Instrumental music teachers' bulletin, Term 4, 14 November 2022
Ballot for a new certified agreement
In July, QTU members voted to accept the terms of a certified agreement offer made by the Queensland Government and the Department of Education. Since then, the QTU has been working with the government and department to finalise drafting of a new agreement.
The QTU encourages members to participate in the department’s ballot and to vote YES. For instrumental music teachers and instructors, the new certified agreement will:
- deliver salaries that are among the highest in Australia
- include a review of the allocative model, and while this is not unique to the interests of instrumental music teachers and instructors, it does answer a call for which we have long campaigned
- incorporate music ensembles in its provisions to ensure size of ensembles is being considered through health, safety and wellbeing practice
- add a workload management clause, which will include recognition of safe work environment practices in relation to all duties (and additional duties) of a role, including the clarification of travel time associated with work requirements, such as reasonable expectation for travel during rostered duty time.
The new certified agreement includes a commitment to review and/or renegotiate the MOA. At its meeting in July, QTU State Council, which is comprised of representatives from across the state and includes instrumental music teachers elected by their branches, resolved that the MOA should be reviewed prior to the commencement of the review of the allocative model.
The department’s ballot opened on Tuesday, 8 November and closes at 11:59pm on Tuesday, 22 November. For more information on the ballot for a new certified agreement, click here to visit a recent QTU Newsflash. Click here to visit the department’s website and participate in the ballot.
QTU facilities survey
In Term 3, the QTU conducted an instrumental music facilities survey. We thank QTU members who participated in the survey. We particularly thank QTU members who identified their teaching or ensemble space as a site of concern for their patience.
All QTU members who had identified their workspace as a site of concern in the survey have been contacted by email with a request for additional information. QTU Deputy General Secretary Brendan Crotty will be listing these sites with Department of Education personnel in central office.
Teacher registration
The QTU understands that the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) recently wrote to some instrumental music teachers regarding the registration and the return to teach (RTT) condition that is attached to their full registration. The QTU appreciates the continued work that the Department of Education is engaged in to deliver a fair outcome for our instrumental teachers, one that respects the teaching professionalism of our members.
The QTU recognises the advocacy of members who have replied to the QCT’s letter, and we agree with members that the RTT condition fails to recognise the significant, complex, and rigorous work that instrumental music teachers undertake every day in the delivery of the Queensland Instrumental Music Curriculum. We also recognise QTU member activism in raising this matter with the Minister for Education via social media, with the caveat that any member undertaking such action should remain cognisant of the Department of Education’s Standard of Practice.
The QTU understands that the Queensland Government could soon review the Education (Queensland College of Teachers) Act 2005. This will present another opportunity for the QTU to work with members to resolve this longstanding issue.
End of year arrangements
Just over the horizon, another complex and challenging school year is ending. We know that the end-of-year work intensification phase of end-of-year concerts, recruiting, reporting, stocktaking, cleaning and various other tasks is now upon our instrumental music teachers and instructors.
There are two new industrial provisions which apply specifically to IM teachers/instructors. A new provision in the Instrumental Music Teacher MOA includes the following clause at 11.2:
“The parties recognise cleaning and sanitising of instruments is ordinary performance of duties each year. There is no requirement for subject employees to undertake cleaning of instrument outside of rostered duty time.
“It is appropriate for clearing of instruments to be undertaken in rostered duty time as negotiated between the individual subject employee and the principal, giving consideration to the reduction of face-to-face instruction time in the first and final weeks of the school year.”
We also note that a new clause will be included in the certified agreement which states:
“As determined at the local level, one day non-instructional time per instrumental music instructor/teacher will be provided in the last week of Term 4. Where provided, a Teacher Relief Scheme (TRS) day or backfill will not be required.”
In all likelihood, this will be the final Instrumental Music Bulletin for the 2022. If you need assistance during the summer vacation, please contact our QTU Queensland Teachers’ Assist Desk, which will be open until the afternoon of Friday, 23 December and will reopen on Monday, 9 January.
We wish you a safe and joyous break with loved ones.
Authorised by Kate Ruttiman, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union
21 Graham Street, Milton, QLD, Australia, 4064