Education : journal of the N.S.W. Public School Teachers Federation

Call Number
Nef 331.8809944 EDU
Created/Published
Sydney : The Federation, 1919-2021
Issue
Vol. 92 No. 03 (4 Apr 2011)
Images
36
View Catalogue

Contents

EDUCATION Journal of the New South Wales Teachers Federation 1
Teachers await delivery of election promises Federation will vigorously pursue the Coalition to deliver its commitments. 1
Coalition stands by league tables undertaking 1
Revealed: secret plan to slash public education budget D-G volunteered DET for expenditure review. 1 , 4
EDUCATION 2
Executive 2
Officers 2
Contents 2
Advertising 2
More questions about Australian Curriculum But there's been no answer from ACARA. 3
Summary of the Board of Studies’ response to the ACARA decision 3
In brief 3
Our Fed Reps 3
No title 4
Advertising 4
Cost cutting ruse revealed Pilot not about what's best for students. 5
Special education trial exposed Leak reveals motive for changes. 5 , 6
Campaign collects valuable signatures Significant Nationals signed the pledge for the TAFE 5 Point Plan. 6
Concern for student safety 6
Association spotlight Wagga Wagga Teachers Association 6
Stamp out bullying The body responsible for workplace safety has a problem of its own. 7 , 8
Reduced RFF should be rare occurrence 7
Advertising 7
Campaign for women's rights continues 8
Itinerant teacher survey 8
Advertising 8
Stewart House is 'charity of choice' 8
Schools embrace extra computers Auditor-General reports on implementation of the Digital Education Revolution. 8
Government needs to make teaching attractive 9
Leave provisions for domestic violence 9
Grants to attend education law conference 9
QSA Staffing Processes 9
May Day rally to celebrate women 9
Enhancing knowledge on several fronts 10
Teachers used as scapegoats Voters have learnt what fiscal conservatism means for workers' rights. 10
Advertising 10
Praise for AMES 11
In brief 11
Advertising 11
Federation Library 12
Liveable policies needed Western Sydney is an example of the need for sustainable population and planning policies. 12
Advertising 12
Join fight against breast cancer 13
Advertising 13
Public education improvements on the agenda The so-called black hole cannot be used as an excuse not to honour election commitments. 14
letters 14
WE CAN’T WIN 14
SAD REFLECTIONS 15
BOYCOTTS OF HATRED 15
WORST ADVERTISEMENT 15
IN SEARCH OF BETTER SALARIES 15
Advertising 15
No title 16
ATTACK ON NUCLEAR POWER 16
Carbon copy EQUITY HAS TO BE THE BASIS 16
Advertising 16
features 17
New plan for spectacular park The Sydney Harbour National Park: draft plan of management hopes to address threats to bushland health. 17
Inside 17
Paper Plane 18
That’s offensive Challenging homophobic language can contribute to a school climate that is safe and accepting for all. 18
Need to educate about diversity Conference addresses how to combat homophobia. 18 , 19
Attitudes to TAFE Coalition views before the state election. 19
Class of’ 58... you are requested to commence duty. 19
Advertising 20
Retired Teachers Association 21
In the library New resources 21
Advertising 22
your say 23
Involvement is the only option Help shape the future of Australian education by engaging in the shaping of the national curriculum. 23
Inside 23
Advertising 23
NSW planning process needs improvement Too big, too high, too ugly and too much poison planned for Sydney Harbour. 24
A boycott is not the path to peace What's needed is practical support for efforts to build bridges between Israelis and Palestinians and their unions, not boycotts that drive them apart. 24
reviews 25
Film 25 , 26
Inside 25
Computer Corner 26
Advertising 26
Theatre 27
In brief 27
Advertising 28
Book Teachers and their times: history and the Teachers Federation 29
Corkscrew 29
Advertising 30
administration 31
Election of Annual inference Delegates – round 2 31
Inside 31
Year end accounts for NSW Teachers Federation 32
Advertising 32
Year end accounts for NSW Teachers Federation Public Education Fund 33
Advertising 33 , 34 , 35
DT SMITH 35
Snapped in and out of class 36

Text

EDUCATION  

Journal of the New South Wales Teachers Federation  

Agreement No. PP255003 00104  

Care/fbr kids  

Plus  

RFF  

Breast cancer 13  

Annual conference delegates 31  

April 4, 2011 Vol 92 No  

Teachers await delivery of  

election promises  

Federation will vigorously pursue the Coalition to deliver its  

commitments.  

