Fix this text
EDUCATION
Fix this textJOURNAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION
Fix this textAgreement No. PP255003 00104
Fix this textVol. 79 No. 16 December 7, 1998
Fix this textForum resolves gag directive
Fix this textby Kerri Carr
Fix this textEducation Minister John Aquilina was
Fix this texthappy for teachers to disregard a
Fix this textDepartmental memorandum that ordered
Fix this textthem not to write directly to elected politi-
Fix this textcians about education and school issues, he
Fix this texttold the Western Sydney Education Forum
Fix this texton November 23.
Fix this textHis announcement followed a question
Fix this textfrom teacher Kim Cochrane:
Fix this text“Will you withdraw that memo or won’t
Fix this textyou?”
Fix this textTeachers were angered by the
Fix this textMemorandum to Principals from Deputy
Fix this textDirector-General Operations Dr Terry
Fix this textBurke: “Correct procedures for submis-
Fix this textTeachers let the politicians know what they
Fix this textwant for public education.
Fix this textsions from schools” (dated September 18)
Fix this textwhich they felt breeched the most democ-
Fix this textratic principles of citizenship and raised
Fix this textquestions about freedom of speech.
Fix this textThe memorandum stated in part: “In
Fix this textrecent times there has been a small number
Fix this textof instances where principals and other
Fix this textdepartmental staff are writing directly to
Fix this textMembers of Parliament on issues such as
Fix this textproperties, staffing and school organisa-
Fix this texttion.
Fix this text“In some cases, when a request has been
Fix this textrejected by the Department it is being re-
Fix this textchannelled through a Member of
Fix this textParliament. Attempts such as these to cir-
Fix this textcumvent departmental procedures are inap-
Fix this textpropriate.
Fix this text“As departmental employees, principals
Fix this textand other staff have a responsibility to
Fix this textwork through the established procedures.
Fix this textAs is established protocol, it is expected
Fix this textthat correspondence will be forwarded by
Fix this textthe principal to the District Superintendent
Fix this textor relevant State Office Directorate.”
Fix this textMr Aquilina said he thought the memo
Fix this textcould have been better worded.
Fix this text“Also, I make this point that I had no
Fix this textknowledge of the memo going out,” he
Fix this textsaid.
Fix this text“Had it been put to me I would not have
Fix this textsanctioned it.
Fix this text“When I asked why it went out, the issue
Fix this textwas raised with me that it was felt that ...
Fix this textsome principals in particular were getting
Fix this textan advantage over others because they
Fix this textwere shortcutting the system. Instead of the
Fix this textregular system they were going to their
Fix this textlocal members, and in a number of cases
Fix this textOpposition members, and getting public
Fix this textpressure poured upon myself as Minister
Fix this textand the Department through their local
Fix this textmembers in order to jump over and above
Fix this textthe priority rights of others within the
Fix this textDepartment.
Fix this text“As far as I’m concerned the memo
Fix this textreally doesn’t have any effect one way or
Fix this textthe other for me.
Fix this text“I’m quite happy to have the memo dis-
Fix this textregarded,” Mr Aquilina said.
Fix this text“What we don’t want to happen, as I’m
Fix this textsure none of you here would want to hap-
Fix this textpen, is for a school that has a particular ear
Fix this textwith a local MP or perhaps an MP with
Fix this textmore clout than others to be able to use that
Fix this textvociferous member to jump priorities sim-
Fix this textply by being more belligerent than perhaps
Fix this textelsewhere may be the case,” he said.
Fix this text“If you want to disregard the memo, go
Fix this textright ahead,” he added.
Fix this textBefore question time Mr Aquilina and
Fix this textShadow minister Stephen O’Doherty were
Fix this textgiven time to address the forum.
Fix this textThe forum asked both the Government
Fix this textand Opposition to address a long list of
Fix this textteachers’ concerns as priorities for the State
Fix this textelection.
Fix this textShadow minister Stephen O’Doherty and
Fix this textEducation and Training Minister John
Fix this textAquilina were guest speakers at the Western
Fix this textSydney Education Forum.
Fix this textOrganiser Angelo Gavrielatos gave
Fix this textsome closing remarks.
Fix this text“The Minister said that we expect and
Fix this textdeserve respect,” he said.
Fix this text“We will demand that respect because
Fix this textwe certainly haven’t been shown such
Fix this textrespect by successive governments over the
Fix this textlast decade.”
Fix this text“I think that the Minister and Shadow
Fix this textMinister have a test before them.
Fix this text“The test will be marked by the teachers
Fix this textof NSW.
Fix this text“The test will be this: the test will estab-
Fix this textlish exactly what it is that you and your par-
Fix this textties will commit to in the form of the nec-
Fix this textessary additional resources, targeted appro-
Fix this textpriately, to meet the demonstrable needs of
Fix this textstudents in western Sydney,” Mr
Fix this textGavrielatos said.
Fix this textCommitment needed on
Fix this textindependent IR system
Fix this textComment
Fix this textby John Hennessy
Fix this textNSW has a long history of a strong
Fix this textindustrial labour movement, inter-
Fix this textacting with a strong industrial rela-
Fix this texttions system. The centrepiece of
Fix this textwhich is an industrial commission
Fix this textwith the necessary powers to
Fix this textenforce labour laws, but with a
Fix this textfundamental commitment to the
Fix this textresolution of disputes.
