Queensland schools have been forced to lock up toilets to crack down on students vaping in the bathroom during classes.
Aquinas College on the Gold Coast have closed their toilets and students will now undergo a check-in procedure to get their teacher s permission to use the facilities during a lesson.
On Wednesday a letter was sent to parents advising of a procedural change in response to behavioural and students welfare concerns, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.
Aquinas College (pictured) students in QLD have check-in procedure to use toilet in class to crack down on vaping during class time
Schools forced to close toilets during class time to deter pupils vaping in lessons (pictured: stock image of person using vape pen)
In a letter to its members, the QTU called on its members to send a “clear message” that the test needed to be changed.
“Widespread disengagement from Naplan sends a clear message that parents and teachers don’t value the test in its current form and oppose its negative consequences for students and school communities.”
QTU president Cresta Richardson said the union had recently conducted a survey of their members, and found they overwhelmingly believed Naplan was “broken” and that it needs to be “overhauled.”
“Basically, the test is not fit for purpose.
“When the test came out 12 years ago, it was supposed to be a low-stakes diagnostic test, apparently. And now, 12 years down the track, it hasn’t been revisited, hasn’t been reframed, hasn’t been revised, it’s just the same old thing every year.”
by Stephanie Bennett
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Subscriber only Scared kids and stressed teachers have prompted intense calls to scrap NAPLAN as the controversial testing regime gets udnerway across the nation this week. Costing millions of dollars every year, education experts have told The Courier-Mail NAPLAN is outdated, misused, and causes undue angst to kids, parents and teachers. Queensland Teachers Union president Cresta Richardson. Queensland Teachers Union president Cresta Richardson said the majority of teachers loathe the test and most feel the testing method is broken . The message from members is clear - NAPLAN in its current form needs to go, she said.
FULL LIST: How many out-of-catchment kids attend your school Out-of-catchment kids are flocking to in-demand schools despite strict enrolment measures designed to keep numbers in check. CHECK YOUR SCHOOL’S STATS HERE.
Education by Stephanie Bennett
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Subscriber only Thousands of out-of-catchment kids are still flocking to attend in-demand public schools despite strict enrolment plans designed to keep student numbers in check. New data on the number of students travelling from outside catchment areas to attend Queensland state schools has been revealed, with high schools more likely to be housing kids from other parts of the city. The state s largest and top-performing high school Brisbane State High welcomed more than 1600 kids, or about 48 per cent of its students, from outside its inner-city location in 2020.