Introduction
The Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU) proudly represents more than 48,000 tutors, teachers, heads of program, school leaders, and educators in state schools, TAFE institutes, and other discrete education facilities. The QTU is the democratic voice of public educators on professional and industrial issues and proudly promotes and protects public education throughout the state.
The QTU recognises that state schools have benefitted from the recent schools enterprise bargaining negotiations, which will provide a significant wage increase for Queensland state school teachers and school leaders and additional incentives to attract new teachers to the profession and retain existing teachers, in an effort to address the ever-increasing teacher shortage. The QTU calls on the state government to rebuild with TAFE and to ensure that it commits to higher salaries and better conditions for TAFE employees through the TAFE EB negotiations to commence early in 2023, to attract and retain the TAFE teaching workforce.
The state government must commit to further funding additional workload reduction strategies, incentive and attraction initiatives, professional development, and quality programs, such as those outlined in this submission, to ensure that our members can continue to deliver a quality state education and training for Queensland’s students.
The QTU supports the goals of the Mparntwe Education Declaration; education should promote excellence and enable all learners to become confident and creative individuals, successful learners, and active and informed community members (DESE 2019).
The QTU believes that every Queensland child has a right to a quality education and opportunities to learn and flourish as they develop their individual talents. To achieve excellence and equity, the QTU reaffirms the urgent need for the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments to deliver fair funding to state schools.
The QTU 2023/24 State Budget Submission contains 64 recommendations, which call on the Queensland Government to:
- invest in public education and training
- address the teacher shortage
- reduce workload
- invest in professional learning and curriculum support
- prioritise safe schools
- deliver a fair go for regional and remote Queensland
- provide support for students with additional learning needs
- support education leaders
- prioritise First Nations education and employment
- invest in TAFE
- invest in infrastructure and facilities.
QTU State Budget Submission 2023-24