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EDUCATION
Fix this textJOURNAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION
Fix this textAgreement No. PP 255 0 0 3 001 0 4
Fix this textVo 1. 83 N 0.5 May 13. 2002
Fix this textCelebrate Public
Fix this textEducation Day
Fix this texton May 23
Fix this textby Maree O’Halloran
Fix this textOn May 23 teachers, parents and
Fix this textstudents across Australia will cel
Fix this textebrate, promote and defend public
Fix this texteducation.
Fix this textSchools and TAFE colleges will
Fix this textbe undertaking a wide and diverse
Fix this textset of activities from grandparents’
Fix this textdays, to district pageants, to marches
Fix this textand assemblies in local towns.
Fix this textThe focus of Public Education
Fix this textDay this year will be the release of
Fix this textthe first findings from the Vinson
Fix this textInquiry. On Wednesday May 22 a
Fix this textPublic Education Dinner will be
Fix this textheld at Parliament House as a forum
Fix this textfor Professor Vinson to report his
Fix this textfirst findings. The aim is for public
Fix this texteducation supporters to use the
Fix this texthouse of government as the back
Fix this textdrop to unroll a blueprint for the
Fix this textfuture of public education. After all,
Fix this textteachers and parents established and
Fix this textfunded the Vinson Inquiry because
Fix this textsuccessive governments refused to
Fix this textdo so. The Vinson Inquiry is the
Fix this textfirst large-scale inquiry into public
Fix this texteducation for 50 years.
Fix this textSchools and TAFE Colleges will
Fix this textbe provided with a leaflet explaining
Fix this textthe concept of the Vinson Inquiry
Fix this textand its connection to Public Edu
Fix this textcation Day. Federation suggests
Fix this textthat the leaflets be sent home in
Fix this textschool newsletters. A series of radio
Fix this textcommercials in metropolitan and
Fix this textregional stations will support the
Fix this textday. For example:
Fix this textVoice Over
Fix this text“A year long comprehensive study
Fix this textinto Public Education involving
Fix this texthundreds of schools and the input
Fix this textof thousands of parents, teachers
Fix this textand students is producing an excit
Fix this texting blueprint to make our state’s
Fix this textpublic education system the most
Fix this textsuccessful in the world.
Fix this textDetails are available at your
Fix this textlocal public school this Thursday
Fix this textwhen we celebrate Public Educa
Fix this texttion Day.
Fix this textIt’s your child’s future.”
Fix this textIn addition, schools and TAFE
Fix this textcolleges will be supplied with new
Fix this text“The issue is public education”
Fix this textsigns for display on the day and
Fix this textfollowing.
Fix this textProfessor Vinson’s first findings
Fix this textwill be about:
Fix this text• the professionalism of teachers
Fix this text• class sizes
Fix this text• effective classroom practice.
Fix this textFederation is planning to provide a
Fix this textone-page summary of the findings
Fix this textby faxstream to schools for May
Fix this text23.
Fix this textEducation Minister John Wat
Fix this textkins has indicated his support for
Fix this textPublic Education Day and the
Fix this textVinson Inquiry. His letter of support
Fix this textfor Public Education Day and the
Fix this textVinson Inquiry should be in schools
Fix this textand TAFE Colleges shortly.
Fix this textFrom May to September more
Fix this textof the Vinson blueprint will be
Fix this textreleased. At the end of the Inquiry a
Fix this textbooklet Your Child, Your Future
Fix this textwill be produced for mass distribu
Fix this texttion.
Fix this textMaree O’Halloran
Fix this textis the Presi
Fix this textdent.
Fix this textClass sizes campaign hots up
Fix this textby Jennifer Leete
Fix this textWith Federation’s class sizes video,
Fix this text8 with speakers notes'and parent
Fix this textflets now in schools, the class
Fix this textsizes campaign is in top gear.
Fix this textParent groups and principals are
Fix this textkeenly supporting the campaign. It
Fix this textis now vital that we maximise the
Fix this textattendance at parent meetings.
Fix this textFederation is currently prepar
Fix this texting lobbying materials including
Fix this textpostcards to be sent to MPs. These
Fix this textwill be available following May
Fix this textCouncil.
