Teacher workload

Conference believes that teachers are on the back foot and retreating on issues of workload overload. We are part of an education system that is greedy for our goodwill and much free overtime.

To this end, we urge Federation to implement the 1999 and 2000 Annual Conference decisions to provide a full report on teacher workload.

Given the likely findings of such a report, we suggest consideration of:

• how much work has been added to teachers' non-teaching time with regard to programming (Outcomes Based Education), sports, basic skills testing and the like
• how many new "innovative" systematic inclusions at state, regional and particularly district levels have affected workload
• the increasing paperwork required to access special education programs, support and disability funding
• the large and unyielding supply of new curriculum/syllabuses without adequate professional development
• resourcing not matching teacher-student need
• the inordinate burden on relatively small schools, particularly primary schools under 400 students, central schools and rural and isolated schools
• the growth of the number of meetings required in schools -- training and development, welfare, learning committees, finance, integration, etc, many of which do not attract relief/release or time in lieu
• investigate the variety or models both in Australia and overseas that provide for additional professional development days and that a report be presented to November Council
• the impact of technology and its use on teacher workload and teacher stress. In the meantime the NSW Teachers Federation advises all its members to refuse to access e-mail accounts opened in their names by the DET because of workload and privacy implications.
  This does not deny members the right to an e-mail address as they can always open their own account if they wish to do so, with one of the free public domain providers.
  Teachers must retain the right to choose who, if anyone, can contact them by e-mail, and with whom they will share information such as an e-mail address.
  
• relief for excursions.

We call upon the State Government and the Department of Education and Training to increase the number of teachers, support staff and clerical staff to reduce the increasing workload.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions recently presented evidence to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission on excessive working hours.

Evidence presented would suggest that members of the NSW Teachers Federation are working excessive hours of the type linked to being detrimental to a person's physical and psychological health.

It is therefore moved that advice from delegates to the 2002 Annual Conference be sought as to how the phenomenon of excessive working hours in our profession may be overcome.

That 2002 Annual Conference establishes a gender-balanced committee of six teachers from the primary, secondary and TAFE sectors so as to consider the issue of excessive work hours in our profession. Such a committee would also include one executive member of Federation.

The committee would be required to provide a report to November Council on workload issues.

That Federation Executive today respond to the request presented by the Cessnock Teachers Association as outlined in Motion 16 in the "Motions from Associations" papers.

As part of this campaign Federation will provide strong support to any school branch whose members refuse to attend meetings or professional development session after normal school hours.

2002 Annual Conference decisions

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005