3 min read
National Coordinator of the TPAA, Scott Stanford
National Coordinator of the Teachers’ Professional Association Scott Stanford spoke with the media on Thursday about the government’s inability to fix the real problems in our education system.
The State Government’s announcement regarding a 4-day schooling week is nothing but an election stunt that attempts to cover up the teacher shortage crisis that has worsened on their watch.
National Coordinator of the Teachers’ Professional Association Scott Stanford spoke with the media on Thursday about the government’s inability to fix the real problems in our education system.
“The inefficiency of the bloated Department of Education means that crucial decisions for local schools are being centralised and made by bureaucrats sitting in an office in Brisbane city.”
“If schools want to adopt a 4-day week, that’s a decision that should be made by each local schooling community. It shouldn’t be forced onto parents, teachers and students by a government that’s attempting to cover themselves given they’ve done nothing to fix the teacher shortage we have.”
“It’s not a case of one size fits all, and it’s certainly not a matter of the government knowing best.”
“That’s the mindset that has plagued our education system for decades now.”
Mr Stanford says that the TPAQ supports the idea of a four-day school week for grades 11 and 12, but reiterated that local schools need the freedom to make these sorts of decisions themselves.
“Decisions like these are best made at a local level, with each school making the call on what’s right for their community. We have to let the people who actually know how to run schools, run schools.”
“That’s why the Department of Education needs to be drastically cut, and their funding reallocated directly to schools to enable them to operate locally.”
“Teachers are leaving the profession they love because the issues they face on the ground every day are not being fixed. Hiring more useless government bureaucrats clearly isn’t the solution.”
“The solution is to let parents, teachers and local communities make decisions for their schools.”
“This is how we stop the inefficiency, pay our teachers properly, and fix our education system.”
-ENDS-
Media Contact - Edward Schuller (0481 571 537)