DET beginning teacher conditions lag behind Catholic schools

By Bob Lipscombe

Following the latest discussions between Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt and the Senior Officers of the Federation on February 13 concerning betterments for beginning teachers, significant new information has emerged about how far the State Government has allowed the public system to lag behind the private system in this vital area.

It is now clear that every beginning teacher employed in the Catholic system in NSW receives significantly more support than beginning teachers employed in the public system. In Lismore diocese and Wilcannia-Forbes dioceses, for example, beginning teachers are released for an additional one day per week, while in the Armidale diocese they receive additional release equivalent to 12 days per year. Most Catholic dioceses also provide additional release time for teachers in their second year, as well as release time for teacher mentors and supervisors.

While Federation has been aware for some time of significant support available to beginning teachers in the Parramatta and Wilcannia-Forbes dioceses in the Catholic system, the extent of the disparity is now obvious. Added to this, of course, is the knowledge that significant improvements have also been made in private schools outside the Catholic system. The Scots College at Bellevue Hill, for example, not only provides a reduced teaching load for beginning teachers, but also provides reduced teaching loads for both teacher mentors and supervisors. Shore (Sydney Church of England Grammar School) at North Sydney provides a paid mentor position for each two New Scheme teachers and additional release for supervisors.

One can only speculate as to what extent the capacity of Catholic and other private schools to provide release for beginning teachers and mentor support is enhanced by state and federal government aid.

The weight of evidence in supporting the need for significant improvements for beginning teachers in the areas of workload, mentoring and professional development is overwhelming, with the latest contribution being Dr Lyndsay Connors' report for the Public Education Alliance, Time and Tide...A report on the need to invest in the renewal of the public school teaching service (available for download from the Federation's website). It also makes clear responsibilities of both state and federal governments to support beginning teachers.

At a time when the Department of Education and Training's figures indicate that approximately 40 per cent of teachers are expected to either resign or retire in the period 2006-2011, it is difficult to see how the Department of Education and Training expects to recruit the replacement beginning teachers when a much more supportive environment in the private sector is not at least matched.

In the public system outside NSW there has been recognition of the need to provide additional support for beginning teachers. Tasmanian beginning teachers in public schools already have an additional two hours release time per week. It is time the NSW Government announced additional release time and increased support for beginning teachers.

Bob Lipscombe is the Senior Vice President.

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