Smaller Classes Will Give Children Smarter Education

A historic middle-years-of-schooling strategy launched today is a key plank of the State Government's third-term agenda to consolidate Queensland as the Smart State, Premier Peter Beattie and Education Minister Anna Bligh announced today.

"The strategy includes reducing class sizes from 30 to 28 in years 4 to 10 by 2007, giving Queensland children in these critical middle years the smallest class sizes in the country," said Mr Beattie. "It has also helped the Queensland Government and the Queensland Teachers' Union solve their enterprise bargaining stalemate.

"Anna Bligh and I have been working on the needs of students in the crucial middle years of schooling since last year, following the announcement of the Education and Training Reforms for the Future.

"This has resulted in The Middle Phase of Learning State School Action Plan developed by Education Queensland which we are announcing today.

"The Action Plan has been designed to inspire young people to keep learning and to provide a smooth transition to the senior years of schooling.

"This is yet another Smart State initiative to give our children the best possible education, the best chance to reach their full potential and the best chance to earn a living in later life.

"My Government has already outlined massive and far-reaching improvements to Queensland's world-class education system, with particular emphasis on the early and senior years of schooling."

Ms Bligh said: "The Action Plan completes this phase of improvements.

"The action plan also details strategies such as: - Increased curriculum co-ordination time for teachers in larger state primary schools so that they can devote more time to the planning and implementation of middle schooling. - Improving the curriculum so that teachers can give more depth to the subjects they teach, - More support for children experiencing difficulties, - Smoother transition from primary to secondary school, and - Specific training for teachers on how best to teach students in the middle years.

"Up to 300 new teachers and 180 new teacher aides over and above the number needed for growth will be employed as part of the plan to reduce the class sizes in these middle years, with the State Government committing up to $38 million a year when fully implemented.

"This is on top of the 800 teachers over four years being employed as part of a Government election commitment in 2001.

"The reduction in class sizes in the middle years will be staged so that we reach a target of 29 by the start of the 2005 school year and 28 by 2007."

Industrial Relations Minister Gordon Nuttall said: "In light of the new class-size strategy, the Government and the QTU have now resolved the major obstacles in the negotiations before the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.

"We have agreed to a 37-month deal starting on April 1, 2003, and expiring on April 30, 2006.

"Under the deal, Queensland teachers would receive a 3.8% pay rise from June 1, 2003 (over 13 months) a 3.5% pay rise from July 1, 2004; and a further 3.5% pay rise from July 1, 2005.

"Also included in the deal are increased allowances for senior teachers and special-education teachers.

"This is a significant breakthrough in negotiations.

"Government negotiators and the Teachers' Union will return to the Commission to seek the assistance of the Commission to finalise the matter."

Mr Beattie said: "Recent research shows that decreasing the size of classes for years 4-10 is important because progress in these years can be the key to a desire to learn and study or the start of a loss of interest and poor results.

"But while some students surge forward, others find the challenges too daunting, their interest falls, their progress slows and they are more likely to leave school early.

"This strategy means every child in these critical middle years will have a smarter education through receiving more personal attention from his or her teacher.

Ms Bligh said: "The plan recognises the special needs of this area of education and provides the strategies to deal with it."

This important new development comes in addition to previous improvements such as: - $40.3 million over three years starting with $7.3 million in 2003 - 04 for reforms to senior schooling - $18 million trials in 64 state and non-state schools of a full-time preparatory year for children before they enter Year 1, with 39 underway and a further 25 starting in 2004 - More than $120 million investment in Information and Communication Technologies over four years starting in 2002-03 for more computers, faster replacement of old computers and more teacher training.

Contact: Premier's Office 3224 4500 Steve Bishop; Education Minister's Office 3235 4593 Shari Armistead Industrial Relations Minister's Office 3225 2017 Leisa Schultz