EDUCATION 2025

PROPOSALS FOR REFORM CITED BY "AN EXPERIENCED HAND, HEART and MIND."

With the looming Queensland State Election, there would appear to be no better time to make good the opportunity to address the current failings of our Education System and, to coin a phrase, "MAKE EQ GREAT AGAIN!"

Once heralded as a world-renowned, service-oriented enterprise leading the field in the provision of quality education, sadly today, we can no longer boast holding such an entitlement.

What does EXPERIENCE AT THE WORKFACE tell us in respect to the provision of QUALITY TEACHING and LEARNING in our classrooms and the over-all effectiveness of SCHOOL OPERATIONS more generally?

First and fore-most there needs to be a recognition and acceptance of the fact that ultimately it is OUR TEACHERS who will MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. To assist them in the delivery of what has increasingly become a more challenging and to a degree a somewhat unenviable task, THEIR NEEDS and THE NEEDS OF THOSE IN THEIR CARE must be accorded TOP PRIORITY and fully addressed:

• INCREASED FUNDING FOR ON-GOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT including the appointment of "IN-SERVICE RELEASE TEAMS" to readily facilitate the participation of all classroom teachers.
• REDUCTION/ ABOLITION OF ALL ASPECTS OF "ADMINISTRATIVE OVER-KILL". The mind boggles when one witnesses the mandated meaningless "claptrap" and "paper warfare" with which today's classroom teachers are being forced to comply!
• PREPARE & SUPPLY CURRICULUM SUPPORT MATERIALS - RE-INTRODUCTION OF "SOURCE-BOOKS" IN ALL STEM SUBJECT AREAS. REVITALISE THE "CURRICULUM BRANCH!"
• PROVIDE ACCESS TO CURRICULUM ADVISORY PERSONNEL -"STEM SUBJECT SPECIALISTS"
• PROVIDE ACCESS TO STUDENT BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS and GUIDANCE AND SPECIAL EDUCATION PERSONNEL to assist teachers in responding more positively to ever-increasing "BATTLE ZONE CHALLENGES" within their classrooms!
• BASE CLASS SIZES ON "INDIVIDUAL STUDENT NEEDS WITHIN THE CLASS COMPOSITE" NOT ON SOME HYPOTHETICAL "FITS ALL" RATIO.
• ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR CLASSROOM TEACHERS FACED WITH THE INTEGRATION/MAINSTREAMING OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. (Additional teacher aide hours/Smaller class sizes/ Regular Visits from Special Education Advisory Personnel)
• FUND ARCHIVAL RETRIEVAL & THE RE-INTRODUCTION OF THE FOLLOWING MANDATORY IN-SERVICE PROGRAMS:
• ELIC - Early Literacy In-Service Course
• FLIPS- Further Learning in Primary Schools Course
• ET - Excellence in Teaching Course
• RESET AN UNCLUTTERED CURRICULUM CLARIFYING FOR TEACHERS WHAT CONSTITUTES THE "MANDATORY BASIC ELEMENTS" WHICH MUST BE ADDRESSED IN ALL OUR SCHOOLS and WHAT CONSTITUTES THE "OPTIONAL EXTRAS" WHICH MAY BE ADDRESSED IN CONSULTATION WITH INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL COMMUNITIES.
• MANDATED CURRICULUM CONTENT TO INCLUDE STUDIES RELEVANT TO THE FOLLOWING SETS:
• Science/Technology/English/Mathematics/Social Studies-inclusive of Australian History, Civics & Citizenship.
• REVAMP THE LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM TO ENSURE THE FOLLOWING MANDATORY SETS ARE DULY INCLUDED AND CLEARLY DOCUMENTED:
• A Phonics Program to support the Teaching of Reading
• Process Writing including Grammatical and Spelling Conventions and Understandings.
• TIMETABLE THE WEEKLY 25 HOUR SCHOOL CONTACT TIME to include the following MINIMAL ALLOCATIONS:
• Language Arts (8 hrs.) - Mathematics (5hrs) Science (4hrs)- Social Studies (4hrs)- Optional Extras (4 hrs.)

