Federation Representatives who have already made their school submission to the Valuing the Teaching Profession inquiry are encouraging other workplaces to do likewise.
John Ambrose of Maclean High School hopes members at other workplaces have been working together to make a submission because each school has a distinct experience to share.
“Every school has different people with different angles. We are a rural, isolated school with an Indigenous population,” he said. “We are going to have a different experience to schools with students with non-English speaking backgrounds; primary schools will have different points to make than high schools.”
Joanna-Maree Hsu-Ming of Marsden Road Public School said it was important for all schools to contribute a submission to the inquiry. It will enable the panel to gain a true picture of the experiences of teaching across the whole state, not just pockets, and the volume of submissions will help identify trends and key issues.
Straightforward submission-writing process
Joanna-Maree said Federation’s guide to developing a school submission was clear in communicating what needed to be done. “It was a simple process,” she said. “We held a workplace meeting, identified individuals to write some sentences about certain issues and also invited all members to make a contribution if they wished.” Joanna-Maree collated their words.
“Now’s our chance to be heard” is how John Ambrose put it to members when he sought contributions for a collaborative submission.
“I sent around Federation’s leaflet and encouraged people to talk to me or jot down a few points down,” he said. “Everyone got behind it.” He heard back from individual classroom and executive members and different faculties. “I put my head down to write our submission, sent a draft out for comments, got some feedback and then finalised it before sending it off.”
John said making a submission to the inquiry was a worthwhile exercise. “Lots of things that have been said to me over the years about the work we do have now been put into a meaningful document that will be heard.”
Help build a strong evidence base
President Angelo Gavrielatos said every additional submission will help build a stronger evidence base for why teachers deserve a salary that better reflects the changed nature and the value of the work they do.
“The greater the volume of submissions from schools that document changes to the teaching landscape, in the complexity of work, in societal expectations and new and different skills and responsibilities compared with 2003 will help substantiate the true value of teachers’ work,” Mr Gavrielatos said.
Schools have until the end of the term to have their say. For more details, or to lodge your submission, click here.
Kerri Carr is the deputy editor