Fix this textHistorically, penalties against
Fix this texteither employers or workers have
Fix this textnot been a feature of that system.
Fix this textThe Greiner and then the Fahey
Fix this textGovernments, during their terms
Fix this textof office from 1988-95, introduced
Fix this texta conservative agenda, which
Fix this textundermined the commission and
Fix this textplaced an undue emphasis on
Fix this textpenalties as a method of imple-
Fix this textmenting industrial policy. This
Fix this textclearly favoured the employers, as
Fix this textit was inevitably the workers and
Fix this texttheir unions that were penalised.
Fix this textThis conservative anti-worker
Fix this textapproach to industrial relations
Fix this textgrew into the horrific industrial
Fix this textpolicies of the Kennett and Court
Fix this textGovernments, which have seen
Fix this textthousands of workers lose their
Fix this textjobs and almost all workers in
Fix this textthose states suffer penalties and
Fix this textthe loss of conditions hard won
Fix this textover many years. Eight thousand
Fix this textteachers in Victoria alone have
Fix this textlost their jobs under these policies.
Fix this textConservative state govern-
Fix this textments, supported by the
Fix this textHoward/Reith political agenda
Fix this texthave launched wave after wave of
Fix this textindustrial legislation against work-
Fix this texters in an attempt to enforce eco-
Fix this textnomic rationalism, which is sim-
Fix this textply shorthand for worse condi-
Fix this texttions, longer hours and lower
Fix this textwages. In NSW since 1996, under
Fix this textthe leadership of the Minister for
Fix this textIndustrial Relations and the
Fix this textAttorney General, Geoff Shaw,
Fix this textthe Labor Government has
Fix this textrestored the industrial relations
Fix this textsystem and totally re-written the
Fix this textIndustrial Arbitration Act with the
Fix this textfull support of both the employers
Fix this textand the unions. At the same time,
Fix this textthey have strengthened the occu-
Fix this textpational health and safety provi-
Fix this textsions and made the workers com-
Fix this textpensation system both effective
Fix this textand viable.
Fix this textThe contrast between the two
Fix this textphilosophies has historically been
Fix this textvery clear. The future is in doubt
Fix this textunless we can get clear guarantees
Fix this textfrom the parties in this upcoming
Fix this textState election about their policies
Fix this texton industrial matters. The under-
Fix this texttaking must be one that guarantees
Fix this textexisting working conditions and
Fix this textmakes a commitment to improve-
Fix this textments.
Fix this textThe basic commitment must be
Fix this textto the right of trade and industrial
Fix this textunions, like Federation to continue
Fix this textto exist and fully represent their
Fix this textmembers in an independent indus-
Fix this texttrial relations system. Members
Fix this textare asked to seek this commitment
Fix this textfrom all parties and candidates.
Fix this textFederation will formally seek such
Fix this texta commitment.
Fix this textJohn Hennessy
Fix this textis the General
Fix this textSecretary.
Fix this textMembers support
Fix this textindustrial action
Fix this textat Sky Channel
Fix this textb y Kerri Car i
Fix this textFederation members attending Sky
Fix this textChannel meetings around the state
Fix this texthave given overwhelming support
Fix this textfor further political and industrial
Fix this textaction should the political parties
Fix this textfail to provide satisfactory policy
Fix this textcommitments in writing by the end
Fix this textof the school holidays.
Fix this textWith votes from most venues
Fix this textcounted, 14,680 were in favour of
Fix this textthe recommendation regarding
Fix this textsecuring the future of the teaching
Fix this textprofession and quality public edu-
Fix this textcation. There were 215 votes
Fix this textagainst and 56 absentions.
Fix this textFederation has put the political
Fix this textparlies on notice that it requires a
Fix this textdetailed written response by
Fix this textJanuary 22, 1999, to the
Fix this textFederation’s priority demands,
Fix this textgiven the State election will be held
Fix this texton March 27.
Fix this textThis response will be consid-
Fix this textered at an extraordinary meeting of
Fix this textMonday January 25. 1999.'
Fix this textTeachers have endorsed the fol-
Fix this textlowing if insufficient progress has
Fix this textbeen made:
Fix this text• a 24 hour strike/rally with
Fix this textappropriate Sky Channel link
Fix this textups on Tuesday February 9,
Fix this text1999 (where further industrial
Fix this textaction will be considered); and
Fix this text• a professional ban on the imple-
Fix this textmentation of all new
Fix this textDepartment of Education and
Fix this textTraining and Board of Studies
Fix this textpolicies/initiatives, including the
Fix this textimplementation of changes to
Fix this textthe HSC and School Certificate
Fix this textfrom 1999 (for the year 2000)
Fix this textfrom day 1, term 1, 1999;
Fix this textTeachers also resolved to insist that
Fix this textthe industrial relations policies of
Fix this textthe political parties not limit the
Fix this textFederation’s ability to ensure that
Fix this textthe interests of public education
Fix this textand its teachers are protected and
Fix this textenhanced.
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-665631127
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 June 14, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-665631127
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. 14 June 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-665631127>
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 14 June 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-665631127
{{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. 79 No. 16 (7 Dec 1998)
| location=Sydney
| publisher=The Federation
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-665631127
| id=nla.obj-665631127
| access-date=14 June 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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