helps kids and adults learn in unconventional ways.(Supplied)

But her visits from public school kids have been put on hold indefinitely, after the Tasmanian education department restricted a number of outside school activities “while a review of safety-related procedures is undertaken”.

The restricted activities include horse handling and riding, quad bike and side-by-side riding, caving, aged and disability care placements, piercing and tattooing, and working with animals.

A spokesperson for the education department said horse riding would still be allowed through Interschool Tasmania and Equestrian Australia’s school programs.

The spokesperson said the restrictions applied to students from kindergarten to Year 12, but not those doing apprenticeships or traineeships.

Income ‘cut off’ while restrictions in place

Ms Pickett said she had never had a safety incident with her school groups, and she does not offer horse riding — which carries higher risks.

She is now waiting to hear back from the department after asking for permission to continue operating.

“I have been left in the air — my business and the future of my business is affected by this,” she said.

“I’ve got horses to feed, I’ve got mortgages to pay, I’ve got property to maintain still, and so much has been invested in this.

“It’s basically cut off my income stream … it’s cut it right back to NDIS.”

But Ms Pickett’s NDIS clients tend to come one at a time, compared to school students who are usually in groups of six.

Two horses in a pen.

Horses cannot speak, so Ms Pickett’s clients have to learn to recognise their body cues.(Supplied)

She invited the department to come visit her property, or speak to some of the schools who she said have benefited from equine-assisted learning.

The spokesperson for the department said the activities were “on hold” while it reviewed its safety procedures.

“The department is reviewing these activities with urgency and will continue to communicate with schools on any further changes,” the spokesperson said.

Education Minister Roger Jaensch said he did not have an end date for the restrictions.

“It’s very important that in our school system, where we’re responsible for the safety and wellbeing of young people, that we’re very clear and sure about the safety of the activities we offer,” he said.

Students should experience ‘great outdoors’, caving operator says

Deb Hunter, who runs Wild Cave Tours, said school groups come through her business to go caving at Mole Creek.

These are mostly private schools, so she said her income was not too affected by the indefinite ban on caving.

A woman with a helmet on, with a helmet light.

Deb Hunter is concerned students are losing opportunities to experience the “great outdoors”.(Supplied: Kelly Slater)

But she worries what precedent it could set.

“I think all students, particularly those lucky enough to be born and raised in Tasmania, deserve some firsthand experience of all the aspects about the great outdoors they might be interested in,” she said.

Ms Hunter described the ban as “arbitrary” and said caving with a trained, professional guide was much safer than operating alone.

“People are not aware of the risks without education,” she said.

“There are a lot of people, like myself, who have put a lot ot volunteer hours to develop standards and codes and practices, and it’s there for the education system to use.”

Deb Hunter pictured inside a cave.

Deb Hunter says professional cave operators follow strict safety practices.(Supplied)

She said if kids were not introduced to activities like caving in a safe manner, there could be consequences.

“If my son, growing up in northern Tasmania didn’t have such opportunities, and then later took himself off and went caving without any prior knowledge or education, I would find that extremely alarming,” she said.

“I don’t want any child to become a statistic.”

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Origininal Post https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-06/public-school-students-tasmania-indefinite-ban-animals-caving/103050240

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