Joan Lemaire  

Senior Vice President  

With the landslide victory of the  

Coalition teachers will expect that  

implementation will begin on the  

commitments made on education  

prior to the election.  

This includes the appointment  

of 900 additional teachers for the  

Numeracy and Literacy Action  

plan, the reallocation of 300 school  

learning officer positions to sup-  

port years to 10, and an addition-  

al $6O million for school mainte-  

nance. These commitments, when  

implemented, will provide sub-  

stantial improvements compared  

to the Labor Party's commitments  

for additional selective placements  

and more Highly Accomplished  

Teachers.  

It is not uncommon for an in-  

coming Government to find  

budget "black hole" which has been  

reported as being $4.3 billion. De-,  

spite this "black hole”, Premier  

Barry O’Farrell was reported in the  

Australian on March 29 as saying he  

would not use the black hole as an  

excuse not to deliver on his election  

commitments which includes extra  

teachers, police and nurses.  

Prior to the election, Federation  

asked the major parties for re-  

sponse on wide range of policy  

issues. The Liberal and National  

response included commitments  

to the maintenance of statewide  

staffing and transfer system and  

consideration of improving incen-  

tives for difficult to staff schools.  

They stated they would not estab-  

lish "charter” or "independent”  

public schools. In relation to the  

devolution funding pilot, they in-  

dicated that "the results of this pilot  

will be considered together with  

the views of the Teachers Federa-  

tion, Principal groups and parents”.  

Prior to the election, there was  

an outright rejection of the cuts and  

changes proposed in the Boston  

Consulting Group (see other ar-  

ticles pages 1, and 5). There was  

commitment to "maintain and  

where possible, increase educa-  

tion funding as proportion of the  

total NSW budget" and it was stated  

“we will increase funding to public  

schools”.  

In relation to the key priorities  

for schools, the Liberals and Nation-  

als committed to discussions with  

Federation.  

On class sizes, the Liberal/Na-  

tional response stated "we recog-  

nise the benefits that would arise  

from smaller classes in every year  

at school, this measure would have  

significant impact on the educa-  

tion budget”.  

There was no commitment to  

separate staffing formula K-2 and  

years 3-6 but it was stated "we will  

continue discussions to see if we  

can resolve this issue”. On reduc-  

ing class sizes in years and to 25,  

"we will continue to work with Fed-  

eration to develop middle schools  

policy”. This was clarified by then  

shadow education minister Adrian  

Piccoli at Federation's March Coun-  

cil as not meaning separate middle  

schools.  

In terms of increasing release  

time, again the "substantial com-  

mitment of additional funds" was  

cited and "we will continue to work  

with the Teachers Federation and  

the Primary Principals Association  

towards providing that additional  

release".  

Federation will seek clarification  

around the response to providing  

more curriculum choice for years  

11 and 12 which referred to "a much  

more innovative and flexible voca-  

tional curriculum” and "expanding  

the [vocational education and train-  

ing] program”.  

In relation to TAFE, the Coali-  

tion made no commitment "to how  

much funding will increase” but  

indicated that the Liberals and Na-  

tionals will ensure TAFE is well  

funded and well sourced to support  

training particularly in rural and  

regional communities. It was also  

stated “it remains our intention to  

bring fees down when and where  

possible".  

Commitments were also made  

to maintain and "where possible  

expand” equity programs and Abo-  

riginal Education programs, includ-  

ing discussions with the Federation,  

[Aboriginal Education Consultative  

Group] and other stakeholders to  

improve the educational outcomes  

of Aboriginal students. "We look  

forward to working with Federation  

to see some real improvements in  

this area of education policy.”  

Special education was recog-  

nised as “one of the key policy areas  

that new Liberals and Nationals  

government will focus on”. There  

is commitment to working with  

Federation and other stakeholders  

"for improved support for second-  

ary students" and "continue discus-  

sions with Federation over the issue  

of special education classes which  

were increased by the current gov-  

ernment”. Importantly, they "will  

independently review the Illawarra  

trial when it is completed".  

