Valuing teacher time — excessive teacher workload

Introduction

Quality public education at risk

However, a strong, comprehensive public education system requires government investment at greater levels than currently provided. Governments blatantly exploit teachers' professional commitment to fill the growing gaps and deficiencies in funding for schools, TAFE colleges and other Federation workplaces. A notable but by no means only example is the workload associated with the under resourcing of the integration of students with special needs. The number of integrated students with special needs rose from 1135 in 1988 to 16,638 in 2002. While funding increased, the amount was completely insufficient.

The Vinson Report identified that: "Many of the assets of the public education system have only been partly realised. Good policy objectives have been set and substantial investment made to attain them. However, the investments have been at levels that still fall short of what is needed to do the job." (p.15)

Work intensification, recognised by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission in the Reasonable Hours Test Case, has reached a critical level and is having a detrimental impact on the physical and psychological health of teachers and quality learning outcomes for students.

Professional expertise of teachers

Many potentially valuable initiatives fail because the Department of Education and Training and the Board of Studies have no strategically, coordinated plan for implementing and resourcing initiatives. In a completely ad hoc and apparently incoherent manner, schools and TAFE colleges are bombarded with paper, policies, initiatives and curricula which should have been coordinated at source.

It is far better for students if a few valuable initiatives are resourced and implemented well rather than many initiatives, some of dubious value, being only "partly realised".

Conference notes that Professor Vinson recommended the re-integration of the Office of the Board of Studies into the Department of Education and Training for the purpose of "more effectively synchronising policy and resource allocation, professional development and training and other practical considerations". He further recommended that the Department support teaching and learning in the classroom. Conference deplores the current State Government proposal to restructure the Department. Under the guise and rhetoric of "Lifelong Learning" it adopts none of the Vinson recommendations. Instead it will increase teacher workload and put at risk student outcomes by cutting over 25 per cent of the consultancy.

The professional ethos of teachers identified by the Vinson Inquiry and the ACIRRT Review is a strong feature of their sense of identity and purpose. Professor Vinson said at page 15:

"In an era when the relevance of traditional vocational ideals of 'service before self' have come under question, the Inquiry has had numerous reminders of the continuing strength of this value orientation among teachers."

However, when this ideal results in a workload that threatens teachers' health and quality learning outcomes for students, it becomes unprofessional and dangerous and must be resisted professionally and industrially.

Progress since November Council 2002

Conference welcomes the State Government's initiative in establishing the "Red Tape Task Force" but recognises that this will only address a small component of teacher workload. The Government must initiate strategies that encompass much broader issues of workload issues across all sectors.

Federation notes the Government has agreed to an education impact statement as proposed by the Federation that will assess the effect of new e-learning (email accounts) on teachers' workload.

Action

2. Federation will commission a review into teacher workload and its impact on teachers and students.

3. Federation will establish a Teacher Workload website engine.

4. Members are urged to lobby members of parliament in support of legislative change to facilitate the reintegration of the Office of the Board of Studies and the DET. Members will be provided with support material.

5. The Federation will support the provision of on-line teaching units, materials and resources in accordance with the principles underlying the Vinson recommendation for a "pedagogical clearing house".

6. Federation will continue to pursue the education impact statements for e-mail accounts directly with the Minister with a view to extending the concept across all curriculum areas and initiatives. New "initiatives" will not be implemented if a statement is not prepared.

7. Federation will work with DET to develop an exit interview survey of all departing teachers with a view to addressing issues which impact on the retention of teachers in the public education system.

8. Federation will incorporate workload issues in Trade Union Training courses.

9. Federation will continue to pursue a staffing establishment agreement to reduce face to face teaching in schools to facilitate time for planning, programming, assessing and related professional development. Likewise Federation will pursue appropriate release for TAFE teachers especially for work based assessment, commercial work, risk assessment and training plans.

10. Federation will pursue a significant increase in the time allocated to schools to release computer coordinators from face to face teaching duties, so they can adequately perform information and communications technology (ICT) duties such as school network maintenance, school website creation and updating, hardware maintenance and repair, software purchase and allocation, consumables purchase and installation and staff in-school in-servicing.

11. Federation will pursue the implementation of our policy for release time for Federation Representatives.
12. Federation recognises the workload in distance education centres (DECs) and calls for the immediate release of the Department's DEC audit.

13. A survey is to be undertaken by Federation to establish the impact of current and proposed reporting and assessment systems on teacher workload and stress levels.

14. Federation to pursue the discussions already commenced with DET in regard to achieving parity of conditions and salary between assistant principals in primary schools and head teachers in high schools (including specific provisions in central schools). Any agreed outcomes of these discussions around parity must be fully Treasury-funded.

15. Federation will vigorously oppose any such restructure of DET that would reduce consultancy and educational support to schools and TAFE.

16. Recognition must be given to the fact that teachers are finding it increasingly difficult to manage work and family/carers responsibilities. This difficulty is an integral issue connected with excessive teacher workload. Teachers need workplace provisions that particularly recognise the "double-shift" of many teachers, that is, working during the day and at night and on weekends, also caring for our families. Women are often the major carers for families but Federation recognises that "family" has a broad definition that is inclusive and expansive. "Family" includes many different relationships and involves caring for partners and aged relatives as well as children. Federation therefore must continue to pursue agreements with the Department to extend part time and flexible workplace arrangements for all teachers. Federation reminds the Government of its responsibility to provide flexible and family friendly working arrangements. This responsibility stems most recently from the amendment to the Anti-Discrimination Act 2000 around carers' responsibility and also the Premiers Department Policy for flexible workplace arrangements.

17. That DET fund a minimum of four release days per school in order to compile and write the annual school report.

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005