Last in call for clarity over ‘confusion’ in schools

A NUMBER of concerning stories has Burdekin MP Dale Last worried parents and teachers still need clarification on schools.

The North Queensland shadow minister has received multiple phone calls, emails and messages from parents who are getting mixed messages and are “at their wit’s end”.

“I have had reports of schools being fully attended when staff expected only a portion of the students to attend the actual school and, on the other end of the spectrum, some parents have told me that their children are going to school and being given a bundle of paper and told to do their work without interaction from teachers,” Mr Last said.

“There is one case where a parent was asked to prove they were an essential worker and another where parents who do not work are sending their children to school. Basically, confusion is running rampant.”

Mr Last called on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Education Minister Grace Grace to “do the right thing by our kids”.

“It is becoming more and more obvious to parents that their children’s education is less important than Labor’s election campaign,” he said.

“For the Premier to imply that she could not open schools because her and the Education Minister would be held to account absolutely and unequivocally confirms that the Queensland Government is deliberately opposing the advice of the federal Chief Health Officer for political reasons.”

Mr Last said it should be up to parents to decide if their children would learn from home or school. He added the Government had handballed the problem. “To ask school principals and staff to act as quasi police officers and determine which child’s parents or carers are essential workers is absolutely ridiculous,” Mr Last said.

The Education Minister was contacted for comment.