Tire announcement of the 50  

student Support Officer .Plan Pilot  

will need considerable discussion  

around the roles and responsibili-  

ties and should not be seen as re-  

placement for school counsellors.  

The need to increase the number  

of school counsellors was also ac-  

knowledged.  

On salaries, the only commit-  

ment, although an important one,  

is that “the Minister for Education  

will be personally involved in the  

salaries award negotiations” which  

will occur this year.  

Federation will continue to vig-  

orously pursue our policies in each  

of these areas, and engage mem-  

bership support in the continuing  

campaign.  

Coalition stands by  

league tables  

undertaking  

Bob Lipscombe  

President  

Despite the misleading "Coalition  

will not block publication of league  

tables” headline in the Sydney Morn-  

ing Herald three days after the elec-  

tion, incoming education minister  

Adrian Piccoli has made it clear to  

Federation that he stands by the un-  

dertaking he gave to teachers in cor-  

respondence to the Federation im-  

mediately prior to the state election.  

In the correspondence Mr Pic-  

coli stated: “.. .the NSW Liberals and  

Nationals are concerned that the  

Gillard Labor Government has re-  

neged on promise to ‘oppose the  

misuse of student performance  

data including simplistic league  

tables'."  

Fie went on to state:  

"Should the Gillard Government  

fail to enforce these copyright pro-  

tections, the Federal Labor Govern-  

ment will continue to subject NSW  

school students to the negative im-  

pacts of the publication of school  

league tables.  

"If elected on March 26, the NSW  

Liberals and Nationals will do what  

both State and Federal Labor have  

failed to do. We will meet with  

parent, principal and teacher stake-  

holder representatives from the  

Government and Non-Government  

school sectors, with the aim of de-  

veloping the means whereby NSW  

parents and students have access  

to accurate, reliable data, without  

their school communities being  

subjected to the negative impacts of  

league tables.”  

While Mr Piccoli said in the  

Herald report that he would prefer  

to reach agreement with newspa-  

pers about the appropriate use of  

data, he has stated that this does not  

mean other action will not be taken  

if Consensus is not achievable.  

Mr Piccoli has confirmed that  

the meeting referred to in his corre-  

spondence will be organised within  

days ofhis swearing in as minister.  

Revealed: secret  

plan to slash public  

education budget  

D-G volunteered DET for expenditure review.  

Gary Zadkovich  

Deputy President  

Maurie Mulheron  

Vice President  

One of the biggest public education  

news stories in years beamed from  

the front page of the Sydney Morn-  

ing Herald on March 19: "Secret cuts  

to schools”, the headline read. Al-  

though ruled out for implementa-  

tion by both sides of state politics,  

the scale of it was appalling:  

“More than $1 billion in cuts has  

been targeted in secret NSW Educa-  

tion Department blueprint that pro-  

poses closing more than 100 schools,  

axing 7500 teachers, selling surplus  

land and slashing the costs of pro-  

grams for disadvantaged students.  

"The blueprint, large parts of which  

are already under way and which are  

modelled on Victorian premier Jeff  

Kennett’s education reforms in the  

19905, would save $BOO million year."  

Underpinning the sweeping  

cuts is the ideology of devolution  

the strategy to reduce funding for  

schools under the guise of 'flexibil-  

ity', ‘choice’ and ‘autonomy’.  

Volunteering for the axe  

This devastating plan entitled Expendi-  

ture Review of the Department ofEduca-  

tion and Training (DET) Initial Scan:  

Draft Final Repent reveals much about  

the modus operandi of departing Di-  

rector-General Michael Coutts-Trotter  

and senior managers: "DET asked to  

be the first agency to take part in one of  

these agency reviews.”  

Is this the first time in NSW histo-  

ry that the head of government de-  

partment has volunteered the people,  

assets and resources ofhis department  

to be first in line for the Treasury axe?  

»  

Cite

Citation options:
Work identifier

http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-667351800

APA citation

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 August 11, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-667351800

MLA citation

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. 11 August 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-667351800>

Harvard/Australian citation

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 11 August 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-667351800

Wikipedia citation

{{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. 92 No. 03 (4 Apr 2011)
  | location=Sydney
  | publisher=The Federation
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-667351800
  | id=nla.obj-667351800
  | access-date=11 August 2025
  | via=Trove
}}

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