ALP announcement (18 Oct)

• This package is directed at student mental health. Every Queensland primary and secondary state school student will have “access to a psychologist or similar health and wellbeing professional” at a cost of $100m.
• This will involve the employment of 464 health professionals to provide “expert advice and support across all phases of student wellbeing, including mental health promotion, early intervention for mental health issues and complex case management”. 
• Also included is a pilot placing general practitioners in 20 state secondary schools “in areas of greatest need, providing access to medical care and advice free of charge in a familiar environment”
   
• QTU comment
• The importance of student mental health has previously been recognised, but until now has seemed too big to address in any meaningful way. 
• Student mental health has been identified as one of the fastest growing areas of workload and stress by Dr Phil Riley in annual principal health and wellbeing surveys.
• COVID-19 and associated lockdowns have exacerbated and drawn attention to issues of mental health. 
• This announcement is a MAJOR commitment in a very important area of need. 
• The relationship of these new positions with existing guidance officers and their respective roles will have to be addressed if the ALP is elected. The QTU definitely does not support the introduction of the new positions as a replacement for existing guidance services (which should also be increased), but as an addition to the resources addressing student mental health

ALP announcement (18 Oct) : ALP will establish after-school homework centres in 120 state schools. The centres (or sessions) will “be for a maximum of three hours per week, for 30 weeks per year, supervised by up to three on-site teacher-aides”. The cost is $8m per year.

QTU comment

• There is little doubt that this will provide valuable support to students who may not have resources at home to complete homework. The experience of remote learning for some students is part of the motivation for this policy. If the ALP is elected, the QTU will advocate for the distribution of the 120 sessions and access for students to these sessions to be on the basis of need.
• Consideration will also have to be given to the relationship with outside school hours care and supervision