Fix this textThe Senior Officers continue
Fix this textto lobby the Minister and Shadow
Fix this textMinister on the class size issue. In a
Fix this textSydney Morning Herald article on
Fix this textApril 30, Shadow Minister Patri
Fix this textcia Forsythe MLC was quoted as
Fix this textsaying: “The weight of evidence in
Fix this textrelation to smaller class sizes for the
Fix this textbeginning years of school seems to
Fix this textbe compelling. It’s inexcusable for
Fix this textone in five kindergarten, year 1 and
Fix this textyear 2 students to be in classes well
Fix this textabove existing guidelines.”
Fix this textMinister Watkins, on the other
Fix this texthand, was quoted as follows:“The
Fix this textjury is still out on the impact of
Fix this textclass sizes.”
Fix this text“And you can’t reduce [class
Fix this textsizes] to 20 without it meaning
Fix this texta huge increase in the number of
Fix this textteachers,” he said.
Fix this textMeanwhile plans for the visit by
Fix this textUSA class sizes expert Professor
Fix this textCharles Achilles are well in place.
Fix this textProfessor Achilles will conduct a
Fix this textseminar in the Parliament House
Fix this texttheatrette 4pm to 6pm on Friday
Fix this textJuly 5. All Members of Parlia
Fix this textment, teachers, principals, parents
Fix this textand other key members of the
Fix this textpublic education community will be
Fix this textinvited. Professor Achilles will give
Fix this textthe keynote address to Federation’s
Fix this textAnnual Conference on July 7. The
Fix this textSenior Officers have also offered the
Fix this textMinister and the Director General
Fix this textthe opportunity to meet with Profes
Fix this textsor Achilles.
Fix this textJennifer Leete
Fix this textis the Deputy
Fix this textPresident.
Fix this textInner city win
Fix this textby Fionie Stavert
Fix this textAfter more than a year of tough cam
Fix this textpaigning Marrickville and Dulwich
Fix this texthigh schools are to remain open as
Fix this textseparate comprehensive schools.
Fix this textIn the words of Education Minister
Fix this textJohn Watkins Dulwich Hill and Mar
Fix this textrickville high schools are to remain
Fix this textopen “in the best interest of public
Fix this texteducation”.
Fix this textThe battle for the schools’ futures
Fix this textbegan with the release of the Building
Fix this textthe Future document in March 2001,
Fix this textwhich proposed the amalgamation
Fix this textof the two schools on the Dulwich
Fix this textHill site.
Fix this textBoth schools were outraged and
Fix this textwere immediately at war with the
Fix this textDepartment of Education and Train
Fix this texting and the then Education Minister
Fix this textJohn Aquilina.
Fix this textIt was clear the proposal was based
Fix this texton pure economic rationalism and
Fix this textshowed that the creators of this plan
Fix this textdidn’t understand these two com
Fix this textmunities. They were about to leam!
Fix this textFederation’s policy was clear from
Fix this textthe start: teachers don’t keep schools
Fix this textopen, communities do. Federation
Fix this textreiterated its demand that all elements
Fix this textof the “proposal” be subjected to
Fix this textnegotiation and consultation. Further,
Fix this textFederation would work with and sup
Fix this textport school communities in respond
Fix this texting to the threats of inner city school
Fix this textrestructuring, maintaining the interests
Fix this textof public education as a whole.
Fix this textMarrickville High School organ
Fix this textised a rally at the school. The school
Fix this texthall was filled with nearly 1000 mem
Fix this textbers of the community chanting for
Fix this textminutes on end: “Marrickville, Mar
Fix this textrickville, Marrickville.” This action,
Fix this textcombined with a letter writing cam
Fix this textpaign where each writer wrote on the
Fix this textenvelope how many voters were in
Fix this textthe household, proved to be a winning
Fix this textcombination.
Fix this textTeachers at the school, led by
Fix this textKaren Shaw and Federation Repre
Fix this textsentative Cindy Berwick, community
Fix this textliaison officer and local Marrickville
Fix this textCouncillor Sam Iskandar, and teachers
Fix this textat Wilkins Intensive English Centre
Fix this textInner City Teachers Association Secretary and Dulwich High School
Fix this textteacher Guri MacKinnon (pictured among students and teachers) said
Fix this textthe win would “really invigorate public education”. “It will bring Dul
Fix this textwich and Marrickville high schools alive to a new future,” she said.
