Union to consult membership and community

Federation is to undertake a study to ensure a strong future for public education, writes SALLY EDSALL.

Federation is committed to the principles of public education as a strong foundation for a sure future. A key component of our commitment is to ensure Federation policies and directions accurately reflect the needs and aspirations of our members.

Federation has engaged an independent public affairs research consultancy, IPSOS-Mackay Public Affairs, to conduct research with the membership. The study also involves speaking with the general public to ensure that we understand how they feel about public education.

Members who receive a survey are asked to take the time to complete the survey. Members' opinions are valued, and this is an opportunity to speak directly with the Federation on these issues and others that may concern you.

You can be assured all answers are entirely confidential. Completed surveys will be returned to an independent third party. Federation staff will not see any individual responses.

Issues to be considered in the survey include: school choice; attendance at Federation meetings; readership of Education and other forms of communications; usage and satisfaction with various membership benefits; agreement with various policies and campaigns, (for example, school structures and funding, special needs, testing, staffing); salaries campaign strategies; engagement with the public; and the future of public education.

Many of the questions replicate what was done in the last large survey in 1997.

Financial members will be chosen at random to receive a survey.

It is an extremely large survey of 5000, representing about 7.5 per cent of total membership. If political parties did opinion surveying on this scale it would be about 900,000 people (that is 7.5 per cent of the approximately 12 million eligible to vote).

Elements of the research include:

• 5000 quantitative surveys to be sent to members in all sectors
• six focus groups of members in all sectors, to be held in Sydney (Parramatta), Lismore, Wagga Wagga and Tamworth.
• a quantitative survey of parents
• paired interviews with parents.

Key dates for the research are:

April 1: Paper survey mailed to members
May 11-20: Parent quantitative survey out in field (300)
May 31 and June 4: Presentation of initial findings to Executive
June 4: Presentation of initial findings to Council
June 27 or June 28: Presentation of final report to Executive
July 4: Presentation of final report to Annual Conference.

The people from IPSOS responsible for the project are Randall Pearce and Mark Van Der Meer. Randall Pearce's background is in human rights activism and social policy research. He is heading the project. Mark Van Der Meer is a very experienced researcher in both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Sally Edsall is a Research Officer.

Salaries meetings during week 1

For further information

March 2005 contents