Government changes may herald 'a fresh approach'

By

Maree O'Halloran

With 16,000 teachers eligible to retire by 2012, attracting and retaining teachers must be a high order priority for the Government.

The political upheaval in NSW has thrown up some hope for negotiated settlements about staffing, TAFE qualifications and salaries. The new Premier, Nathan Rees, promises "a fresh approach" and it is certainly in the public interest for the Government to negotiate settlements to the long-running disputes in the education portfolio.

While Mr Rees has signalled an intention to maintain the Government's 2.5 per cent funding cap for salaries, that is clearly not sustainable. With 16,000 teachers eligible to retire by 2012, attracting and retaining teachers must be a high order priority for the Government. In addition, the latest OECD report, Education at a Glance, released on September 9 shows that experienced teachers in Australia are paid significantly less than the OECD average but teach longer hours and work more weeks than most OECD nations.

Teachers at Sky Channel meetings on September 2 overwhelmingly rejected the 2.5 per cent as derisory. The Government will need to increase the quantum on offer if we are to reach a negotiated settlement without recourse to industrial action. The salaries settlement in October 2005 demonstrates that such an outcome can be achieved if the Government acts reasonably and in "good faith".

Federation hopes that new Education Minister, Verity Firth, will be open to reason. She contacted Federation on the day of her appointment to introduce herself and express her excitement about the portfolio and organise a first meeting.

In the wake of a year of "bad faith" and unilateral, imposed changes from the Government and the Department of Education and Training (DET), Ms Firth's approach was welcome. Federation will be looking for Ms Firth to be objective and maintain a healthy distance from the Department, particularly in light of her maiden speech to Parliament in which she named the current Director-General, Michael Coutts-Trotter amongst her personal friends and supporters.

Federation will be meeting with Ms Firth as a matter of urgency to explain the current disputes and how they can be solved. In July this year Annual Conference offered a compromise position to the Government about staffing which would maintain teacher transfers and return an increased number of locally-selected Permanent Employment Program (PEP) positions to the system. To date there has been no response from either the Government or DET.

A series of four meetings have also been scheduled between Federation and DET about salaries. At the first meeting, it will be incumbent upon DET to table its salaries offer. Federation's claim has been formally lodged with both DET and the Government since April 7.

Fire fighters in NSW were expected to settle their salaries case for 12.6 per cent over three and a half years, although at this stage their arbitration is continuing. Earlier this year the nurses settled for 7.8 per cent over two years with their award finishing eight months before the 2011 state election. The nurses settlement also allowed for a special case which is currently underway in the Industrial Relations Commission. That case covers shift allowances and potential increases for nurses on or above the top of their incremental pay scale.

Leaving aside the major problems at state level within the portfolio, Ms Firth will also be confronted with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Federal Education Minister Julia Gillard's so-called "Education Revolution". This is the revolution which is predicated upon maintaining until at least 2012 the distorted and corrupted federal funding regime which favours private schools at the expense of public schools.

Julia Gillard's defends such inequality by pretending that the public/private divide does not exist or is not a matter of moment. Speaking on the ABC's Lateline on August 27 this year Ms Gillard said: "Can I say to the AEU, it is fighting yesterday's battles. We aren't on about school systems, we are about the school performance and quality of every school." Unfortunately for Ms Gillard, she cannot just pretend that the inequality in resourcing does not exist. Teachers, parents and students confront it everyday. Education at a Glance shows that Australia ranks second last out of 27 OECD nations in public expenditure on public institutions.

Ms Gillard's statement on Lateline was in response to a paper released by Dr Jim McMorrow, a respected academic, for the Australian Education Union (AEU). Dr McMorrow's paper analysed the Federal Government's Budget projections for the next four years and found a reduction in federal funding for public schools and increases to private schools. In an astonishing response the Prime Minister labelled Dr McMorrow's paper "inherently dishonest".

Federation is now coordinating a number of lobbying activities with the AEU to ensure that the federal ALP caucus is aware of the value of public education and the McMorrow paper. That paper calls for an additional $1.5 billion for public education to restore funding to 1996 levels.

Finally, after almost seven years as President, I have decided it is time to leave the Federation. I have been very privileged to hold the position and advocate on behalf of teachers, public education and unionism. I have given it my best. I am leaving now to take a position at the NSW Welfare Rights Centre to continue the fight for social justice. I would like to thank the Officers and staff of the Federation for their comradeship and the Executive and Council members for their strength and commitment. To every member, thank you for your continued support of Federation's campaigns. I wish you all the best for the future.

Maree O'Halloran is the President.

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