Landmark school year ends

School is out today (December 14) for more than 370,000 Queensland state school students from Prep to Year 9 who will begin their summer holidays.

Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said they were the last of almost 480,000 state school students to start the annual summer school holidays.

“I would like to wish students a safe and happy holiday and thank teachers and school staff for contributing to a productive and successful school year,” Mr Welford said.

“This has been a landmark year for our schools with the introduction of the Prep Year in all schools, the opening of two specialist academies for our best and brightest students, and the introduction of the Code of School Behaviour in all state schools.

“The Code of School Behaviour has placed a stronger emphasis on discipline in our schools,” Mr Welford said.

“Each school has developed its own Responsible Behaviour Plan, which clearly outlines what behaviour is not acceptable in our schools and the consequences of misbehaviour.

“These plans have been developed in school communities, acknowledging the fact that many students come from diverse backgrounds and may need tailored assistance.

“We want to ensure students can go to school in a safe and supportive environment where bullying is not tolerated and there are clear boundaries for everyone.

“Our schools set high standards of behaviour and take action against students who do the wrong thing, which can include suspension or exclusion.

Mr Welford said support was also being provided to school staff to improve their professional skills in dealing with challenging behaviours.

“An online course for professional development for teachers and teacher aides in behaviour theory and practice was launched this year,” he said.

“The Better Behaviour, Better Learning online course allows teachers, no matter what their experience level or location, to attend online workshops on managing classroom behaviour.

“A pilot course in Semester One had 100 participants sign up for the online course, and a further 260 staff enrolled in the course in Semester Two.”

Funding for these programs was provided by the State Government’s $28.6 million commitment to strengthen school discipline and promote positive student behaviour.”

Media contact: Marnie Stitz on 3237 1000 or 0419 734 985