The platform

Philosophical underpinnings

As stated by Lyndsay Connors: "It is the socially representative nature of a genuine comprehensive school which delivers the ultimate socio-political benefits of public education. It is the socially representative comprehensive school that creates a tendency, a disposition towards broadmindedness, liberalism and a tolerance of and indeed acceptance of diversity."

Essential resources

In addition to the overarching schools funding policy campaign and beyond our ongoing campaigning in pursuit of policy objectives, Federation, together with other members of the Public Education Alliance (the Federation of P&C Associations and principal organisations), will develop a set of demands for additional resources, which, like the gains in the previous state and federal elections, can make a significant impact on the provision of quality public education.

The Vinson Audit (May 2005), which assessed the extent to which the State Government implemented the recommendations of Professor Vinson's landmark inquiry, serves well in identifying potential priorities.

The Audit identified continuing urgent need in the following areas as a result of the State Government's failure to implement key recommendations:

• low support needs integration funding;
• the provision of ESL;
• inadequate school counsellor staffing levels; and
• the state of school maintenance.

Preliminary discussion with the Public Education Alliance indicates a growing consensus that, having achieved a successful outcome with the K-2 class size reduction program, the campaign platform for the 2007 elections must include a priority demand to achieve additional resources for high schools targeting the foundation years of high school, years 7 and 8. This is consistent with 2004 Annual Conference policy which resolved that "the Federation will continue to pursue additional staffing/resourcing for years 7 and 8. This additional resourcing would allow schools to introduce strategies such as reduced class sizes or collaborative team teaching programs to address 'middle schooling' issues during these critical transition years from primary to high school education."

Furthermore, consistent with the view that our campaign platform must articulate a vision of high quality schooling in an advanced economy, the platform must include specific demands recognising that 21st century teaching/learning environments must be equipped with modern technologies that provide ample access for students and teachers.

Additional campaign objectives include the need to:

• Attract and retain teachers in an era of international teacher shortage. In recognition of a significant proportion of new teachers leaving the profession within their first five years of teaching, this strategy must include an effective mentoring program for all new teachers in our public schools. This mentoring support should involve reduced teaching loads for both the mentor teacher and the new teacher.
• Expand the provision of government funded pre schools attached to public schools, a dramatic increase in funding for Aboriginal students and their communities, and the maintenance and expansion of low socio-economic status equity programs.
• Enhance the provision of special education with particular emphasis on emotionally disturbed, behaviour disordered schools and classes. The growth in student numbers presenting extreme and challenging behaviours in our schools is a reflection of the growth of 'real' disadvantage in our society.

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005