600 delegates take Conference to Premier

This morning at 10.45 am 600 teachers, principals and assistant principals will converge on Governor Macquarie Tower, Farrer Place, Sydney to call on the Premier to re-establish a positive relationship with teachers in this state.

The Teachers Federation has written to the Premier requesting that he meet with a delegation to receive a peace plan to settle the long-running staffing dispute.

Teachers' peace plan for staffing

The plan is built on two principles:

1. a curriculum guarantee for every child in every classroom.

2. respect and recognition for the experience and capabilities of the teaching profession.

The plan would maintain a statewide transfer system and provide up to 40% of placements for selection at the local level.

Effects of the government's staffing changes

The government's changes will:

* phase out teacher transfers in practice

* offload the government's responsibility for finding teachers onto schools

* exacerbate the difficulty for some schools who already find it hard to attract and retain teachers. This problem will lead to larger class sizes and a lack of specialist teachers for many children

* set the pre-conditions for the Victorian model of school staffing which is detrimental for teachers and students.

Industrial action

Teachers are scheduled to resume statewide action in August if a settlement cannot be achieved.

For further information

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Last Modified: 08 Jul 2008