No. 12-21, 1 April 2021 | DOWNLOAD PDF

TO: QTU MEMBERS

Lockdown has ended!
 COVID normal returns for the holidays

Following the Premier’s announcement this morning of the easing of restrictions in the Greater Brisbane area, members should be looking forward to a well-earned Autumn break.

Travel restrictions lifted

In accordance with our advice yesterday, members may still wish to exercise caution around their travel plans for these holidays and minimise travel to areas that might be viewed as a hotspot.

While you may now travel anywhere in Australia, if you are planning interstate travel you should also be familiar with the requirements of these states regarding quarantine and any other restrictions that might be in place.

A number of restrictions apply across the state. These include:

• The need to carry a face mask at all times and wear one indoors. As previously advised, members are not required to wear a face mask at work, unless you cannot socially distance from other adults, but it is your choice whether you wear a face mask in classrooms
• Restricted access to aged care facilities, disability accommodation services, hospitals, and correctional facilities
• Gatherings in homes are restricted to 30 people in total (including those who live there)
• Checking into venues including the provision of your contact details.

It is important that you stay up to date with any restrictions. These can be found on the QHealth website.

What happens if the commencement of Term 2 is disrupted?

While members are encouraged to exercise their right to disconnect over the holidays, if the situation changes and members are impacted, the Department of Education (DoE) and the Queensland Teachers’ Union (QTU) will send information via email or other communication methods. If there is an urgent need to contact members, the QTU will SMS members and advise you to check your emails, the QTU website or social media. All efforts will be made to minimise direct contact, but as we are in uncertain times this may not be possible. We continue to work with and liaise with the DoE in relation to planning for COVID scenarios.

School holidays commence this afternoon

The lifting of restrictions at midday today does not mean that schools are open for all students from midday.  The restrictions about supervision of children of essential workers remain in place in the Greater Brisbane area until school finishes this afternoon. 

Continued advocacy for COVID-19 vaccine priority

The AEU has recently written to the Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, to highlight the importance of increasing the priority of members to access the vaccine. We have also raised this matter with the Queensland Minister for Education. The QTU will continue to work with the Australian Education Union (AEU) on this matter.

Workload Advisory Council update

The most recent update about the Workload Advisory Council (WAC) can be found on the QTU website.

The matters for consideration at the WAC were derived from members’ submissions during 2020. The submissions included issues as well as suggested solutions.

The five focus areas for the WAC over the coming months will be SATE; IT/ICT requirements; administration/reports/paperwork; HR and student behaviour.

We will continue to provide updates on the WAC meetings as these discussions progress.

End of Term 1

As members commence holidays this afternoon, we hope that you all stay safe and well. Remember to keep checking in for updates on any implications for Term 2. Most importantly, don’t forget to renew your Union membership. It is the strength of our 48,000+ member Union that makes the QTU the most democratic and powerful voice of the profession. We hope that you find some time to rest and rejuvenate over the coming weeks.​​​​​​

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