Making public education the issue

The opportunity exists to shape public opinion, and the parties' policies, in the interest of a thriving and vibrant public education system, writes MAREE O'HALLORAN.

Education is now a key issue for both Labor and the Coalition in the federal election campaign. The opportunity exists to shape public opinion, and the parties' policies, in the interest of a thriving and vibrant public education system. Teachers are strong campaigners who believe in, and spend their working lives, building a better future for our students. Our actions will make a difference.

The Labor Party needs to bring the word "public" back into its lexicon in a way that recognises the value of public education -- free, secular and universal. The Federal Coalition Government needs to be defeated. It presents a clear danger to the future of public education. The Federal Government's animus to public education has become overt as Prime Minister John Howard, his various education ministers and right-wing commentators deliberately foment concerns, fears and misconceptions about public education and teachers. The most recent bout was the Centre for Independent Studies' opinion piece released on February 3 arguing that a completely deregulated staffing system would improve public education.

On February 8, Kevin Donnelly (one-time chief of staff to ex-Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews) plans to launch a new book entitled Dumbing down -- Outcomes-based and politically correct -- the impact of the Culture Wars on our Schools. The book is designed to help manufacture a public education "crisis". Literacy and numeracy standards are not dropping. Australia ranks third after Finland and Korea in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) research. Australia does have a problem with low equity outcomes and public education teachers are committed to better equity outcomes. Their commitment, however, has to be matched by government policies and funding to support students with special needs.

Not only do these attacks undermine public education, but they also prepare the ground for an industrial onslaught against teachers by the Federal Coalition Government using tied federal funding as the lever. Federation members are urged to continue their activities in the Your Rights at Work campaign and to attend the next major rally on Sunday April 22 in Hyde Park, Sydney.

The NSW Labor Government faces an election in March. It appears to be ceding, de facto, its education policymaking role to the federal government -- no need for High Court decisions or the referral of powers to the Commonwealth. The NSW Government's record of capitulating to the Commonwealth on all education issues to which federal funding is attached is appalling. Public school teachers, however, have shown that they can withstand the Howard Government's funding blackmail. Teachers withstood repeated attempts by the Federal and NSW governments to blackmail them into producing educationally unsound reports or lose federal funding. It was only Federation members who consistently campaigned on this issue. This was a campaign about the educational needs of children and the professional role of teachers.

On December 14, 2006 Julie Bishop was quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald as saying that the states were only required "to take steps" to implement the new report requirements. This statement, plus the decision by the NSW Government in January this year to discontinue the case in the Industrial Relations Commission, represent significant back downs by each government. Teachers in NSW public schools continue to produce student reports based on educational grounds, not political gimmickry.

The NSW Government still refuses to negotiate an educationally sound settlement. Accordingly, the Federation's ban remains in place. This ban upholds the right to professional decision-making in schools. Comprehensive advice will be sent to schools as soon as possible about student reports.

Polling in the Sun-Herald on February 5 had education ranked a close 4th behind water, health and the economy in the upcoming state election. NSW Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt appears disengaged from the need to make major policy announcements for public education (see Maralyn Parker in the Daily Telegraph, January 31).

Federation has released to the media this year, survey results demonstrating the maintenance and resource needs in our public schools. This was followed by information about the struggle to retain new teachers in the public system. The Centre for Independent Studies would have us believe that "hiring and firing" at the school level will provide young teachers with career paths. It seems more likely to me that the provision of significant and ongoing release from face to face teaching for beginning teachers would have a greater effect on retention rates. Perhaps that is why some Catholic Dioceses, awash with government money, have implemented such programs.

The media releases were designed to support the public education demands first launched at the Cornerstones Conference in September 2006 and the Public Education Alliance's lobbying at Parliament House on November 23, 2006.

TAFE claims also continue to be pursued by Federation with the TAFE Teachers Association. Federation is currently negotiating a new TAFE staffing agreement with the State Government/Department. It is critical that the State Government commit to increasing permanency in TAFE. TAFE temporary teachers and other educational staff are now the only TAFE employees who do not have the legislative right to apply to convert to permanency after two years. The State Government's industrial relations credentials will be either strengthened or undermined by their actions in relation to this agreement.

Federal Opposition leader Kevin Rudd opened 2007 with a dramatic commitment to making education its first priority for investment, based on the clear link between education and economic growth. Federation welcomes Labor's alternative in the light of the Federal Government's linking of its extreme industrial laws to economic growth. However, the Opposition leader's statements have been notable in their attempt to avoid the public/private debate.

Kevin Rudd accused the Coalition of developing policy for "me, myself and I" (The Australian, December 5). Nowhere is the value of looking after others as well as yourself more exemplified than in public schools. Federation urges Kevin Rudd to examine the recent Productivity Commission reports which detail the Howard Government's disproportionate funding to private schools and the decline in TAFE funding. Clearly it is public education that needs significant increases in government investment.

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February 2007 contents