New student report guidelines needed for 2007

The Department of Education and Training's attempt to foist a "one size fits all" student report format onto NSW public schools in 2006 has been a debacle, writes MAREE O'HALLORAN.

The "one size fits all" student report format debacle is a debacle that need never have occurred. The State Government/Department's intransigence plus their fear of the Federal Government's funding threats have caused the dispute. Federation has proposed since February 2006 that the parties negotiate an educationally acceptable framework. On the basis that such a framework was agreed, implementation could have been optional in 2006 and mandatory in 2007.

Instead, no genuine negotiations ever occurred and the Department attempted to roll the new student requirements through schools without agreement from teachers.

Public school teachers in NSW, however, have not bowed to blackmail by the Federal Government nor intimidation by the State Government. Federation's ban remains in place, and the NSW Government needs to negotiate an agreement with the Federation for 2007. The NSW Government must begin to act on educational grounds and in the interests of students.

Industrial Relations Commission

Federation still remains ready and willing to negotiate in the lead up to the 2007 school year. It is with disgust, however, that Federation notes the State Government's willingness to smear teachers about comments on student reports following a Daily Telegraph article on November 15.

Teachers' comments on reports have always been, and will continue to be, the most useful part of student reports. Teachers work hard to ensure worthwhile and appropriate comments for every student they teach. Secondary school teachers have always provided a comment for every subject they teach.

For the youngest children in our system, literacy and numeracy will sometimes be the biggest factor in determining the child's results in other key learning areas like science and technology, creative and performing arts, and human society and its environment. Thus, after talking to parents, some schools choose not to repeat the same comment for each subject. Furthermore, primary schools are encouraged by the Board of Studies to teach the curriculum in an integrated manner. The integration of subject areas may result in the duplication of comments. These are matters that should be decided by each school community.

NSW Premier Morris Iemma and NSW Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt have also put their names to a letter posted directly to parents about student reports. That letter appears designed to drive a wedge between teachers and their local school community. Morris Iemma would have been better advised to spend the hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money wasted on his political letter on our public schools.

Federation has produced a pro forma letter to parents for schools for use as necessary.

All of Federation's leaflets and advertisements in this campaign have been paid for by public school teachers in the interests of their students. For approximately one week from November 25 the following radio commercial is due to be played on selected regional and metropolitan stations:

"Teachers work hard to give children the confidence they need to succeed academically and socially. They are dedicated to helping every child reach maximum potential, but this essential element of good teaching is now under attack. The Federal Government is insisting on the introduction of an out of date and inaccurate grading system for even our youngest children. And once again their demands are accompanied by arrogant threats to withhold public funding from our schools.

"Teachers want report cards with plain English categories and explanations, but how they are used should involve parents and local schools. We must not have an old fashioned 1950s reporting method which is dangerously simplistic and potentially harmful to students.

"In the 21 Century our children deserve better. We call on the State Government to stand up to Canberra, to protect our children and our great public schools from bullying politics."

Thank you to all members who have worked so hard in this campaign to date. More advice will be sent to schools in early term one, 2007.

Maree O'Halloran is the President.

For further information

November 2006 contents