200 parents hear Gonski good news as MP pledges support
15 March 2017
Section: News
Member for Macarthur, Labor’s Dr Mike Freelander pledged to fight for Gonski school funding to be continued in full at a local launch of the AEU’s Getting Results 2 publication at Sarah Redfern High School in Minto, in Sydney’s West. “I understand how Gonski funding makes a difference to schools,” Dr Freelander said, as Federation members explained to parents of students the crucial benefits Gonski funding had brought to Sarah Redfern High.
The importance of relationships and partnerships in leading Aboriginal Education in a school
13 March 2017
Section: News
Principals and aspiring principals are exploring the different ways to meet the challenges often associated with the implementation of whole-school change at a Centre for Professional Learning course today. The Leading Aboriginal Education in Your School course focuses on the importance of relationships and partnerships.
Knowing your students’ passions helps to engage them in learning
13 March 2017
Section: News
Getting to know your students is key to engaging them, the SBS Insight program “A Teacher Changed My Life” illustrated last week.
Attention! NSW Gonski Bus tour details
10 March 2017
Section: News
Listed here are the Gonski Bus activities planned for your area. Buses will enter NSW from Queensland (the northern bus) and Victoria (the southern bus).
Strength comes from collective voice, conference hears
10 March 2017
Section: News
The importance of principals working together to make positive change in public education and resist irrelevant accountability processes was covered…
Statement of support for early educators taking strike action
8 March 2017
Section: News
The NSW Teachers Federation extends solidarity to United Voice in its campaign to achieve equal pay in the female-dominated childcare sector. Today, more than 1000 early childhood educators are expected to strike from 3.20pm, which represents the time women in Australia effectively start working for free because of the persistent gender pay imbalance.
Collective action will achieve gains for gender equity, IWD event hears
8 March 2017
Section: News
Women’s struggles for equality were acknowledged at an International Women’s Day morning tea at Federation’s Surry Hills headquarters this morning. International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge women’s progress towards gender equality in terms of social, political and economic rights that have been achieved through collective action.
Early career teachers offered timely advice
6 March 2017
Section: News
Practical strategies to help with student engagement were discussed at today’s Centre for Professional Learning course: Classroom Management through Effective Teaching. “Programming is the key to engaging students,” Jane Sherlock, retired Head Teacher and a course presenter said. “The syllabus is the foundation but you add the engagement and inspiration through your program and your lessons.”
Gonski bus campaign to fight Malcolm Turnbull’s cuts
1 March 2017
Section: News
The AEU’s “I Give a Gonski” Campaign will launch a national bus tour in Adelaide and Brisbane today to highlight the great results Gonski funding is delivering to schools and the threat to students from Malcolm Turnbull’s plan to scrap Gonski after this year. The Adelaide bus will be launched by South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, and the Brisbane bus by Queensland Education Minister Kate Jones.
Sydney International Women’s Day March and Rally on Saturday 11 March 2017
23 February 2017
Section: News
Unions NSW will be coordinating the 2017 Sydney International Women’s Day March and Rally on Saturday March 11. This year’s theme is “Forwards Not Backwards”, drawing attention to the many ways that gender equality appears to slipping, particularly in the area of health, economics, representation and safety. Date: Saturday March 11Time: 10amLocation: Archibald Fountain, Hyde Park North
International Women’s Day on Wednesday 8 March 2017
22 February 2017
Section: News
International Women’s Day, on March 8, has been a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women for more than 100 years, and is now considered the strongest global call-to-action for accelerating gender parity.
Just a few days left to tell inquiry what’s needed to support students with disabilities
20 February 2017
Section: News
“Every school and every teacher needs to ensure that they have made a submission into the NSW parliament inquiry into students with disability, Guildford West Public School assistant principal and Federation executive member Kathryn Bellach says. “Write a school one together and then encourage every teacher to select a part out of it and use it as the basis for an individual submission — the more the better.”
Former public education inquiry head Tony Vinson dies
20 February 2017
Section: News
Chair of the 2002 Independent Inquiry into the Provision of Public Education in NSW, Tony Vinson, died on February 17. “His life’s work whether it be his ground-breaking prison reform or his inquiry into public education has always been underpinned by a commitment to social justice,” Federation President Maurie Mulheron said.
Workload stresses need to be addressed with adequate resources
15 February 2017
Section: News
Rising stress levels among principals has prompted a renewed call from the Australian Education Union for governments to properly resource schools. The Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey released by Teachers Health Fund reports the main cause of rising stress levels for principals is the “sheer quantity of administrative work” they are required to perform, plus a lack of time to focus on teaching and learning.
Closing the Gap education targets in jeopardy without full Gonski dollars
15 February 2017
Section: News
How can the Prime Minister cut schools funding when the target to halve the gap in reading and numeracy for Indigenous students by 2018 is not on track, Federation President Maurie Mulheron asked today. The Closing the Gap: Prime Minister’s Report 2017, published yesterday, states: “The latest data show of the eight areas measured (reading and numeracy for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9), only one (Year 9 numeracy) is on track.”
Action not just words needed for Indigenous students
14 February 2017
Section: News
The Prime Minister’s sentiments that Indigenous children should be given every opportunity to get the most out of their education are admirable but need to be accompanied by action, Federation President Maurie Mulheron said today. “He needs to support full implementation of the Gonski model at the COAG meeting in April,” Mr Mulheron said.
PSA staff take strike action over privatisation of public disability services
14 February 2017
Section: News
NSW Disability Services employees will take strike action today to call on the NSW Government to stop the privatisation of public disability services.
Teachers affected by pension cuts – how you can speak out
6 February 2017
Section: News
Retired teachers are among those hit by recent changes to the aged pension entitlements. The cuts affect middle Australia — a couple who own their own home now lose eligibility for the full pension if they have around $350,000 in assets. The amount retirees lose tapers away much more steeply than before. A couple who previously received a part-pension of $250 per week now get no pension.
Turnbull’s “Alternative Facts” on schools funding
1 February 2017
Section: News
Malcolm Turnbull today repeated the claim that school funding has increased by 50 per cent in the past decade’ in a speech at the Canberra Press Club. This figure is one that has been ‘pulled out of the air’, according to Federation President Maurie Mulheron, and has not been substantiated with any evidence by either the Prime Minister or his Education Minister, Simon Birmingham.
Fair Work gives green light to TAFE EA
30 January 2017
Section: News
The Fair Work Commission has approved the TAFE Commission of NSW Teachers and Related Employees Enterprise Agreement 2016 that members voted to accept last November. This means members will begin receiving the benefits of the new Enterprise Agreement – including a 2.5 per cent annual pay rise over three years with all current conditions locked in – from February 3, in accordance with Section 54 of the Fair Work Act. The nominal expiry date of the Agreement is February 3, 2020.
Call for Baird government’s school funding legacy to continue
19 January 2017
Section: News
The finest way to recognise and acknowledge retiring NSW Premier Mike Baird will be for the successor leadership to continue the state Coalition government’s commitment and full, long-term funding support for Gonski, teacher organisations said in a joint statement today.