Escalating classroom violence is the target of a $44 million state education funding package, which will come on top of all other education funding, the state government has announced.
Premier David Crisafulli says this followed news of a total of $80 million paid to teachers and staff for physical and psychological injuries across the state in 2023-24, from 960 claims lodged with WorkCover Queensland.
The Behavioural Boost funding can be used to hire new teacher aides and support staff, or to increase the hours for existing behavioural specialists, speech pathologists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists, the announcement says.
Mr Crisafulli said previous Governments had overseen a rise in violence in Queensland school classrooms, dropped attendance rates and education standards that were lagging compared to the rest of the country.
“This will help teachers to help kids and start to stamp out bullying.
“More support in the classroom means the focus can go back on teaching.
“Every student deserves to feel safe in the classroom – as does every teacher – and this is about giving schools the tools they need to succeed and ensure they deliver world-class education to all students.”
Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said teachers had been forgotten as “a direct result of failure to provide teachers with the support and critical resources they need.“
He said the Government would also reduce red tape for teachers, with removal of duplication in teacher reporting.
“Teachers and teacher aides will also receive more targeted training to lift expertise in effective classroom management. “
