No. 23-21, 8 September 2021 | DOWNLOAD PDF 

To QTU Members

8 September 2021: Mandatory vaccinations; EST 2; Temp to perm conversions; State of Our Schools survey

Mandatory vaccinations

As we navigate these uncharted areas of the pandemic, the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU) firmly believes in following Queensland Health’s scientific advice on vaccination with compassion and common sense.

While it is not our policy to oppose mandatory vaccinations, we also do not believe it is the place of the employer to mandate a vaccination unless it is required by law. 

EST 2

The QTU has been working with the employer to confirm the process for classification at EST2 and ensure it is communicated to employees in 2021, so employees who are already eligible are renumerated at EST2 from 1 January 2022.

The QTU can advise members that they will not need to do anything additional in order to have their EST 2 classification approved by their principal. Members should be aware that a completed annual performance review (APR) is required for eligibility, as per the 2019 certified agreement, but this will not have to be submitted as part of this process.

Teachers will receive an email notifying them of their eligibility and principals will be notified of teachers on staff who are eligible for EST2. The department intends to communicate with members to outline the process by the end of this term. The QTU has been meeting regularly with the department on this matter and will continue to meet until the EST 2 classification is implemented.

Once the final details on EST2 implementation are received, the QTU will inform members via the website, Journal and Newsflash, as well as on social media.

Temporary to permanent conversion

Temporary teachers who complete two years’ continuous employment and meet the eligibility criteria qualify for temporary to permanent conversion. The Department of Education (DoE) emails an invitation to teachers eligible to participate in the process.

Invitations were sent to eligible temporary teachers on 20 August.

Once an eligible teacher accepts the invitation, the department has to offer them ongoing and continuous employment until a permanent offer is made, a great benefit for temporary teachers. It is vital that you accept (or decline) your invitation within the timeframe advised. If you do not respond, it will be deemed that you have declined to participate in the conversion process, and you will not be eligible again for a further one-year period.

At the time of accepting your offer, you must identify any personal circumstances that may affect your permanent appointment to anywhere in Queensland and submit written evidence to be reviewed in accordance with exceptional hardship circumstances, as prescribed under the Teacher Transfer Guidelines.

Members who have questions relating to eligibility or personal circumstances should first email temptchrconversion.humanres@qed.qld.gov.au to seek clarification.

Additionally, members seeking more information on temporary to permanent conversion may wish to read the Unpacking Temporary to Permanent Conversion guide here.

State of Our Schools Survey

For many years, our national union the Australian Education Union (AEU) has invited members to participate in its State of Our Schools survey. The results have always been extremely valuable, providing crucial evidence for our work to reduce workload and address the lack of resources faced by state schools.

For the past 18 months, state schools have been operating in an unprecedented climate of uncertainty. For that reason, this year’s State of Our Schools survey includes a series of additional questions specifically about the impact of the pandemic on your school, including the level of support offered by the education department, the impact on students and school staff, remote teaching and learning, workload and the ongoing support that schools and students will require.

Please fill out the national State of Our Schools survey for 2021 here. It will take 10-15 minutes to complete and will be open until Friday 17 September. By completing the survey, you will also have a chance to win a new iPad Pro.

If you are having trouble with the link, you can copy and paste the address into your browser: https://www.ir-surveys.com/cgi-bin/AEU_SOS2021.htm

Please note that you may not be able to access the survey through a school intranet. If that happens, please try on a mobile device or home computer.

 Authorised by Kate Ruttiman, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union
21 Graham Street, Milton, QLD, Australia, 4064