QCPCA

Parents unite in support of government green paper response

Following the launch of the Flying Start Green paper in February 2010 the government has announced that Year 7 will join high school as part of education improvements.

Premier Anna Bligh and Education Minister Cameron Dick made the announcement today while outlining important initiatives which will strengthen the state's world-class education system.

Year 7 will become part of high school from 2015 Ms Bligh said major reforms to Queensland's education system in the past decade meant the time was right to transfer Year 7 into high school in 2015.

Minister Dick stated  "We will also introduce Junior Secondary, with its own distinct identity, for Years 8 and 9 in state schools and add Year 7 in 2015."

He said as part of the package of support programs, the State Government would also:

• provide additional funding to support Year 7 students' travel to local secondary schools
• offer up to 400 scholarships for state primary school teachers to prepare them for teaching in Junior Secondary
• provide extra professional development programs for Junior Secondary teachers
• provide support for teachers to introduce the new Australian Curriculum from 2013
• conduct a comprehensive review of the educational needs of geographically isolated families and the services offered to them
• increase the Year 7 rate of the Living Away from Home Allowance to the secondary student rate.

Minister Dick said other initiatives outlined in the government's Flying Start for Queensland Children White Paper, which was released today, included:

• establishing a Teacher Education Implementation Taskforce to work with all parties responsible for teacher preservice education and school induction to ensure Queensland student teachers are ready for the classroom
• working with the Queensland College of Teachers to implement the new national approach to teacher pre-service education
• continue our focus on improving literacy in the early years of a child's development through our Ready Readers program and supporting initiatives
• continuing the roll-out of five Teacher Education Centres of Excellence in state schools across Queensland
• combining the Queensland Studies Authority and the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board into a single education standards authority in 2013 to perform curriculum, assessment and reporting functions and accredit all schools
• legislating to set criteria and standards for all Queensland schools.

 

QCPCA and the Federation of P&F Associations of Catholic Schools, Queensland welcome the announcement of the Education department's response to the Flying Start green paper.

Both associations support the government’s position in recognising not only the best environment for young people to learn but also the need for a combined body dealing with accreditation and curriculum resourcing.

"Our Associations welcome the opportunity to work with the government and other stakeholders to successfully implement the proposals announced today in improving the outcomes for students in Queensland schools" says David Taylor, Chair of the Federation of P&F Associations of Catholic Schools, Qld.

"It's pleasing to see that the views of parents have been considered to provide a balanced and measured approach to the implementation of these far reaching reforms" said Margaret Leary, President of QCPCA.

Further information about the Green Paper can be found at http://deta.qld.gov.au/aflyingstart/

09 June 2011