June 2020
HOSES Workload reduction campaign newsletter : Number 2
COVID-19 and HOSES Workload Campaign Group
Since late Term 1, the campaign group has suspended its activities to allow members of the group and HOSES more generally to focus on other issues in their professional and personal lives.
The campaign group will meet early in Term 3, and this newsletter again seeks similar information from HOSES that was sought in our March 2020 Newsletter.
HOSES duties and responsibilities for students other than students with disabilities (SWD)
The QTU has become aware that HOSES are being allocated duties and responsibilities for student groups in addition to students with disabilities (SWD). These duties and responsibilities are inconsistent with the HOSES role description.
There have been discussions with the department about this issue, and it has not rejected this assertion. The QTU has acknowledged that the allocation of student cohorts other than SWD is not occurring in all schools, and to assist in the targeting of a future departmental communication about this issue to schools, the QTU is requesting that HOSES who have been allocated student groups in addition to SWD contact the QTU and identify their school.
In the first instance, the QTU is seeking HOSES to identify their position if they:
- are classified Level 2 (old Band 5) or Level 3 (old Band 6); and
- have a teaching load similar to that allocated with their position (.8 Level 2/Band 5 or .6 Level 3/Band 6); and
- have been allocated additional student cohorts in addition to students with disability.
The QTU will compile a list of schools and provide it to the department. These schools will be contacted by either central or regional office, with the aim of ensuring that the duties and responsibilities for SWD of HOSES in these schools are consistent with the HOSES role description.
Please identify your school by email to services@qtu.asn.au by COB Friday 17 July. Please outline any additional information you believe is relevant, e.g. the additional student cohorts for which you have responsibility.
If you have any questions arising from this email, please contact Jeff Backen on 3512 9000 or by email services@qtu.asn.au
Other additional HOSES duties and responsibilities
In addition to the above issue, the HOSES Workload Campaign Group is also seeking to identify other duties and responsibilities that are clearly not aligned with the HOSES role description. This information will be used to identify duties and responsibilities that might be ceased by HOSES. You will be involved in a survey in Term 3 to confirm the duties and responsibilities that should be ceased.
Jeff Backen
Assistant Secretary
Authorised by Kate Ruttiman, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union
21 Graham Street, Milton, QLD, Australia, 4064