Paper Petition

Queensland residents draw the attention of the House to the following issues regarding Preparatory year in state schools: • Reduced teacher-aide time for prep year from 30 hours (current pre- school allocation) to 15 hours per week is in breach of the Child Car Regulation 2003 requiring a minimum of two trained staff at all times for no more than 25 four to six year olds. • Part-time attendance not offered as an option for children and families who believe full-time attendance is not in the best interests of their child/children. • No appropriate outside play area adjacent to the prep room at Milton State School. • Toilets away from the prep site resulting in serious problems of access and supervision for young students and their teachers. • Prep rooms not resourced as well as current pre-schools compromising play based curriculum, forcing a more formal, static learning environment totally unsuited to such young children.

Your petitioners therefore request the House to ensure: • Teacher-aide time minimum of 30 hours per week with consistent aides and immediate replacement as required. • Part-time attendance option offered for prep year. • Six child-height toilets installed for up to 50 children in or adjacent to prep rooms within line of sight for the teacher, • Minimum of 3.4sqm per child unencumbered learning space mandatory for all prep rooms. • Allocation to ensure prep year is resourced with the following minimum: sandpit; playground climbing frame; physical skill equipment eg. carpentry table, watertrough, perceptual motor program equipment.