Bumpy local selection road in Victoria

Under Victoria's local selection process "teachers in excess" are meant to have priority for transfer, but reality shows it is not always a smooth path.

By Kerri Carr

Australian Education Union Victorian Branch Secretary Brian Henderson said if a 'teacher in excess' (the equivalent to a nominated transfer in NSW) applies for a position they must be considered in isolation.

"If they meet the criteria, they should get the job," Mr Henderson said.

But he explained there were instances where schools who have a contract teacher they want to fill the position reject the "in excess" teacher.

He said this "happens quite regularly" and when these matters are taken to the Merit Protection Board the rejection of the 'in excess' teacher is "often over-turned".

"The hardest thing is to get the ['in excess'] teacher to go the Merit Protection Board, because if they win they have to go into a hostile school," Mr Henderson said.

Mr Henderson said the role of the Merit Protection Board was "pretty limited", with appeals only to be based on procedures.

"The Merit Protection Board doesn't have the ability to appoint someone else," he said.

He said once the procedural matter was rectified, the same candidate could once again be appointed to the position.

Mr Henderson said 'teachers in excess', due to declining enrolments and curriculum imbalance, get priority for transfer [like a nominated transfer in NSW].

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Last Modified: 03 Apr 2008