_{Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 122 No 1, 10 February 2017, p18-19}

Face-to-face teaching

Full-time secondary school teachers have a maximum of 20 hours and 40 minutes (1,240 minutes) rostered face-to-face teaching and associated professional duties per week.

Full-time primary and special school teachers have a maximum 22 hours and 10 minutes (1,330 minutes) rostered face-to-face teaching and associated professional duties per week.

Associated professional duties include times when teachers have contact with students in forums such as assembly, form class, pastoral care, sport etc.

Specialist teachers in primary and secondary schools have an average class time of 18 hours per week within their rostered duty time of 25 hours per week, with a range of 15-20 hours per week (see clause 15.3(d) Teaching in State Education Award – State 2016).

The face-to-face teaching time for a head of department, head of special education services and head of curriculum will be determined by a variety of factors, including the size of the school, number of teachers within the department/SEP and any workplace reform/flexible staffing arrangements that apply.

Bus and playground supervision

You are required to undertake playground supervision and bus supervision as a consequence of the department’s duty of care responsibilities.

A bus and playground duty roster should be developed in each school, in consultation with the staff and the local consultative committee.

You can be required to perform bus supervision for up to 30 minutes after the conclusion of the school day, but this should be for school buses only.

Specialist teachers who service more than two schools cannot be allocated bus and playground duty.

Teachers should be at school prior to the first bell, but cannot be rostered on for student supervision prior to this bell, as rostered duty time does not normally commence until then.

Schools should not establish expectation of a before-school playground duty, as this does not form part of a teacher’s rostered duty time and the provisions relating to bus and playground duties do not extend to this period of time.

Class sizes

The class size targets for composite classes are informed by the relevant year level target. Where composite classes exist across cohorts (e.g. years three and four), the class size target would be the lower target.

Classes in excess of these maximum targets should only occur in exceptional circumstances. If there is a possibility of class sizes exceeding the targets, then timely, collaborative consultation must occur with the staff through the LCC.

Arriving and departing from work

You have to ensure that you are at work prior to the official start of the school day, and you are allowed to leave after the official conclusion of the school day.

When departing work early or leaving the school during the school day, you may be requested to sign in and out of the office for workplace health and safety reasons. However, it should not be a requirement for teachers to sign in and out of school each day.

Meal breaks and rest/pause

Ten minutes’ mid-morning rest/pause must be provided each day and cannot be averaged across a week.

You should have a 45 minute uninterrupted meal break per day – this can be modified, through consultative arrangements, to a minimum 30 minute uninterrupted meal break per day, provided that you access 225 minutes of uninterrupted meal breaks per week.

The meal break should fall between 11am and 2pm, unless changes are made in accordance with clause 16(c) of the Teaching in State Education Award – State 2016.

Attendance at meetings

Clause 3.1.11 of the Department of Education and Training State School Teachers’ Certified Agreement 2016 requires consultation to occur with the LCC in relation to the purpose, frequency and duration of staff meetings. The provision works in concert with the Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2006 (Qld). 

The role of the LCC is not to determine if staff meetings should occur, but to clearly outline the purpose, frequency and duration of staff meetings in the school. 

Non-contact time (formerly preparation and correction time in secondary schools)

NCT is to be used for the purpose of preparation, planning and correction – how teachers use the award entitlement to NCT is at the teacher’s discretion. It is not to be used as free time to conduct personal activities.

The award entitlement for full-time primary and special school teachers is two hours; while secondary teachers (full-time) are entitled to 3.5 hours (210 minutes).

Use of NCT provided to teachers that is above the award entitlement is at the principal’s discretion.

All classroom teachers are entitled to access NCT, and NCT lost due to planned school activities should be replaced/made up.

Planned school activities are those things that form part of the school calendar and are known, e.g. excursions, school camps, sports carnivals (swimming and athletics carnivals), school assemblies, graduations, QCS, exam blocks.

Unforeseen activities such as evacuations, visits by politicians, lock down etc., are not seen as planned school activities.

Additionally, sick leave, carer’s leave, student free days, professional development, industrial relations education leave and public holidays are not recognised as planned school activities, nor are they recognised as NCT.

Information accurate as of February 2017. For basic guides, information brochures and more, visit www.qtu.asn.au/advice/brochures. For further help, contact QTAD online at www.qtu.asn.au/qtad or call 1300 117 823.