2015–16 Activity Statement—Education

Access to quality education and training is fundamental to Queensland’s future success. Queenslanders’ vision for education includes that all Queenslanders will engage in, and value, education. Education and training will allow us to gain practical skills, enrich our lives, find secure jobs and improve the competitiveness of the economy. If we are to keep pace with the world, our schools, training places and universities need to adapt and evolve further. We need a practical, future-focused curriculum, support for teachers and a focus on lifelong learning. We also need to use partnerships and local expertise to build our skills for emerging industries.

The Queensland Government believes that early childhood and school-based education and training are critical to the future success of all Queenslanders. In 2015–16, the Queensland Government:

Creating jobs and a diverse economy

• supported Queensland’s VET sector through the 2015–16 Annual VET Investment Plan, which details the increased planned investment in vocational education and training for the financial year
• promoted the Youth Employment Program to provide a range of services to assist and support young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are looking for work, completing high school or considering further education
• sponsored 64 scholarships for local government employees to undertake Diplomas of Local Government Administration to increase opportunity for local government to upskill their workforce and better deliver for their community
• launched the Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow program to support Queensland students to learn the digital and entrepreneurial skills needed in innovative businesses and emerging industries
• expanded the Queensland Government Building and Construction Training Policy to include projects procured by eligible Government Owned Corporations and Public Private Partnerships from 1 July 2015
• approved a total of 384 community-driven projects, worth $57 million, to provide nationally-recognised training, skills and jobs to more than 14 000 disadvantaged Queenslanders
• allocated $3.25 million to 57 local governments for 260 additional traineeships under the First Start Program.

Delivering quality frontline services

• released Advancing education: An action plan for education in Queensland following statewide consultation, to support students to develop the knowledge, skills and qualities they need for the future
• provided increased TAFE student support services, further opportunities for foundation skills development for disadvantaged learners, and improved regional support programs
• established a Queensland Training Ombudsman to support the provision of quality vocational training and education including apprenticeships and traineeships
• offered up to 150 scholarships/bursaries to encourage and entice preservice teachers to teach in Queensland state schools, particularly in areas of high demand
• developed an online coaching module to support teacher professional learning across all schooling sectors in priority area of evidence-informed differentiation
• released Schools of the Future—a strategy for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Queensland state schools to build teacher capability, increase student engagement and achieve excellence in STEM learning
• commissioned a platform for Virtual STEM Academies to give high-achieving students in Years 5–9 opportunities to increase and extend their learning in STEM subjects
• staged the World Science Festival in March 2016 at the Queensland Museum to promote STEM literacy across a broad range of audiences through both free and ticketed events
• delivered, through the State Library of Queensland, a statewide, $300 000 grants program to support public libraries in 33 councils to implement public programs in coding and robotics
• continued to support schools to implement the Australian Curriculum with the comprehensive set of Curriculum into the Classroom materials, and provided education programs to support young Queenslanders’ health and wellbeing:
• the Respectful relationships education program, which gives Prep to Year 12 students opportunities for social and emotional learning in self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, ethics, values, social norms, stereotypes, human rights, risk and responsible decision-making
• the Alcohol and other drugs education program, which builds Years 7–12 students’ awareness and understanding of the impacts of alcohol and other drug use, their capacity to make responsible, safe and informed decisions and their ability to effectively manage challenging situations
• implemented the final year of the Artist in Residence Fund, a partnership with the Australia Council to provide arts funding for kindergartens and schools
• provided the Prep–Year 10 Literacy Continuum to support ongoing literacy improvement in schools
• ran family literacy programs through the State Library of Queensland, such as the $20 million First 5 Forever initiative, which supports parents and primary caregivers in their important role as educator for children under five
• developed Supporting successful transitions resources for schools, parents and early childhood services to strengthen collaboration and enhance children's continuity of learning
• provided access to kindergarten in 11 state schools through the Remote Kindy Pilot
• released an Australian-first television series, Sally & Possum, on ABCKids to enhance early literacy and numeracy for deaf and hard of hearing children learning AUSLAN
• continued to improve literacy and numeracy outcomes with NAPLAN performance lifting again, and increased the numbers of students successfully completing Year 12
• improved the percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Year 12 students achieving Certification (Queensland Certificate of Education and Queensland Certificate of Individual Attainment) from 86.5% in 2014 to 94.9% in 2015, exceeding the department’s certification target of 93%
• opened the Autism Hub to help build the confidence and capability of school communities to improve educational outcomes for students with autism
• launched the Reading Centre to provide specialist advice to parents and schools on how to teach reading and support readers, including strategies for students with dyslexia
• exceeded the target for children enrolled in kindergarten and increased participation by Indigenous and vulnerable and disadvantaged children
• aunched, in partnership with Griffith University and Queensland University of Technology, a suite of seven online professional development and upskilling programs in STEM curriculum, with more than 2500 teachers across the state expected to participate in the $3 million program
• partnered with local government to fund and support over 320 public libraries and Indigenous Knowledge Centres, including collections, services and professional development

Building safe, caring and connected communities

• continued to implement the MoneySmart Teaching program, a comprehensive strategy to develop consumer and financial literacy capabilities in young people throughout their schooling
• through the Queensland Music Festival, delivered a performing arts schools touring program, the Score It! statewide film scoring competition for primary and secondary school students and the Cape York Instrumental Music Program in partnership with the Cape York Academy
• developed and implemented Transition 2 Success, an alternative education and vocational training program for young people aged 14 to 18 years who are involved in the youth justice system
• established Principal Advisor, Student Protection positions in each education region, further strengthening capacity to respond to child protection matters, including those involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

Read more about the Plan’s goals, targets and measures for education.