DET Futures Project

“Excellence and Innovation”

Federation will be providing advice to members in the next few weeks about key educational and industrial issues embedded in the consultation document so that Federation meetings can be held to prepare submissions.

To: All Workplaces (please bring this to the attention of all Federation members)

Dear Colleagues The Department's consultation document known as "Excellence and Innovation" has been sent to all public schools and TAFE Colleges.

Federation will be providing advice to members in the next few weeks about key educational and industrial issues embedded in the consultation document so that Federation meetings can be held to prepare submissions.

Federation hopes that the consultation process will be genuine. However, there is reason to believe that the process of consultation may be used as a cover to deregulate staffing and restructure schools. Statements made to the media by the Director-General, Mr. Cappie-Wood, confirm this belief.

The idea of widespread consultation with teachers, parents and community members appears on the face of it to be sound. Indeed, the Federation and the P&C commissioned the Vinson Inquiry in 2001/2 for that very purpose. However, the Vinson Inquiry was completely independent. The Department's Futures Project is not.

Professor Vinson and his team prepared a well-researched and costed plan for the future of public education. The Department is now ignoring that plan.

Federation will:

• call for the DET to extend the timeline for the consultation process to the end of Term 1, 2004.
• call for an independent analysis of all submissions.
• prepare a central Federation response.
• provide advice to schools and TAFE Colleges about key issues to address.
• request Professor Vinson to provide an independent submission.

Barry Johnson
General Secretary

For further information

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005