Student to teacher ratios across Gympie schools revealed

A modest Gympie region school has been named best in class for the least crowded classroom. See how your school compares.

Christine Schindler

2 min read

March 2, 2023 - 2:49PM

Theebine State School student and Teacher Principal Mrs Tracey Tait.

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New analysis has revealed the Gympie region schools where teachers have the most and least students in their classes.

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The 2021 data from Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority shows the Gympie region’s least crowded classroom was Theebine State School, where there was an average of 4.2 students for every teacher at the school.

There was only five students enrolled, according to the statistics.

Theebine State School was one of 15 schools in Queensland with an enrolment of five or fewer students, the data showed.

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Teacher principal Tracey Tait is an integral part of Theebine State School which has eight students in total in 2023. Picture: Christine Schindler

Currently there are eight enrolled students, down from 12 in 2022, in Years 1-5.

Theebine is a community about 40km north of Gympie, its catchment includes Theebine, Miva and Glen Echo. According to the 2021 ABS census, the catchment’s population was 249.

The school’s teaching principal Tracey Tait said for the past six years her role had been “wide and varied” from finance to human resources to teaching, curriculum planning and admin.

“But this does not nearly cover what a teaching principal does daily, an insight into my day – always different and rewarding,” she said.

Making sure each student has a valuable learning experience is something Mrs Tait prides herself in.

“We live to learn is the school motto,” she said.

“This probably sums up my experience in a small school – I am always learning and hopefully improving my practice.”

Theebine State School had the lowest student to teacher ratio in Gympie's region, according to data in 2021. Picture: Christine Schindler

Mrs Tait said a benefit of a small school was each student’s learning progress could be easily catered to.

She said this year they were also trialling AUSLAN.

Limited social opportunities is a reason many parents might be reluctant to enrol their children in a small school, Mrs Tait said.

The school hosts cluster events with other schools to provide students opportunities to establish friendships, Mrs Tait said.

“I look at it from another angle. If you only have seven other students to play with everyone needs to get on and surely, we need more of people getting along in this world.”

The data showed the national student-teacher ratio in 2021 for primary schools was 14.5 and secondary was 11.9 students for every teacher.

Catholic schools had the highest national ratios for primary schools with 15.4, followed by 14.4 for state schools and 14 for independent schools.

At the high school level, state schools had the highest ratio with 12.4, followed by Catholic with 12.2 and 10.5 for independent.

Student-teacher ratios do not take into account teacher aides or non-teaching staff at schools, only the full-time equivalent teachers.