In a bid to ease the burden on educators and prioritise classroom teaching, two schools in Greater Springfield have eagerly embraced a pioneering pilot initiative launched by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments.
The $1.88 million program aims to alleviate the administrative workload faced by teachers.
With the employment of 11 specialist staff across 33 schools statewide, including Woodcrest State College and Goodna Special School, the project seeks to streamline administrative tasks and enhance workplace health and safety (WHS) protocols.
The introduction of dedicated support staff marks a significant shift towards optimising teachers’ time spent within the classroom.
Federal Member for Oxley, Milton Dick, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, highlighting its potential to benefit local schools and educators.
“I’m delighted that the Albanese Labor Government is trialling a program to reduce teacher workloads, and that this will support schools in my community in Ipswich and South West Brisbane,” he said.
“Teaching is the most important job in the world, and the idea that teachers clock on at 9am and knock off at 3pm is rubbish.”
Federal Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann, echoed the sentiment, stressing the value of teachers and the imperative to enhance their classroom presence.
“This is an exciting project that aims to reduce the administrative burden that many local teachers and principals face in their day-to-day work.
“Ipswich is an education powerhouse, and our local teachers are highly valued and highly trained in the art of teaching, so we want to free them up to focus on teaching in the classroom.
“The pilot will assess what impact having specially trained support staff working alongside teachers and principals has.
“Investing in this new pilot program is good for our teachers, our schools, and for our students,” he said.
