How to set expectations higher for Aboriginal students: Chris Sarra
2 July 2017
Section: News
Setting expectations higher for Aboriginal students can make a real and powerful difference to their education and to their expectations of themselves, teacher delegates at the Federation Annual Conference were told today (Sunday) by Professor Chris Sarra, a prominent Aboriginal educationalist who is Founder and Chairman of the Stronger Smarter Institute.
Student need sacrificed over tax policy, Annual Conference hears
2 July 2017
Section: News
Frustrations over the disappearing support for teaching and learning in schools and the extraordinary obsession with data featured in Federation President Maurie Mulheron’s keynote address on the opening day of Annual Conference. Mr Mulheron said education was a casualty in the war against public provision, a consequence of 30 years of neoliberal economic orthodoxy.
Seven honoured as new Life Members
2 July 2017
Section: News
Seven teachers with an outstanding record of union activism have been inducted as Federation Life Members. This morning, on day one of the 2017 Annual Conference, held at the International Convention Centre at Darling Harbour, Life Membership was bestowed on:
Annual Conference set to tackle big issues in education
1 July 2017
Section: News
A range of important issues for educators such as teacher workload, affordable housing, the Gonski schools funding campaign and the future of assessment and testing are to be tackled at this year’s Federation Annual Conference. The event will be held July 2-4 at the new International Convention Centre (ICC) in Sydney’s Darling Harbour.
Schools Funding Campaign Update
24 June 2017
Section: News
In the early hours of Friday morning, the Turnbull Government pushed through its schools funding legislation. This new funding scheme will have very serious ramifications for all teachers and students in our public schools. KEY POINTS: No longer a sector blind, needs-based model
Teachers and Parents condemn Pauline Hanson for her comments about students with disability
22 June 2017
Section: News
Senator Hanson’s comments yesterday that students with disability should be segregated from their peers at school are ill informed and deeply offensive. Hanson’s comments have rightly drawn condemnation from all directions, including teachers, parents and advocates for students with disability.
Response to state budget
21 June 2017
Section: News
State budget builds new schools, cuts support and caps salaries Whilst providing increased investment in capital works and maintenance for public schools, the NSW budget fails to adequately and fairly support the teachers responsible for delivering public education by cutting support staff in head office and maintaining the salary cap, Federation President Maurie Mulheron said today. Capital works and maintenance spending For decades, NSW public schools have experienced shortfalls in capital works and maintenance funding.
Turnbull and crossbench Senators to answer to electorate over education cuts
21 June 2017
Section: News
The Australian Education Union said schools across the country will miss out on billions of urgently needed funding in the next two years if the Turnbull Government’s plan passes through the Senate as predicted tomorrow. AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said that despite the political spin, the Government’s plan was not a national needs-based funding model and will leave public schools across the country under-resourced for six years or more.
Teachers vote overwhelmingly to accept pay offer from NSW Government
20 June 2017
Section: News
Teachers vote overwhelmingly to accept pay offer from NSW Government
Pay increases won for HSC exam markers
15 June 2017
Section: News
Higher School Certificate (HSC) markers will receive a pay increase in 2017 and 2018.
CFMEU calls national day of action on Tuesday 20 June
15 June 2017
Section: News
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) is staging a National Day of Action in Sydney on Tuesday 20 June and Federation officers will attend the Sydney rally to show union support for the campaign. ‘Enough is Enough: Stop the Attack on Workers’ rallies will be held at 11am at:
Wear red on June 20 to support Refugee Week action
14 June 2017
Section: News
Refugee Week 18 – 24 June – ‘With courage let us all combine’
National TAFE Day
13 June 2017
Section: News
While the future of thousands of Australian vocational training and education (VET) students remain uncertain, today’s National TAFE Day reminds students, educators and the community that the Federal Government needs to do more to secure funding for Australia’s public TAFEs.
Concerns raised over ‘People Matter’ survey
9 June 2017
Section: News
In response to questions raised by Federation, the Department has confirmed in correspondence on 31 May that data from the “People Matter Survey” is provided to the Department in relation to the responses from individual workplaces with a certain number of employees.
Pride March Against Trump and Turnbull: Global Day of Action
8 June 2017
Section: News
Confronting threats to LGBTIQ equality in Australia and the United States, Federation will join a march in Sydney on 11 June in common cause with marches being held across the United States, and all are welcome to join.
‘Don’t give up the fight: keep lobbying’, urges Gonski campaigner
5 June 2017
Section: News
Veteran Gonski campaigner Dianne Byers urges teachers and parents to keep up their efforts to achieve needs-based funding for schools, as outlined in the signed NSW Gonski agreement. “Continue to lobby all MPs and senators in the federal parliament. Keep tweeting, emailing, visiting and Facebooking,” she says. “As long as it takes, our students are worth it.”
National Gonski Week
5 June 2017
Section: News
The NSW-Commonwealth Gonski agreement provides NSW public schools the greatest funding increases over the next two years. This is now under threat because the Federal Government is refusing to honour its funding share of the agreement. In total, this will be a $846 million cut to NSW public schools. Funding figures for each NSW public school can be found here.
Campaign for recognition of Australia’s First Peoples
30 May 2017
Section: News
The Referendum Council’s Uluru Statement, arising from the National Constitutional Convention attended by more than 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delegates last week, calls for:
Talking and questioning improves student outcomes: CPL course
29 May 2017
Section: News
Ways to increase students’ attention spans were shared at the Centre for Professional Learning’s Improving Student Learning by Creating a Thinking Classroom course today. The brain is looking for novelty, presenter Sandra Rohan said. Other tools for increasing student attention spans include incorporating humour, music, movement, choice and games.
Public Education Day, 25 May 2017
25 May 2017
Section: News
A message from Maurie Mulheron, President NSW Teachers Federation
A cuppa and a chat with your MP to mark Public Education Day
25 May 2017
Section: News
Federation members and staff celebrated Public Education Day today with a morning tea during which they lobbied state and federal representatives to keep faith with the original full Gonski schools funding plan.