Fed Rep Luke Bristow, and teachers Nigel Smith and Graeme Smith sweltered in a dormitory as temperatures reached at least 39 degrees celsius on November 30.

Farrer at boiling point over lack of air conditioning

By Owen Hasler

The threat of industrial action by Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School teachers will be reviewed in the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) today (December 6).

Teachers have threatened industrial action over the Department of Education and Training's (DET's) failure to improve air conditioning at the school.

On February 18 teachers at the school expressed "disgust and dismay that the NSW Department of Education and Training would continue to uncaringly submit our students and staff to these unacceptable living conditions". Federation members indicated that industrial action would be considered if a favourable response had not been received by the commencement of term 4.

On September 15 a unanimous decision of the teaching staff indicated to Education Minister Dr Andrew Refshauge that the staff re-affirmed to take industrial action by way of a duty strike as of day 1, term 4 if DET did not call tenders for the air conditioning of all dormitory spaces.

This resolution followed a period of 18 months' frustration for the staff as they fought to have the air conditioning in the dining area fixed and for a recognition that the above 30 and 40 degrees celsius temperatures experienced in the accommodation blocks during the 2003-2004 summer were unacceptable living conditions.

The action was later postponed on the undertaking that DET would undertake an inspection and provide a response. Had the action taken place about 350 boarding students at the school would have had no out of class hours supervision and, therefore, would have effectively closed the boarding section of the school.

The maintenance of the dining room air conditioning was finally achieved by mid term 4, following a visit by a DET official.

Staff were informed that DET had no plans to air condition the dormitories (despite having air conditioned three of the five dormitories at Yanco Agricultural High School in 1999) nor upgrade the electricity supply which would be required if the air conditioning was to be installed.

This response outraged the staff at the school who had been advocating for the work to be undertaken for some time. In February 2002 they obtained a private quote for the installation of the air conditioning in the dormitories.

Upon receiving DET's response the staff met on November 10 and indicated that the proposed duty strike action would proceed following the mid-term home break weekend for boarders, meaning boarders would not return to the school for the second half of the term.

DET's response was to immediately have the dispute listed in the IRC.

A meeting between senior DET officials and Federation officials including General Secretary Barry Johnson, Assistant General Secretary (Schools) John Irving, Country Organiser Owen Hasler and staff representative Clint Gallagher took place on November 17.

The meeting was held on a 'without prejudice' basis and at the conclusion of the meeting there was an understanding that a written proposal for the provision of air conditioning of the school (including dormitories) would be provided by DET. When this was received by Federation it would be made known to the staff and school community for discussion and subsequent response.

The staff met once again on November 18 and reluctantly decided to support the recommendation by the General Secretary to defer their intended action pending receipt of DET's proposal.

The staff believe that the DET has had ample time to address the concerns of parents, students and staff in relation to the lack of air conditioning and sweltering heat experienced in the 2003-4 summer and are angry and frustrated by the apparently dismissive response by Department officials.

They are also concerned that DET may propose that the school and parents pay for all of the cost of the proposed work.

Federation Representative Luke Bristow said: "We believe that the Department should be paying for upgrading the electricity supply and contributing to the cost of air conditioning."

"I was working in the boarding houses the other night and I noticed the boys had all the windows closed, but I realised that due to the lights being on, they can either be cooler and covered in insects or have the windows closed. The boys can't win and they've had enough."

On November 26 the School Council was briefed on the developments to date and decided to advise parents they felt it was the Department's responsibility to air condition the school.

When the proposal is received, staff intend to take DET's proposal to the School Council. The proposal had still not been received as of December 1.

As is usual in these cases, DET has informed the school staff not to comment to the media on the issue and has banned the media from entering the school premises in an attempt to limit the information available to the public.

Tamworth MP Peter Draper has raised the issue in Parliament and called upon the Department to "act swiftly" and stated that he believed they were 'passing the buck' in suggesting that parents should pay for the installation.

Owen Hasler is a Country Organiser.

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