Question One - Teacher shortage
Amy:
What modelling has the government conducted with respect to how the Queensland teacher shortage would be improved by increasing the government’s share of the Schooling Resource Standard to 80 per cent, thus fully funding Queensland public education?
Answer from Director-General of the Department of Education:
Based on the data we have available to us, there is no statewide teacher shortage. In relation to your question about teacher shortages, there is no statewide teacher shortage. In fact, interestingly, enrolment in teacher education courses has increased by 16 per cent in the last 12 months in Queensland, unlike other states and territories.
We have not done specific modelling around linking teacher numbers to the Schooling Resource Standard, as you have asked. As you are aware, the Queensland budget increases in terms of education every year. That is driven through a range of things but also included through the bilateral agreement with the federal government, where the minimum increase to the Schooling Resource Standard is at least three per cent.
We have a parameters model in the Queensland government in relation to teacher numbers. That parameter model is based on the number of enrolments that we have in our schools. That parameter model broadly drives the number of teachers and the provision of teachers for our state schools.
Amy:
What are the government’s plans to reach the full 80 per cent of the SRS funding?
Answer from Director-General of the Department of Education:
I think we may have had a conversation about this at the last estimates as well. As you are aware, the Queensland government has an agreement in place with the Australian government. That agreement is in place until 2023, and you are aware of the percentage rate of the SRS, 69.26 per cent, that the Queensland government has committed to. The Queensland government has also made a commitment to increase its share to 75 per cent of the SRS by 2032.
Question Two - NAPLAN
Amy:
What were the rates of parental withdrawal from NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) this year and how does this compare with past years?
Answer from Director-General of the Department of Education:
That data is not available to us until it is processed through both the Queensland Curriculum Assessment Authority and ACARA. We normally get that data at the end of every year. That data traditionally comes out in December. We do not collect that data. It does not come back into the department. It goes through the QCAA and is then sent to ACARA, it is verified and then the data comes in a national report in December.