Essential to the provision of Quality Education is a School Environment that is highly conducive, in all its aspects, to the tasks of TEACHING and LEARNING. The creation and sustaining of such environments require the RIGHT PEOPLE to be placed in the RIGHT POSITIONS to LEAD THE TEAM.

It is time for Education Queensland to rethink its RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, TRAINING and PROMOTIONAL AGENDAS in order to ensure that THE VERY BEST PERSONNEL occupy key leadership positions. The current so-called "Merit Selection Process" remains flawed and its failure to rightfully and properly recognize the past achievements of applicants is despicable to say the least!

The importance of SCHOOL LEADERSHIP cannot be over-emphasized. So much so, in fact, that it should be mandatory for both serving School Principals and those aspiring to play leadership roles within the school to participate in professional development programs specifically designed to enhance their leadership knowledge, understandings and skills. Their "INDIVIDUAL PERSONAL GROWTH PLANS should reflect their on-going commitment to the pursuit of excellence in this regard. Accessing Leadership Programs conducted by the likes of Dr. Stephen Brown and the Brown Collective, Dr Pete Stebbins, Ken Gilbert and other external providers are highly recommended, as worthy investments, to further complement school-based developmental initiatives.

School Leadership contenders be they Principals or Middle Managers should be drawn from the ranks of the service. Workface Experience Counts! Career progression needs to follow the pathway of "from Apprentice to Master Tradesperson!" "Short-cutting" leads to "short-circuiting" and too often becomes a recipe for failure!

To be eligible for promotion, School Principals should have spent at least 2 years in their current substantive positions. Within a span of 2 years their lasting legacy should be able to be established and well and truly defined and the leadership potential of the applicant more clearly identified.

In order to strengthen accountability, the SCHOOL INSPECTORATE comprised of men and women who have "done the hard yards" and proven that the school communities in which they have served, have been enriched through the quality of leadership they have demonstrated should be re-introduced.

District-based members of the Inspectorate should be required to undertake these four specific roles:

• An APPRAISAL FUNCTION (All Beginning Teachers in their Second Year of Service should be appraised in order to progress from a Probationary to Full Time status. Additionally, those seeking Positions of Higher Authority should also be subject to Inspectorial Appraisement and a Moderation Process)
• Conduct of FULL SCHOOL INSPECTIONS on a two-year cycle and reporting findings NOT ONLY TO THE SCHOOL AND DEPARTMENTAL AUTHORITIES BUT ALSO TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
• Provide ADVISORY SUPPORT to assist in SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT in the intervening years between full scale School Inspections
• Carry out INVESTIGATIONS/MEDIATION when and where necessary.

Our SMALL SCHOOLS need to be recognized for the invaluable role they play especially in Rural and Remote Areas of the State. In many respects, they present as MODEL TEACHING & LEARNING CENTRES highlighting BEST PRACTICES.

The increasing number of small school closures is alarming - "tearing the heart" from the communities they so effectively serve. Amalgamating/integrating them within larger Schools in neighbouring Districts destroys their very fabric and such practices need to be far more carefully considered.

SCHOOLS OF DISTANCE EDUCATION and our SMALL SCHOOL COMMUNITIES should work more closely together SHARING MATERIAL, PHYSICAL & PERSONNEL RESOURCES MORE GENERALLY.

These small school communities need to be SUPPORTED NOT CLOSED!

WHATEVER RESULT EMERGES FROM THE QLD STATE ELECTION, WE CAN ONLY HOPE SANITY WILL PREVAIL AND EDUCATION QUEENSLAND WILL BE RESTORED TO ITS FORMER GLORY WITH OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES AGAIN REJOICING IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT A RETURN TO "QUALITY EDUCATION PROVISION" IS IMMINENT!