Revised CARAs released Term 4
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 126 No 7, 8 October 2021, page no.24
The Department of Education has informed the QTU that revisions to the Curriculum Activity Risk Assessment (CARA) guidelines will be published in Term 4.
They will be posted at https://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/stages-of-schooling/CARA/activity-guidelines.
Flagged revisions include:
- consolidating some guidelines that have similar risks and hazards
- renaming some guidelines to align with curriculum delivery (e.g. conducting an industrial technology design activity is now referred to as practical workshop activities)
- aligning with the “Managing risks in school curriculum activities” procedure (http://ppr.det.qld.gov.au/education/management/Pages/Managing-Risks-in-School-Curriculum-Activities.aspx) for obtaining parent consent to improve consistency
- replacing the “Chemical hazards in the curriculum” template with a “Chemicals in curriculum activities” document that complies with the requirements of the department’s chemical management procedure (https://ppr.qed.qld.gov.au/pp/chemical-management-procedure)
- increasing emphasis on induction for adult supervisors and safety instruction for students.
Clarification of qualification standards has also been flagged. The QTU strongly advises members not to follow the advice in the relevant section (discussed here).
Information on departmental responsibilities and minimum CARA processes are found in the "Managing risks in school curriculum activities" procedure (http://ppr.det.qld.gov.au/education/management/Pages/Managing-Risks-in-School-Curriculum-Activities.aspx”). Contact the CARA team at CARA@qed.qld.gov.au