Instrumental music teachers' bulletin, Term 3, 12 August 2022
Are your instrumental music facilities COVID safe?
When necessary, the QTU has engaged in consultation and disputes with the Department of Education related to matters arising from the COVID pandemic. For example, instrumental music teachers and instructors will recall that the QTU escalated a dispute related to the cleaning and disinfecting of instruments to stage 3. The outcome of that dispute informed part of the new memorandum of agreement.
More recently, the QTU has been consulting with the department on ventilation of schools. This resulted in the development of new department guidelines that aim to keep schools and childcare facilities safer. These guidelines determine that carbon dioxide levels should not exceed 800 parts per million.
The QTU understands that this guideline was developed following testing of learning facilities in a range of contexts. Facilities used for instrumental music lessons and ensemble rehearsals will be of particular interest, because of the nature of playing brass and woodwind instruments. That’s why we are asking QTU members employed as instrumental music teachers or instructors to complete our Instrumental music COVID safe facilities survey
CLICK HERE to complete our Instrumental music COVID safe facilities survey .
This is a QTU member-only survey. You will need your member number and password to complete it. The QTU will be referring instrumental music facilities that prove to be sites of interest to the department.
The new EB and the new MOA
In 2021, the QTU began consultation with members to frame our interests in negotiations for a new certified agreement. Formal negotiations commenced in April of this year, and the Department of Education’s offer was supported in an online ballot of members and endorsed by QTU State Council.
The new certified agreement will:
- deliver teacher and school leader salaries that are the highest in Australia
- include a review of the allocative model, which while not unique to the interests of instrumental music teachers and instructors, answers a call for which we have long campaigned
- incorporate music ensembles in its provisions to ensure size of ensembles is being considered through health, safety and wellbeing practice
- add a workload management clause to include recognition of safe work environment practices in relation to all duties (and additional duties) of a role, including the clarification of travel time associated with work requirements, such as reasonable expectation for travel to occur during rostered duty time.
QTU members can find more on the new certified agreement on the QTU website.
The memorandum of agreement (MOA) prescribes arrangements for instrumental music teachers and instructors. As part of the certified agreement, the Department of Education and the QTU agree to review and/or renegotiate all MOAs.
The QTU shares members’ frustration with the delays to the review for the Instrumental Music Teachers and Instructors MOA. Members will recall our online consultation occurred in May of 2021.
The new certified agreement includes a commitment to review and/or renegotiate the MOA. At its meeting in July, QTU State Council resolved that the MOA should be reviewed prior to the commencement of the review of the allocative model.
Managing instrumental music workload through the joint statements
In addition to MOAs, the QTU negotiates joint statements with the Department of Education. The joint statements are not QTU positions, they are agreed positions which are signed by the Director-General. One way that instrumental music teachers and instructors can manage workload is to be aware of the joint statements, and to refer to the statements in workplace conversations with supervisors.
For example, the purpose of the Joint Statement on the Purpose and Use of Data in Queensland Schools includes ensuring that the work arising from the use of data represents an effective use of teachers' time in terms of its impact on student outcomes. It is the expectation of DoE and the QTU that systemic and regional initiatives will take into consideration workload and resourcing implications for schools.
As a companion to the Instrumental Music Teacher and Instructor MOA, the QTU will negotiate a joint communiqué, which will include agreed positions on some of the matters contained in the joint statements.
Structures
Throughout the 133-year life of the QTU, its members have freely chosen and committed to maintaining and renewing a democratic structure. The Union’s democracy has three features: it is representative; it is run by members (working teachers and principals); and participation is voluntary.
The main decision-making body of the Union is the QTU’s State Council, which meets in Brisbane on four Saturdays a year. It is made up of 103 branch representatives, a representative from each of 12 area councils, three representatives from the TAFE Division and the six elected Senior Officers.
In July, three instrumental music teachers or instructors were appointed as a proxy to represent their branch. Shelley Argent, Christine Jabs, and Julianne Schick joined Nicole Elkins, who is an elected delegate, on the floor of State Council.
We know that there are other instrumental music teaches and instructors engaging in the Union’s democratic structures. Thank you, because the principle is simple – the more members get involved in our Union’s structures like Council and branches, the more reflective the Union’s policy and positions will be of members’ views
Authorised by Kate Ruttiman, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union
21 Graham Street, Milton, QLD, Australia, 4064