STATE Government plans to move Year 7 into secondary school need to be finalised as quickly as possible to help Catholic schools manage the transition effectively, the head of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC) has said.
QCEC executive director Mike Byrne said this was because “the transition would be a major undertaking both educationally and in terms of staffing and facilities for Catholic schools”.
Mr Byrne said a detailed assessment of the facilities required had confirmed that most of the state’s 85 Catholic secondary colleges were running at or near capacity and would require significant capital works to cater for an additional year level.
He said recent estimates have put the cost of facilities required for the transition “in the vicinity of $250 million”.
“While we understand that the proposal is complex and requires careful consideration, I have written to the Education Minister (Cameron Dick) to encourage him to make a decision as quickly as possible,” Mr Byrne said.
The Government’s proposal to move Year 7 into secondary school was first flagged in 2003.
The change, proposed by Premier Anna Bligh to take place by 2014, would bring Queensland into line with most other states and territories ahead of the Federal Government’s plan to nationalise the curriculum and starting age of school children across the country.
Mr Byrne said the QCEC was supportive of the proposed reform.
“QCEC believes 2014, when the first Prep cohort will move into Year 7, is the most appropriate year to effect this transition,” he said.
“Following the introduction of the Prep year, students will now be an average of six months older when they reach Year 7.
“We believe they will benefit from the secondary school model with greater access to specialist facilities and teachers.”
Mr Byrne said “at this stage, we are looking forward to more detailed discussions with the Minister about funding and other issues associated with the transition should it proceed”.
“However, the commission is confident that, as with the roll-out of the Prep year in recent years, the Catholic sector can work in partnership with the State Government to successfully deliver this education infrastructure,” he said.
Mr Byrne said while Catholic primary schools would be affected to varying degrees, any impacts of the possible transition would also need to be carefully monitored.
“In particular, the potential impact on staffing of primary schools requires careful consideration,” he said.
“Projections also indicate that around 300 Year 7 students attending Catholic primary schools in country areas where there is no local access to a Catholic secondary education would also be affected.
“While boarding school is an option for some families, further investigation about the possibility of some flexibility of arrangements in rural areas is needed.”
Uncertainty still exists about the final cost and affordability to the state of the proposed changes.
In a media report last week, the State Opposition and the Queensland Teacher’s Union claimed the Government’s bill would be closer to $1 billion than the initial estimate of $350 million.
However, Ms Bligh compared the Year 7 proposal to the introduction of the Prep year, saying there were “wild claims made by a range of people about what it would cost” and yet it had been affordable.
