New formula for primary executive release

By Angelo Gavrielatos

Following consideration of a proposal by the Department of Education and Training to change the formula for the allocation of executive release to primary schools, Federation has written to the DET seeking confirmation of its immediate implementation.

Federation wrote to the Department on March 18, 2003 indicating that while Federation would continue to pursue the achievement of meaningful release for executive staff in primary schools, as agreed to as part of the "Shaw process" (see below), immediate attention was required to address the current outdated DET policy which provides 1.0 full time equivalent (FTE) executive release upon the enrolment of 220 students or more in pre school to year 2 and 1.0 FTE executive release upon the enrolment of 580 students or more years 3-6.

(During 2002 the Federation was involved in a year-long negotiation process with the DET, commonly referred to as the "Shaw Process". The DET agreed with Federation's proposition that primary executive should receive the same release as their secondary counterparts. The DET also agreed primary schools should receive a further 0.1 release for each six full time equivalent teaching staff or part thereof. The DET subsequently reneged on this agreement citing unavailability of funds.)

Following a number of meetings throughout 2003, Federation finally received a written proposal from DET on December 19, 2003. Negotiations resulted in a revised proposal being put to the Federation on February 6.

The proposal has the effect of collapsing the existing formulae and creating a single pre school to year 6 formula which would result in schools getting 1.0 FTE executive release allocation at the point of achieving a P-6 student enrolment (including support) of 505 or above.

On 2003 student enrolment figures 32 schools which currently do not attract executive release based on the existing formula would qualify.

The implementation schedule for schools currently not attracting this release would result in:
i) schools with a P-6 student enrolment of 570 or more attracting 1.0 FTE executive release in 2004,
ii) schools with a P-6 student enrolment of 530 or more attracting 1.0 FTE executive release in 2005, and
iii) all schools with a P-6 student enrolment of 505 or more attracting 1.0 FTE executive release from 2006.

The impact of implementation of the "505" formula on schools with a P-6 student enrolment below 505 which currently attract 1.0 FTE executive release would be as follows:

In 2004:
i) schools that attracted 1.0 FTE executive release in 2003 and have a P-6 student enrolment of 505 or more will retain their executive release; and
ii) schools that attracted 1.0 FTE executive release in 2003 on the basis of a P-2 student enrolment of 220 or more but do not have or fall below a P-6 student enrolment of 505 will retain their executive release.

In 2005:
i) schools that attracted 1.0 FTE executive release in 2003 and have a P-6 student enrolment of 505 or more will retain their executive release; and
ii) schools below a P-6 student enrolment of 505 and which retained 1.0 FTE executive release in 2004 on the basis of a P-2 student enrolment of 220 or more would continue to attract 1.0 FTE executive release where they continue to have a P-2 student enrolment of 220 or more.
There is only one school in the state that attracts 1.0 FTE executive release on the basis of a P-2 student enrolment of 220 or more and an additional 1.0 FTE executive release on the basis of a years 3-6 student enrolment of 580 or more. It will continue to do so whilst it continues to satisfy these requirements. From 2005 additional executive release for large schools, such as the one described above, will be considered on a case by case basis.

Angelo Gavrielatos is the Senior Vice President.

For further information

February 2004 contents