QTAD Q&A

2018: a 41-week school year

Department of Education and Training School Holidays - Policy Statement states the following.

Queensland state schools provide for 40 school weeks each year, with the rare exception of a 41 week year on a cyclical basis. Student holidays are based on an annual two-semester timetable as follows:

• summer holiday: six weeks during the Christmas period
• Easter holiday: two weeks before, following or inclusive of the Easter public holidays
• winter holiday: two weeks at the end of semester one
• spring holiday: two weeks in the middle of semester two.

Schools situated north of 16 degrees south latitude and west of 144 degrees east longitude begin the summer holiday one week before schools in other parts of the state.

The four school terms are set to ensure they are as balanced in length as possible, averaging 10 weeks for each term and avoiding unduly long terms.

For many years, QTU members urged the government to consolidate three student free days that were spread throughout the year into an extra week in students’ Easter vacation period, to allow more consistency in term duration and to bring Queensland into line with school vacation times in other states.

After a review of school terms and student-free days, the state government announced changes to school holidays which came into effect in 2012.

The change meant an extra week of student vacation for the Easter vacation (an increase from one to two weeks) and the scheduling of three flexible student free days in the two week period, giving schools the choice to decide when they would be held, as long as they were held out of school hours.

Prior to this change, the school year consisted of 41 weeks with the rare exception of a 42 week year on a cyclical basis.

Reference: http://education.qld.gov.au/public_media/policy-statement/school-holidays.html

Have a question you need answered? Contact QTAD

The Queensland Teachers’ Assist Desk (QTAD) is a help desk to assist members with simple, quick advice over the phone, email or online in relation to leave, pay and other general working conditions.

Members of the QTU can contact QTAD by phone on 1300 11 7823, by email to qtad@qtu.asn.au or by submitting an online request for information/advice form on the QTU website. For more involved issues, a Union Officer is always on hand to help.
QTAD operates during QTU Brisbane office hours (8.30am - 5pm, Mon-Fri) and is staffed by four full-time/part-time staff.

Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 122 No 3, 14 April 2017, p28