Tell ’im he’s dreamin
Recently, I was aware of a week of stark contrasts. Earlier in August, ACELQ co-hosted an evening for early career teachers at Fairholme College. It was an evening of affirming collegial richness. This was in stark contrast to the industrial unrest experienced by our state-sector colleagues seeking a more equitable enterprise agreement. The contrast was palpable.
The right to withdraw labour is a fundamental human right. It is sad that in 2025 it still comes down to this – perhaps it always will be. No doubt it will be resolved in time with the usual negotiated argy-bargy.
When thinking about the issues underlying this industrial action, there is so much to unpack. Pay quantums, whilst essential in this era of significant cost-of-living pressures, are, in reality, low-hanging fruit. To me, the substantive issue is teacher load. For many years I have been advocating for the need to ‘modernise’ what constitutes a teacher’s load, both imaginatively and significantly. What might have been reasonable fifty or sixty years ago is no longer fit for purpose. Four or five classes, in addition to a home group and co-curricular involvement, is not sustainable and hasn’t been for some time. Teachers should not be teaching five or, in some cases, six classes.
There are simply too many issues for them to consider today that were not thought of in 1960. The acknowledgement and understanding of individual difference, learning enhancement, social media, the importance of timely feedback, and the rest of it make more than a case for the concept of a load to be revised. This, of course, would have a dramatic fiscal impact until the new budgetary outcome had become normalised. Our social compact is deserving of such modernisation. After all, our civility rests on the provision of excellent and equitable free universal education. The State must lead in this regard. To quote a famous line from the movie The Castle, the response to this would most likely be: “Tell ’im he’s dreamin’!”
If such reform were to occur, and a contemporary, reasonable load negotiated, then it would be time to put school ‘holidays’ on the agenda. To some, this might be a controversial utterance, yet it can’t be avoided. Agrarian calendars have long gone, yet we are bound by them. If we had a clean slate to devise a new concept of schooling, what would it look like? What would our classrooms look like, and what would our school year look like? These are questions that need to be asked, examined, and solved. Our students deserve it. Our profession deserves it. And our social compact should demand it.
The sustainability of our profession is at a crossroads. Given we are all living in the AI world, it was instructive to load some constraints into ChatGPT and ask it for an ‘ideal’ secondary teaching load not bound by the constraints of the industrial schooling model, nor by the concept of a traditional school day or customary school holidays. Interestingly, I think most of us would know that the AI concept is spot on. Many years ago, I saw a cartoon in a physiotherapist’s waiting room; it read: “Wouldn’t it be good if we funded education and relied on raffles for defence.” Indeed!
The teaching profession is in a state of disequilibrium. Possibility thinking is needed desperately. We owe it to our early career educators — let alone to our students! Below is a sketch of how teaching loads could be modernised to become more fit for purpose.
1. The Industrial Legacy (what we’re breaking from)
In most Queensland secondary schools today:
- Teachers carry five–six classes of ~25–30 students each.
- They see ~120–150 students per semester.
- Teaching load = ~20–25 contact hours per week.
- Little protected collaboration/research time.
👉 This is high-churn, high-marking, low-depth.
2. Principles for a Reimagined Load
- Depth > Breadth: Fewer student groups, stronger relationships.
- Sustained Engagement: Longer blocks mean less fragmentation.
- Teacher as Designer & Mentor: Time must be reserved for feedback, advisory, research, and collaboration.
- Student-Centred: Teachers support personalised pathways, not factory timetables.
3. Ideal Load in the New Models
36-Week Model (Lean & Deep)
- Number of Classes: two–three cohorts (e.g., Year 9 Inquiry group, Year 10 Maths/Science project, cross-age elective).
- Student Reach: ~50–70 students total (vs. 120+ now).
- Weekly Contact: ~15–18 hours teaching/facilitating.
- Other Time: 4–6 hours collaboration, 3–4 hours professional inquiry, 2–3 hours advisory/mentoring.
👉 The load is deliberately leaner: fewer classes, but each involves immersive, high-quality engagement.
38-Week Model (Balanced)
- Number of Classes: three–four cohorts.
- Student Reach: ~70–90 students.
- Weekly Contact: ~16–20 hours.
- Other Time: 3–4 hours collaboration, 3 hours professional inquiry, 2 hours advisory.
👉 A middle ground: still fewer classes than traditional, but slightly more breadth than the 36-week version.
40-Week Model (High Contact, Gentle Daily Flow)
- Number of Classes: four cohorts.
- Student Reach: ~90–100 students.
- Weekly Contact: ~18–20 hours.
- Other Time: 3 hours collaboration, 2–3 hours professional inquiry, 2 hours advisory.
👉 This version leans toward more student contact across the year, but is offset by gentler pacing and built-in wellbeing time each week.
4. Why Fewer Classes Are Better
- Feedback Quality: A teacher with sixty students can give rich, individualised feedback; a teacher with 150 cannot.
- Relationships: Fewer students → stronger mentoring and pastoral connection.
- Sustainability: Teachers shift from “survival mode” to creative design and research.
- Student Outcomes: Projects, exhibitions, and portfolios become authentic because teachers have time to guide.
5. Ideal Number (My Recommendation)
If we’re really serious about a blank slate, then:
- Two–three classes per teacher is the sweet spot.
- ~60 students total per semester is ideal.
- Weekly contact should average 15–18 hours — the rest dedicated to mentoring, collaboration, and research.
This matches international exemplars (e.g., Finland, Expeditionary Learning schools, Big Picture Learning), where teacher loads are lighter but the work is deeper and more authentic.
Dr Bruce Addison
ACEL QLD Branch President