Public Education Day is Thursday May 23. Members are asked to mark the day with activities such as a morning tea to celebrate the progress in the Gonski campaign. Members are also asked to email federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott [via igiveagonski.com.au or (02) 9977 6411], or contact their local federal Coalition MP or candidate to seek a guarantee to honour any Gonski agreement.

  The NSW Teachers Federation will today step up the campaign to get Tony Abbott to support the NSW agreement on Gonski with the launch of a state-wide mobile billboard tour. Three mobile billboards will tour NSW with the message that the Gonski agreement struck by NSW and the Commonwealth must be honoured by Mr Abbott if he wins the September election.

The NSW Teachers Federation President Maurie Mulheron has today denounced the Opposition Leader’s repeated evasions on whether a Coalition Government would fund Gonski. “Today, the Opposition Leader has put an additional $5 billion for NSW schools at risk, all to try and score cheap political shots the day after Budget,” Mr Mulheron said today while visiting schools in Lithgow.

The NSW Teachers Federation has welcomed the $9.8 billion commitment in the Federal budget for the Gonski funding model. NSW Teachers Federation President, Maurie Mulheron said, “The significance of the Gonski structural reform to schools funding cannot be over-estimated.  “Gonski will deliver much-needed additional investment in schools, and for the first time, a model of funding schools based on student need.

Federation has called a meeting through its Migrant and Multicultural Special Interest Group (SIG) of ESL and Community Languages teachers. The forum will take place at 4:00pm for a 4:30pm start on Tuesday 21st May at Teachers Federation House, 23 – 33 Mary Street, Surry Hills.

The NSW Teachers Federation and the Australian Education Union have been at the forefront fighting to make the Gonski funding review recommendations reality... now we move into the campaign to guarantee the Gonski reforms regardless of which political party is elected. The closing song in this video, Creating Our Future, was composed by Anna Stewart-Yates and Olivia Uthantharm from Hornsby Girls High. Soloists are Anja Nissen and Jessica Rookeward. They are accompanied by the NSW Public Schools Junior Singers.

May 17 is a significant date to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) communities around the world. This date marks the occasion when the World Health Organization in 1990 decided to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder. Since 2004 the date has also been used to encourage people to take action and raise the profile of homophobia and transphobia on International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). This is an attempt to decrease the amount of discrimination and violence that people of diverse sexuality and gender still experience.

On 20 April 2013, the Public Education Foundation presented its annual awards and scholarships in Sydney Town Hall. The evening showcased the talents and achievements of many students from public schools across New South Wales. In the video playlist below is a complete version as well as selects of performances and presentations of the event. The video includes the following: Welcome to Country — Aunty Fay Carroll

NSW Teachers Federation Media Release Friday 19 April 2013 Premier O’Farrell fails to put children first Following the Council Of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting today, the NSW Teachers Federation said that the indecision of Premier O’Farrell on Gonski will only strengthen the resolve of parents, teachers and principals to keep up the campaign until schools funding reform is achieved.

Supporters of the Gonski funding reforms gathered in Canberra today, on the eve of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting tomorrow. Gonski is top of the agenda for the meeting. NSW Teachers Federation President, Maurie Mulheron,  said from Canberra that the eyes of parents of every school-age child will be firmly fixed on the political leaders’ meeting. He added:

The statement below has been sent today to the University of Technology Sydney Student Association President, in support of their rally today, and also to the President of the National Union of Students. "The NSW Teachers Federation believes that the Gonski schools funding reform is long overdue and should be supported. However, cutting funding to public universities is unacceptable. We call upon the Federal Government to immediately reverse this decision.

Teachers, principals and parents of the Blacktown area have shown a united front in their support for funding reform as recommended in the Gonski review. A delegation representing public schools in the area today delivered large signed postcards to the local State Member of Parliament, Kevin Conolly. The delegation coincided with a Western Sydney tour of a mobile billboard intended to put the spotlight on Premier Barry O’Farrell and the state government.