Bankstown GHS teacher Garry O'Keefe addresses the ESL forum.

Resourcing crisis draws crowd

By Kathy Deacon

More than 200 people attended a public forum on ESL provision in NSW public schools on August 29 at Bankstown Girls High School.

The forum had the support of the three principal organisations and the Federation of Parents and Citizens Associations.

In the period 1983 to 1992, the number of ESL teaching positions steadily increased by 20 per cent to meet increasing ESL student need. Since 1993, this has remained unchanged at 876 ESL FTE (full time equivalent).

From 1983 until 2004 the face-to-face ESL teacher to ESL student contact ratio increased from 1:55 to 1:110 (primary) and from 1:42 to 1:72 (secondary). This approximates a doubling of the student teacher contact ratio and demonstrates a significant deterioration in ESL program access in both primary and secondary schools over these periods.

Representatives from Bankstown Public School and Bankstown Girls High School addressed the forum and conveyed the 'day to day' challenges faced by students and staff. Those in attendance were moved by these honest and professional testaments. The stories resonated with the audience which consisted of teachers and community members from schools across the Sydney metropolitan area.

Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon was the only politician who was available to attend the forum. Ms Rhiannon articulated her support for additional ESL teachers and gave a commitment to the audience to work with renewed vigour towards the attainment of additional resources.

Federation Senior Vice President Angelo Gavrielatos concluded the forum by calling upon all present to "give voice to our concerns" about this crisis by engaging in intensive lobbying of our politicians.

He said the Department of Education and Training (DET) had unsuccessfully presented submissions on two occasions to the NSW Government for budget enhancements for additional ESL teachers. The unsuccessful 2003-04 Budget enhancement proposal from the DET was for an additional 100 ESL teacher positions, in line with the recommendations of the Vinson Inquiry into the Provision of Public Education in NSW. The estimated recurrent cost of this proposal was $8,392,000.

Mr Gavrielatos highlighted the Federal Government's failings by revealing that a statement from the Ministerial Council for Employment Education Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) in April 2004 showed that NSW should receive an additional $12 million per annum from the Federal Government for the provision of ESL programs, but it has not happened.

Kathy Deacon is a City Organiser.

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