Teacher Institute elections expected in term 4

By Jennifer Leete

The NSW Institute of Teachers is gearing up to conduct elections of its Quality Teaching Council.

Federation's August Council will be pre-selecting its preferred candidates for the ballot when it occurs.

The union's Council has been concerned at the delay in the appointment of the Quality Teaching Council and in particular is unhappy that the Institute has engaged in decision-making and the preparation of standards and accreditation support documents, at the mandatory professional competence level, without the input of a Quality Teaching Council which compromises duly elected representatives of teachers.

The Institute is now saying that the election is likely to be held in October not September. A press release by Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt on July 20 refers to the elections occurring in the last quarter of this year.

Advertisements appeared in major newspapers on July 20 calling for teachers who did not believe they had been placed on the roll to complete an enrolment form by August 3.

The newspaper advertisements indicate that the names and contact information of teachers eligible to vote are being provided by teacher employing authorities. This includes the Department of Education and Training (DET). DET officers have told Federation that the names and school addresses of current permanent school teachers, as well as anyone who has worked as a casual school teacher from the start of 2003, have been provided to the Institute for the electoral roll. TAFE teachers who are qualified as school teachers will not have been automatically placed on the roll unless they have taught as a casual in a school since the start of 2003.

Jennifer Leete is the Deputy President.

Composition of the Quality Teaching Council

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August 2005 contents