Federation Executive decision re: bans

Recommendation to Council that some bans be lifted

The Federation Executive, in a Special meeting held on Wednesday 14 July, determined to lift some Bans. These Bans were part of the Salaries and Status Campaign but the 2004 Annual Conference (4-6 July 2004) determined to keep them in place because of the educational, workload and resource implications of the matters.

The 14 July Executive meeting was provided with a copy of the Statement and Recommendation issued by Deputy President Sams of the IRC on Friday 9 July.

After considering that Statement and Recommendation and the decision of Annual Conference on the Educational, Workload and Resource implications of the matters, the Executive determined the following:

Executive Decision 14th July

Reports received.

Executive notes the Statement and Recommendation by Deputy President Sams of the IRC dated 9 July 2004.

Executive notes that, in considering the DET's application for directions that the bans be lifted, Deputy President Sams felt that he was unable to hear arguments on the educational, workload and resource implications of the matters banned.

Executive resolves to place the Statement and Recommendation on the Federation's website, along with an explanation of the educational, workload and resource implications of the matters in dispute.

Executive states that the Government and DET have not acted in good faith in relation to the items banned. In particular, Executive rejects the Government's and DET's view that they do not need to properly resource their so-called initiatives and can simply impose them on teachers.

As a result of the matters referred to in the Statement and Recommendation, Executive will recommend to 7th August Council that the following bans be lifted:

• Annual School Reports and associated work for 2004.
• Any meeting with School Improvement Officers to do with School Performance data
• Any before or after school meeting related to the above two matters
• The validation of workplace evidence provided by employers for apprentices and trainees, and any other work associated with apprenticeships and traineeships, which is not fully resourced.
• Unit Based Enrolment development and implementation in TAFE.
• Any TAFE course/module development for which there is not specific release or additional resources.
• Any work devolved from Head Office to TAFE institutes as a result of the restructure.
• Any new Classroom Management systems in TAFE such as REMS.

Because of their significant educational workload and resource implications and the DET's refusal to negotiate on the implementation of these new and significant items, the following bans remain in place:

1. The proposed electronic leave approval system called E-LAPS

   The DET is attempting to trial the implementation of this new school based electronic leave records management system in some parts of the state. As part of the unilaterally announced Government and DET devolution agenda, the system devolves the responsibility and potential blame for approval or non-approval of teachers leave onto the school principal with no consultation and with no recognition of the additional workload, confidentiality and resourcing implications. This is part of the Government's slashing of public sector positions.

2. The Pilot ISP (Internet Services) or Web-Services Project

   This includes the rollout of teacher and student e-mail accounts. Some 50 schools have been involved in a pilot of the new system as the first step in what the government intends to be a statewide rollout to all schools and TAFE colleges. Although the Federation has previously co-operated with the pilot, there has been no recognition by the DET of the additional workload, professional development and technical support requirements of the system.

   The Government has reneged on commitments given to the Federation when they were seeking our co-operation with the pilot. On 18 March, the NSW Premier publicly announced the roll-out of the "e-learning system", previously called the ISP (Internet Services & Products) Project and the Web-Services Project. The roll-out is to begin in schools in south western Sydney in Term 2 this year and the rest of NSW over the next 18 months.

   The former Director-General signed a $84 million contract with a private corporation known as UNISYS, to provide the system which provides a standard system of e-mail, forums, chat, web-browsing, list services, web publishing and remote access.

   The Federation has held discussions with the DET over a period of 18 months, to gain assurances about the following issues:

   • Technical support to schools
   • Agreed protocols regarding:
     - privacy
     - workload
     - access to training and development
     - child protection
     - security
     
   No guarantees have been forthcoming.

3. Construction of Portfolios of Student Work for Reporting Purposes

   The Eltis Report, "Time to Teach - Time to Learn" includes recommendations in relation to portfolios which have the potential to lead to changes in their nature and use.

   Concerns raised by the Federation regarding the workload associated with Assessment and Reporting, led to Minister Watkins agreement to appoint Professor Ken Eltis to conduct an evaluation of the implementation of Outcomes Based Assessment and Reporting. Professor Eltis' report, Time to Teach - Time to Learn was released in November 2003. It contains numerous recommendations aimed to clarify requirements for Assessment and Reporting and to make the workload for teachers more manageable and "to free up teacher time to allow more time to be spent in planning for teaching and devising of innovative tasks for students in all areas of the curriculum". Implementation of the Eltis recommendations is currently being managed by the DET and the BOS with the assistance of the "Eltis Evaluation Implementation Reference Group" on which the Federation is represented. The production of "Reporting Frameworks" arising from Recommendation R25, will have considerable ramifications for the issue of portfolios, including the frequency and form of portfolios. The Eltis report emphasises in several places that portfolios are not mandatory and that they have considerable workload implications. DET officers in evidence before the IRC confirmed that portfolio based reporting is not a DET requirement.

With respect to the NSW Non-Government Schools Registration Act the Federation will seek an urgent meeting with the government to seek a commitment to amend the regulations relating to the use of test data. In particular the development of protocols and the issue of appropriate educational and legal use of test data will be pursued. Executive puts the government on notice that it is unacceptable for private schools to report on data which would breach the protocols on the use of test data. September Council is to be provided with a full report on the outcome of these discussions with the Government.

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