Fix this text(situated on Marrickville High School
Fix this textsite and also facing closure) worked
Fix this texttirelessly after the rally to ensure the
Fix this textpressure was kept on.
Fix this textJune 2001 saw the release of Build
Fix this texting the Future Mark Two and the sen
Fix this texttence: “Further consultation will occur
Fix this texton the future of Marrickville High
Fix this textSchool and Dulwich High School.” At
Fix this textthe press conference to release Build
Fix this texting the Future Mark Two the then
Fix this textMinister Aquilina stated the people
Fix this textof Marrickville had “come up with
Fix this textsome very detailed plans but also
Fix this textsome very considerable concerns ...
Fix this textWe didn’t reach agreement in relation
Fix this textto Marrickville and Dulwich”.
Fix this textThis was immediately and cor
Fix this textrectly interpreted as this plan is caus
Fix this texting us political pain and it may be
Fix this texteasier to close Dulwich.
Fix this textThe additional three-month con
Fix this textsultation period and the setting up
Fix this textof a review committee chaired by
Fix this textRon Hurley confirmed this interpreta
Fix this texttion. Dulwich teachers and their com
Fix this textmunity were now in a fight for their
Fix this textsurvival.
Fix this textOver the next four months the
Fix this textSave Dulwich High School steering
Fix this textcommittee and Guri MacKinnon,
Fix this textPat Byrnes, Rae Jones and Shane
Fix this textForest worked frantically to bring
Fix this textback equilibrium in political thinking
Fix this textthat would keep both schools open.
Fix this textThey were strongly supported by Mar
Fix this textrickville Councillor and Dulwich Hill
Fix this textChamber of Commerce representa
Fix this texttive Dimitri Thanos, Con from the
Fix this textLast Drop Cafe and Craig Cootes
Fix this textfrom the Gladstone Hotel who dis
Fix this textplayed a large banner for more than
Fix this textseven months. On July 25,2001 the
Fix this textChamber of Commerce organised to
Fix this textclose local shops at 4pm and march
Fix this texton local member Dr Andrew Ref
Fix this textshauge’s office. These shopkeepers
Fix this textwere demanding that both schools
Fix this textremain open.
Fix this textFor 12 Saturdays in a row teach
Fix this texters petitioned community members
Fix this textat local shopping centres. The com
Fix this textmunity wrote more than 2000 letters
Fix this textto Deputy Premier and local member
Fix this textAndrew Refshauge.
Fix this textTeachers at the school took stop
Fix this textwork action in late September. They
Fix this textmarched to Refshauge’s office.
Fix this textAs a result of this community
Fix this textdebate local activist, Karen Campbell,
Fix this textformed the Primary Parents Alliance.
Fix this textThe activism and passionate demands
Fix this textof this group was an important intro
Fix this textduction to the issue for the newly
Fix this textappointed Education Minister John
Fix this textWatkins.
Fix this textSenior Officers of the Federa
Fix this texttion, especially the then Senior Vice
Fix this textPresident and now President Maree
Fix this textO’Halloran, took every opportunity to
Fix this textemphasise with the Minister, ministe
Fix this textrial advisers and senior departmental
Fix this textbureaucrats the absolute necessity of
Fix this textkeeping both schools open and 7-12
Fix this textin composition.
Fix this textFionie Stavert
Fix this textis a City Organ
Fix this textiser.
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
With your Trove account you can:
http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634238
N.S.W. Teachers' Federation & New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. (1919). Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation Retrieved March 27, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634238
N.S.W. Teachers' Federation and New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation Sydney: The Federation, 1919. Web. 27 March 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634238>
N.S.W. Teachers' Federation & New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation. 1919, Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation The Federation, Sydney viewed 27 March 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634238
{{Citation
| author1=N.S.W. Teachers' Federation.
| author2=New South Wales Public School Teachers' Federation.
| title=Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation.
| year=1919
| section=volumes.
| issn=0013-1156
| issue=Vol. 83 No. 05 (13 May 2002)
| location=Sydney
| publisher=The Federation
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634238
| id=nla.obj-682634238
| access-date=27 March 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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