COMPARE REGIONAL RATIOS

SCHOOLS in some of Queensland’s most regional and remote places have recorded among the lowest student-teacher ratios in the country.

An analysis by News Corp Australia using enrolment and teacher data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has revealed the number of students per full-time equivalent teacher at every Queensland school for 2018.

Of the 100 Queensland schools with the lowest student-teacher ratio – excluding special schools and schools with fewer than 20 enrolments – 83 were located in regional Queensland areas.

Among them were St Teresa’s College in Abergowrie, which recorded an average of 5.62 students per full-time equivalent teacher, Aramac State School (which also had a student-teacher ratio of 5.62), and Vincent State School (5.93).

Metropolitan schools were more likely to have studentteacher averages near the overall state average of 13.5 students per teacher.

But there were exceptions, including Chelmer’s Milpera State High School, which provides education to recently arrived migrants from a non-english speaking backgrounds, which had an average of one teacher per 5.8 students in 2018.

Others included school Clayfield which recorded a private College, studentteacher ratio of 8.81, and public schools Everton Park State High School (8.77) and Mitchelton State High School (8.62).

And though schools in regional Queensland were also more likely to have high student-teacher ratios, the split was much closer.

Of the 100 Queensland schools with the highest student-teacher ratios, 41 were metropolitan schools compared with 59 regional and rural schools.

Education Minister Grace Grace said the 2019-2020 State Budget had allocated $13.8 billion for education, including funding for an additional 1000 teachers.

“Not only have additional teachers been employed to cover for the continued growth in enrolments, the Palaszczuk Government has employed 875 teachers above growth,” she said.

“This investment in more teachers has assisted us in meeting our class size targets.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said the Government was “committed to ensuring all students, no matter where they live, have access to a range of high quality learning opportunities within their local communities”.

“Total state school enrolments continue to grow each year as Queensland’s population continues to increase,” she said.

“Additional classrooms are provided to schools experiencing enrolment growth to ensure that classes are not ‘overcrowded’.”

Milpera State

School, Chelmer

St Brendan’s

School, Moorooka

Mount Nebo State School Seton College, Mount Gravatt East

Mcauley College, Beaudesert

Queensland Pathways State College, Coorparoo Rathdowney State School Hymba Yumba Independent School, Springfield

Sinai College, Burbank Mitchelton State High School

Everton Park State High School

Clayfield College

St Mary of the

School, Windsor

Mt Maria College – Petrie Ipswich East State School Birali Steiner School Coorparoo Secondary College State High Primary Cross Alpha State School St Rita’s School, Babinda Dirranbandi P-10 State School

Quilpie State College Mount St Bernard College, Herberton

Dajarra State School

Girl Academy, Wangetti Cunnamulla P-12 State School

Aramac State School St Teresa’s College, Abergowrie

Wandoan

P-10 School Monkland State School Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy, Hope Vale

Normanton State School St Joseph’s School, Tara Vincent State School

Cecil Plains State School Quinalow Prep-10 State School

The School of Total Education, Warwick

Glenden State School

Charlotte Mason College, Kallangur

Australian Christian College - Moreton

St Francis Xavier School, Runaway Bay

Blenheim State School Marymount Primary School, Burleigh Waters Grandchester State School St Benedict’s Primary School, Mango Hill Haigslea State School St Dympna’s Parish School, Aspley

St Anthony’s School, Kedron

Australian Industry Trade College - Redlands

St Edward the Confessor School, Daisy Hill

Music Industry

Fortitude Valley

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, Coorparoo

St Paul’s Lutheran mary School, Caboolture College, Pri