Teachers ‘professional’, despite impositions says Vinson

by Kerri Carr

Teachers continued to exercise their professional judgement and discretion despite the dominant control exercised by central authorities over curricula and the tight prescription surrounding its presentation, Inquiry into the Provision of Public Education in NSW head Professor Tony Vinson told the Industrial Relations Commission on November 3.

Professor Vinson said he had concluded that school teachers in current circumstances exercised professional judgement and discretion to a "very, very considerable degree" on a day to day basis.

"That observation I have to say was coupled with another one...that is the observable degree of dedication and commitment to the teaching role, despite some of the frameworks placed around the performance of their duties," Professor Vinson added.

"They were determined to continue to meet the needs of individual children and young people...a high degree of professionalism in relation to trying to bring out the best possible performance of each student," he said.

Professor Vinson said an effort was made by teachers "to get to know the strengths and weaknesses of the students, something that could never be replaced by formal instructions, the learning styles of the students, to cater for those styles and the individuality of students."

Professor Vinson told the Commission: "Orthodox and rather formally set approaches to education achieve very little in the way of gaining some students' interest and involvement and that when teachers talk about professional discretion they are talking about their judgement which they then go on to say they must continue to exercise and notwithstanding the frameworks that are set."

Professor Vinson said in his report that salaries has an enormous bearing on the restoration of professional identity and the successful implementation of many recommendations issuing from the inquiry.

He told the Commission the five per cent salary increase recommended in his report was "intended to achieve a number of things, to in fact introduce the element of justice ..., to signify communal support for public education and teaching, and of course, to attract good quality people to the profession".

"We thought of it being settled independently of industrial negotiation," he also said.

While the entire findings and recommendations of the Inquiry formed part of his affidavit as an annexure, his affidavit made specific reference to many issues affecting teachers.

In reference to the "very great increase in the number of children with special needs attending general classes in schools", Professor Vinson's affidavit said: "By direct observation of teaching and discussion with teachers and parents it is clear that an added degree of complexity is introduced as teachers strive to meet the varying behavioural, mobility and, more particularly, the markedly different cognitive abilities of their students."

Also: "Frequently they have different types of disabilities...The planning and preparation of classes is a more formidable challenge...but little allowance is being made for this within the standard working day."

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005