History Lesson: Teachers and free speech
12 June 2018
Section: News
The significance of the “Beatrice Taylor affair” can’t be overstated, not only for the future of Federation but also the concept of mass mobilisation, Federation leaderships’ later tactics, political affiliation freedoms for citizens, and the Communist abolition referendum and battle for control of the union in the 1950s.
Campaign wins recurrent funding increase
8 June 2018
Section: News
While the Turnbull Government has refused to fund its share of the final two years of the NSW Gonski agreement, the schools funding campaign has been successful in attracting an additional $1.4 billion to NSW public schools since 2014.
Beginning Teacher conferences worth the travel time
8 June 2018
Section: News
Federation’s Beginning Teacher conferences are attracting teachers from hundreds of kilometres away who come to participate in a fun and informative weekend of professional learning.
Wear red on 20 June to support Refugee Week action
7 June 2018
Section: News
Refugee Week is Australia’s peak annual activity to raise awareness about issues affecting refugees and to celebrate positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society.
Allowance reinstated for itinerant support teachers
7 June 2018
Section: News
Federation has successfully pursued with the Department the reinstatement of the teaching students with disabilities allowance for itinerant support teachers.
Stokes prioritises administrative workload reduction
7 June 2018
Section: News
Education Minister Rob Stokes says he shares “concerns that a teacher’s core role of educating children in the classroom can be adversely affected by the administrative burden,” in a letter to Federation, dated 1 June.
Incentive restored for rural and remote schools
6 June 2018
Section: News
The ability for our hardest-to-staff schools to convert long-term temporary appointments into permanent positions above establishment has been restored.
Federation takes pay discrepancy to Minister
6 June 2018
Section: News
Federation has written to the NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes seeking to resolve discrepancies that arose out of the transition to standards-based pay.
Retired Teachers Association news
4 June 2018
Section: Member’s Voice
At the May meeting, the RTA condemned the Turnbull Government’s budget. The ABC now faces an $84 million cut to its funding over the next three years and it seems that analysis of federal policies and expenditure on the broadcaster’s side is met with a large financial stick.
Teachers invited to have their say on Aboriginal education policy
30 May 2018
Section: News
A peak Aboriginal congress is seeking consultation with the education sector to prepare a policy document to present to education ministers at their next Council of Australian Governments meeting.
TAFE shines at Vivid Sydney
29 May 2018
Section: News
Regional TAFE NSW students have not only hit the big city for this year’s Vivid Sydney but they’ve brought the bright lights with them.
Don’t Keep History a Mystery
28 May 2018
Section: News
Celebrating National Reconciliation Week (NRW) in your school or workplace is a great way to be engaged and learn more about history of the First Peoples of Australia and their achievements.
Public school system is one of the greatest agents of change
25 May 2018
Section: News
The first Aboriginal Australian to graduate from Harvard Law School has labelled the Australian public school system as one of the greatest agents of change for the nation.
Aboriginal Conference explores funding and the future
25 May 2018
Section: News
“Values, visions and voices” was the theme and all these aspects were shared by Federation’s Aboriginal members at their 22nd conference on Saturday 19 May.
Documentary covers Federation’s contribution to Aboriginal education
21 May 2018
Section: News
It was an idea hatched at an Aboriginal Friday Night Forum in 2015, a documentary tracing the stories of members who set the way for today’s Aboriginal teachers and the contribution of Federation’s long campaign to uphold the rights of our First Peoples and advance the cause of Aboriginal education.
There’s nothing casual about teaching
18 May 2018
Section: News
Why should casual teachers develop a PDP and engage in the Performance and Development Framework?
Chaplains in schools: probably illegal, certainly immoral
18 May 2018
Section: Columns
In the recent federal Budget, an additional $247 million has been allocated to the schools chaplaincy program. This brings the total amount of funding for the scheme, since its introduction in 2006 by the Howard Government, to about $1 billion.
Council Report: 5 May 2018
18 May 2018
Section: Administration
Key issues discussed at May Council included Federation’s response to “Gonski 2.0”, the preliminary findings arising from the Understanding the work of schools survey, the push for a new NAPLAN, protecting and enhancing staffing entitlements and initial teacher education.
News from the Retired Teachers Association
18 May 2018
Section: Member’s Voice
The Combined Retired Union Members Association is seeking clarification from Unions NSW about the State Government’s decision to penalise union officials and unions for engaging in industrial action.
Huge win for Victoria’s TAFE teachers
17 May 2018
Section: News
This month’s Victorian Budget announcement will increase public sector wages 11.2 per cent by 30 June next year.
Minister Birmingham comments about basket weaving TAFE course causes social media storm
17 May 2018
Section: News
Simon Birmingham’s attempt to be smugly dismissive of Labor’s budget-reply commitment to TAFE funding have set off a social media storm, with thousands of TAFE graduates showing their support for TAFE and the positive effect their qualifications had on their lives and careers.