North Queensland school playgrounds, tuckshops in line for major upgrades

In news that will delight thousands of school kids, a dozen North Queensland schools are set to receive major playground and tuckshop upgrades.

Ingham State School Grade 6 students pictured in this file photo from 2021. The school is among a dozen in North Queensland that are set to receive major playground and tuckshop upgrades. ISS has been awarded a grant for its tuckshop while Toobanna State School, also in Hinchinbrook, will get a playground upgrade. Photograph: Cameron Bates

In news that will delight thousands of school kids and their parents, more North Queensland schools will soon receive major playground and tuckshop upgrades.

Jarvisfield State School in Ayr, Bowen State School and Mount Isa Special School are among the new schools announced on Thursday to benefit from grants of up to $500,000.

They join 10 other schools in the region to have already received grants.

Garbutt State School principal Jackie Guiney talked up the program, with her school receiving $317,000 to build a new tuckshop and kitchen, part of the government’s Eat Right, Play Right, Learn Well program launched in 2022 for schools in high-priority, disadvantaged communities.

“This fantastic project will allow students to use the tuckshop as a learning space for our focus this year on sustainability with recycling, bush tucker garden and growing our own food – the tuckshop is our school’s only kitchen facility and is also the base for our daily breakfast club,” she said.

“A focus on indigenous cooking, healthy food and cooking skills in conjunction with the local Indigenous Health Service will allow us to meet the needs of our First Nations students – 85% of around 100 students enrolled – and embed their culture into our curriculum and teaching, building understanding.”

Education Minister Grace Grace said the grants of up to $500,000 would ensure students had access to healthy and nutritious tuckshop meals and modern playground equipment to help students be active and engaged.

“This hugely popular initiative is all about supporting the health and well-being of students,” she said.

“And, it has been so popular that the department is reviewing all remaining eligible applications and looking at how we can provide funding.

“So, if your school has made an application but hasn’t heard back yet, watch this space.”

Shadow Education Minister Christian Rowan, meanwhile, said the Palaszczuk Labor Government had “sensationally back-tracked” on an election promise to provide 7,329 additional teachers and teacher aides this term.

“Instead, the government will barely replace the teachers they lose through attrition this term,” he said on Wednesday.

“While our population balloons by around 10 per cent, teachers will grow by a mere 2 per cent.”

Dr Rowan said it was further proof the government was only interested in announcements, “instead of delivering the resources our schools need”.

“Queensland is already falling behind other states on key education metrics and this broken promise will only deepen this problem.”

He said that over-worked and under-resourced teachers were leaving the system in droves.

The Palaszczuk Government responded by saying it was doubling the value of scholarships and grants available to aspiring teachers and starting a new supported pathway for existing teacher aides to become teachers in Queensland state schools.

Originally published as North Queensland school playgrounds, tuckshops in line for major upgrades