Small school issues dominate opening morning of St George ICPA conference

With Governor Paul de Jersey in attendance, the audience of over 250 heard Roma branch delegates call for more state sports carnival to be held in rural and remote regions, to reduce travel costs for remote families.

Kate Scott told the conference that Queensland was a massive state and most regions had significant time and cost imposts to attend any state carnival.

“All south west children have to travel significant distances just for trials and training, and of course for state carnivals,” she said. “We have facilities to be able to host in the south west region, especially rugby league, tennis and touch football.”

She noted that Roma had hosted the 2016 state touch football carnival, attracting 288 children, 50 officials and around 350 parents, while Longreach had played host to the 2016 rugby league 15 years state carnival, “again a great success with no issues”.

The Young Athlete Travel Scheme offers $200 ever two years.

“It is up to parents to fund the costs or for the team to fundraise locally,” Kate said.

The motion was supported, along with one from Moonie branch to provide similar support as is given to sport, for non-sporting extra-curricular activities such as art, public speaking and chess.

“It is opportunities and activities like these that we feel need to be given the same attention and funding as sport currently is,” Melinda White said.

Special out-of-school sessions for teachers involved in sports coaching are paid for by their district or region, which Moonie said should be extended to those giving time for non-sporting extra-curricular work.

ICPA’s ICT consultant, Jeff Little, said some of this could be via virtual means.

Current funding for air-conditioning for schools is measured by kilometric distance, and only schools that fall in the western zones are allocated financial support, but ICPA delegates agreed that all schools in Queensland should be considered for allocation of government funding.

This would be for installation, upgrade or replacement of air-conditioning systems in teaching spaces.

The motion was put by the Kindon branch from southern Queensland, and Nikki McQueen said all students should have the same learning conditions collectively.

“Schools that fall outside the Cool Schools initiative are left solely to fundraise and purchase through other means,” she said.

“The costing in these projects  are significant and negatively influence a large number of Queensland schools.

“It hinders their capacity to deliver innovative teaching, which impacts in everyday classrooms due to disadvantages learning conditions.”