School schools: Teachers’ union ‘appalled’ at proposed overhaul to suspensions, exclusions

The powerful Queensland Teachers’ Union says its members have been “appalled” at proposed changes to a new education bill that seeks to overhaul school suspensions and exclusions.

The powerful Queensland Teachers’ Union has urged the state government to scrap a bill overhauling the state’s school laws. Picture: File

The powerful Queensland Teachers’ Union has urged the state government to scrap a bill overhauling the state’s school laws, saying the changes were akin to “an assault on principal autonomy and teacher professionalism”.

Hundreds of stakeholders and parents have made submissions to the parliament’s education committee examining the new bill introduced last month, which seeks to overhaul laws related to suspensions, exclusions and home schooling.

But the QTU is among one of multiple groups to have expressed angst – particularly around changes to suspensions and exclusions – which would see new appeal rights for students who had accumulated 11 days of short suspensions within a year, and require student support plans for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students with a disability and prep students who were suspended or excluded.

In their submission the union quotes one educator as saying “the Queensland Government is tough on youth in the press, but they are soft in schools”.

“QTU members have been appalled at proposals related to student disciplinary absences,” the submission states.

“The (union) contends that the Bill fails to contribute to the good order and management of state schools because it undermines the professional decision-making powers of state school principals and will exacerbate excessive workload pressures on Queensland state school leaders.”

The union also called for funding to support “students who need it”, such as increased guidance officers, positive learning centres and more advisory visiting teachers.

While introducing the bill, Education Minister Di Farmer said the Department of Education had completed a “focused review” of the education act.

“The department consulted extensively with stakeholders in two major stages during the review. This included establishing a steering committee with senior departmental leaders and representatives of central agencies and unions,” she said.

“Non-state school peak organisations, such as the Queensland Catholic Education Commission and Independent Schools Queensland, participated in discussions about cross-sector matters.”

Education Minister Di Farmer has previously said the Department of Education had completed a “focused review” of the education act. Picture: Liam Kidston

But the QTU called on the bill to be immediately halted – claiming stakeholders had not been given enough time and consultation on the changes.

“The QTU raised concerns throughout the DoE’s process, in steering committee meetings,

stakeholder forums, and with an initial 45-page submission in response to the DoE

consultation papers that contained 49 recommendations, 2 and a subsequent 13-page

submission in response to additional DoE consultation papers that contained a further 10

recommendations,” the union said.

“The QTU calls on the (committee) to recommend that the Queensland Government withdraws the Bill until the DoE provides a specific workload impact statement relevant to all of the proposed amendments.”

Ms Farmer said principals were the “key decision-makers in schools”, and it was important that they had both the “tools and the supports they require to ensure the good order and management of their schools.”

She also said the bill provided for a review of the new student disciplinary absence framework 18 months after the changes would commence “to ensure the changes are achieving the desired outcomes”.

“I have always said that we will do the things that work and, if they do not, we will find new ways,” she said.