More support for curriculum implementation
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 129 No 4, 7 June 2024, page 11.
The QTU has been successful in securing additional resourcing for the familiarisation and implementation phases of Australian Curriculum Version 9 (ACV9).
The QTU has long advocated for significant additional resourcing and support. While some resources and professional developed have been developed over the past few years, it is clear that the bulk of the work needed to make changes to curriculum across Queensland is being done on the “smell of an oily rag” and the goodwill of teachers.
In November, the QTU formally wrote to the DG seeking additional Teacher Relief Scheme (TRS) support for schools, which were using resources needed for other programs and staffing to release teachers to undertake the ACV9 work. This was a significant burden for many schools. While the QTU is aware that the provision of TRS is not the “magic bullet”, the QTU’s State Council argued that it would go some way toward providing some relief. The DG’s response to our communication on 6 December stated: “At this stage the department has no plan for additional funding to be provided to schools for the Teacher Relief Scheme to be used for ACV9 transition.”
On 2 May, the Director-General announced that the department had allocated a further $2 million to TRS resourcing and additional resourcing for small schools, as well as funding that can be accessed via school supervisors for targeted individual and cross-school curriculum planning. This is to be used to support and encourage professional learning and curriculum implementation.
In addition to this announcement, the DoE curriculum team has worked with the QTU to establish a “writers in residence” team to develop ACV9 curriculum resourcing for small schools (see article on page 10). This too emerged after strong QTU advocacy and activism from our members.
The QTU is of the view that the language currently surrounding implementation of ACV9 also needs to change. The language of the timelines noted for implementation is narrow and very prescriptive and needs to be adjusted. A change in tone is needed, and moving forward DoE needs to state that, from 2025, schools across the state will continue to implement ACV9 and will develop a schedule of subject implementation that meets the needs of the local school context.