Age-appropriate education for happy, healthy children and teachers

Eligibility - Queensland residents
Principal Petitioner:
Kathy Margolis
97 Victoria Street
MORNINGSIDE QLD 4170
Total Signatures - 57
Sponsoring Member: Tarnya Smith MP
Posting Date: 17/8/2016
Tabled Date: 17/8/2016
Responded By: Hon Kate Jones MP on 16/9/2016
TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland

Queensland residents draws to the attention of the House that there are problems within our school system. Teachers are being forced to teach an age inappropriate and crowded curriculum which is pushing students too hard, too fast. Teachers have been turned into data collectors, administering a copious number of standardised tests and reports which neither inform their knowledge or understanding of each child's abilities or needs, nor enhances learning. Children are disengaging from learning in a system which sets many of them up to fail. The self-esteem of some children is being damaged and both teachers and children in the system are suffering from stress and anxiety. Children are the reason teachers go to work every day. No one seems to be listening to the very people who know how to remedy the situation - teachers.

 

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to:

 

1.    Observe international evidence-based best practice and ensure:

(a) children are six years of age or older to commence being formally taught an incremental age-appropriate national curriculum

(b) all learning prior to age six, including prep, is play-based

(c) the data collection and reporting burden on teachers is reduced to maximise engage teaching time.

2.     Organise an independent investigation into the true depth of child and teacher distress in primary schools related to current age-inappropriate curricula and top down pressure to perform and assess too soon.