QTAD Q&A: Student free days

Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 129 No 7, 27 September 2024, page 29.

There are five student free days (25 hours) in 2025, which all permanent (full and part-time) teachers must attend or make up the hours (refer below for more detail on part-time teachers). 

Term 1: Thursday 23 January and Friday 24 January - 2 days/10 hours (fixed)

Term 2: Wednesday 16 April to Thursday 17 April - 2 days/10 hours (flexible)

Term 3: Friday 5 September - 1 day/5 hours (fixed but can become flexible).

Within the 25 mandatory staff professional development hours, the use of 22 hours will be determined by the principal, with the remaining three hours used at the teacher’s discretion.

Schools are required to negotiate their arrangements for the flexible student free day hours in consultation with their staff through the local consultative committee (LCC). Arrangements for 2025 need to be finalised by the end of the year and communicated to the region. The use of the three discretionary hours should also be determined through the LCC.

When consulting on flexible hours, schools can:  

• allocate some of the flexible professional development hours to the end of the summer vacation, usually adjoining the fixed student free days 
• extend the hours of any designated student free days, rather than use five hours of rostered duty time 
• schedule blocks of professional development after school hours in twilight sessions  
• allocate student free days to other vacation periods, e.g. first or last day of winter vacation  
• adopt a combination of the suggestions above.

Dates and times should be defined and published for teachers, including those coming in on transfer, relocation, or as temporary engagements. When deliberating on suitable models, consideration needs to be given to balancing work and family responsibilities. 

Further, the student free day program should allocate time for a meal break and a paid rest pause. 

What are the requirements for part-time teachers?

Where a fixed student free day (SFD) falls on a non-rostered duty day, part-time teachers should attend and will be paid additional hours in the pay period in which the SFDs fall. 

If flexible SFD hours are scheduled on non-rostered days, permanent and temporary part-time teachers should discuss their situation with the school principal. If unable to attend, they will need to make up the flexible hours missed. 

Payment of flexible SFDs occur in the relevant pay fortnight as scheduled in the school calendar.

What are the SFD/flexible PD hours requirements for temporary (contract) teachers? 

The certified agreement (click here) makes particular reference to the employment pattern and related conditions of temporary teachers (including reference to attendance at student free days or flexible professional development hours and related payment) at clause 4.14 Temporary Teacher Professional Development. 

Temporary teachers engaged for all of Term 1 but less than one semester are paid for attendance at the (one) student free day held on the last day of the summer vacation (24 January). 

Temporary teachers engaged for all of Semester 1 or longer should attend and are paid for attendance at the two fixed student free days held on the last two days of the summer vacation (23 and 24 January). 

Temporary teachers who are engaged for less than one term (i.e. up to Day 8) would commence duty on Tuesday 28 January (noting that Monday 27 January is the Australia Day public holiday). 

Members with further questions are encouraged to contact QTAD on 1300 11 7823 or via the online enquiry form available at https://www.qtu.asn.au/seek-advice