Minister for Education and the Arts The Honourable John-Paul Langbroek
Queensland Revamps: Cuts Red Tape, Frees Teacher Time
Less red tape and more time for teachers
The Crisafulli Government is delivering a fresh start for teachers, today announcing three new initiatives to reduce education red tape and free up teachers to spend more time teaching and less time on admin.
Extensive statewide consultation has informed the three new measures, with more than 15,000 submissions received through online surveys, face-to-face workshops, interviews, and written submissions.
The Crisafulli Government is committed to reducing red tape for teachers by 25%, to free up teachers to spend more time in the classroom and less time on admin, after 40% of Queensland students were failing to meet national maths and literacy standards under the former Labor Government.
The three additional actions to cut red tape for teachers and school staff include:
The new measures follow early actions already announced at the start of the school year to simplify student support plans, streamline school purchasing policies, and improve the efficiency of staff recruitment.
The new red tape measures follow a decade of inaction under the former Labor Government, which allowed bullying, behavioural issues and classroom assaults to skyrocket.
In addition to reducing red tape for teachers, the Crisafulli Government has announced a $44 million Behavioural Boost to better support teachers in the classroom and a $33 million nation-leading plan to tackle bullying in schools.
Minister for Education John-Paul Langbroek said the Working Group will now prepare a Red Tape Action Plan to provide clear steps forward to reduce teacher workloads.
“The Crisafulli Government is delivering on its commitment to reduce the administrative burden for teachers and we’re tackling this from all angles,” Minister Langbroek said.
“The measures announced today will help to draw a clear line between teaching time and administration.
“We know the former Labor Government left teachers drowning in paperwork while students fell further behind, but we’re turning the tables after a decade of neglect.
“Our upcoming Action Plan will make it easier for teachers to teach, principals to lead, and ultimately it will be easier for students to learn.”
President of the Queensland Secondary Principals Association Mark Breckenridge said schools were seeking better ways to partner with parents.
“These communication protocols and clearer expectations are only going to strengthen the existing partnerships between schools and parents,” Mr Breckenridge.
Mr Breckenridge also said that the department’s support for senior staff to spend more time in schools is welcome.
“Principals will appreciate greater involvement of senior departmental leaders in our schools, which will ensure they understand the impact of their decisions at a school level,” he said.
Mr Jorgen Neilson, one of the state school principals on the Red Tape Reduction Working Group, said small schools and their communities would benefit greatly from the small school support plan.
“Supporting and developing aspiring school leaders into small school principalship will improve the quality of leadership and reduce the red tape associated with constantly running separate recruitment processes,” Mr Neilson said.
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/102534