Fairness, equity, stability and security at stake

By

Gary Zadkovich

DET has adopted a grossly irresponsible approach on staffing policy.

The staffing campaign is a campaign for fairness and equity, for stability and security, for teachers and students in NSW public schools.

Members' commitment is evident across the full range of schools. In cities and towns along the coast, in regional centres and country towns, and in the most isolated rural locations, teachers took industrial action in defence of their rights at work and their students' rights to be taught by qualified teachers.

The Department of Education and Training is adopting a grossly irresponsible approach on staffing policy. This was reinforced at Federation's conference for principals last term when Education Minister John Della Bosca answered questions on the likely impact of the imposed changes. Mr Della Bosca said that schools would just have to "suck it and see". No wonder principals in the audience gasped.

In this dispute, the Department and the Ministry have relied on a barrage of misleading statistics and media spin in an attempt to convince public school communities that the changes are 'modest' yet 'important'.

This shows what happens when a former press secretary from a politician's office is appointed as Director-General, without any direct experience or qualifications in school education.

Media spin is no substitute for good education policy.

Those with experience and qualifications in education do understand what damage will be done by the changed procedures. Despite the media spin and the letters from the Director-General sent with his 'best regards', teachers know that the staffing procedures of the 2005-08 industrial agreement ensured teacher supply through two categories of transfer.

The first category, priority transfers, provided the highest priority for the appointment of teachers who:

• undertake service in the 200 most isolated country schools in the state (incentive transfers);
• lose their positions through a reduction in the number of students at a particular school (nominated transfers);
• need to relocate to a new school for compassionate reasons such as serious illness (compassionate transfers).

The second category, service transfers, was considered as the next priority before positions could be openly advertised for local selection. The placement of teachers on service transfer was balanced with local selection through the Permanent Employment Program (PEP). These PEP positions provided opportunities for casual and temporary teachers to gain permanent positions. When combined with appointment through the Graduate Recruitment Program (GRP), this approach enabled schools to achieve a mix of staffing appointments.

500 schools across NSW are recognised as harder to staff by the Department through the allocation of additional service transfer points. These 2 and 4 point schools are not on the incentive transfer scheme. They depend on service transfers to attract and retain teachers. Many of them serve low socio-economic status communities.

Despite this, the Department will phase-out service transfers over the next two years. From 2010, principals will no longer be obligated to accept any service transfers. This blatantly contradicts the Department's acknowledgement that some schools are harder to staff than others.

This is a fundamental equity issue for students, parents and teachers.

Federation has indicated its preparedness to negotiate a settlement on this issue. A new agreement could be achieved, if the Department and Minister were to accept that priority and service transfers are essential components in the staffing system. They provide career mobility and permanency for teachers, and ensure teacher supply, stability and equity for students, wherever they live across the state.

There is much at stake in this dispute.

Accordingly, Federation will continue with a significant and sustained campaign of industrial and political action to achieve an industrial agreement on staffing.

Gary Zadkovich is the Senior Vice President.

Staffing strike May 22

Staffing formulae and class sizes in doubt

Protecting the high standard of public education in NSW

Changes the thin edge of wedge

Rough start for casual and temporary teachers with new policy

Salutary lessons from staffing survey

Outrage at diminished educational guarantees

Members march for staffing fairness

Rural handbook withdrawn

Ads tell the story

Half million leaflets to be printed

TAFE education quality at risk

For further information

May 2008 contents