Fix this text
EDUCATION
Fix this textJOURMAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION
Fix this text......... .
Fix this textVa 1. 80 N 0.9 August 21, 2000
Fix this textProfession demands collegiate moratorium
Fix this textby Maree O’Halloran
Fix this textTeacher unionists demand a mora-
Fix this texttorium on the announcement and
Fix this textimplementation of new colle-
Fix this textgiates and a rigorous evaluation of
Fix this textcurrent collegiate groupings.
Fix this textThe Government’s Collegiate
Fix this textEducation Plan is being imple-
Fix this textmented with increasing haste and
Fix this textwith only a facade of consultation.
Fix this textIt would appear that the State
Fix this textLabor Government continues to
Fix this textenjoy the lack of public scrutiny
Fix this textof the major educational change
Fix this textbeing forced by collegiates.
Fix this textWhile Department officials
Fix this textcontinue to argue that collegiate
Fix this textgroupings are established as a
Fix this textresult of local community needs,
Fix this textit is apparent that the groupings
Fix this textare viewed by Government as a
Fix this textspecific strategy to prevent enrol-
Fix this textment shifts to the private sector -
Fix this textthe very argument used by
Fix this textMetherell to promote specialisa-
Fix this texttion within the public system.
Fix this textThe risk - the very large risk
Fix this text- is that collegiate groupings will
Fix this textexacerbate any enrolment shift to
Fix this textthe private sector. Enrolment
Fix this textshifts encouraged by funding
Fix this texttransfers to the private system and
Fix this textthe proliferation of a market-
Fix this textbased notion of education as
Fix this text“human capital” and a “commod-
Fix this textity” will not be overcome by
Fix this textstructural changes in the system.
Fix this textCollegiate groupings have
Fix this textattendant welfare, alienation and
Fix this textsafety issues for students. If par-
Fix this textents choose private schools
Fix this textbecause, among other things, they
Fix this textperceive their children as vulnera-
Fix this textble and in need of special care,
Fix this textthen collegiates may not necessar-
Fix this textily be the remedy.
Fix this textIndeed, the Catholic system has
Fix this textrenewed the concept of 7—12
Fix this textschools in its strategic thinking.
Fix this textThe strongest arguments for
Fix this textcollegiates appear to be the
Fix this textincreased curriculum offerings
Fix this textavailable. Yet recent research in
Fix this textthe United States shows that when
Fix this textstudents are part of smaller and
Fix this textmore intimate learning communi-
Fix this textties, they are more successful (see
Fix this textWayne Patterson’s article on page
Fix this text3).
Fix this textTeachers embrace change that
Fix this textis in the best interests of students
Fix this textand adequately resourced. Now is
Fix this textthe time to pause and reflect on
Fix this textthe success or otherwise of colle-
Fix this textgiates, to ensure a sure foundation
Fix this textfor the public education system.
Fix this textWhen a collegiate is
Fix this textannounced in an area, it is natural
Fix this textfor teachers to be concerned about
Fix this textr continued page 3
Fix this textComing ready or not
Fix this textby Jennifer Leete
Fix this textThe Department of Education and
Fix this textTraining has a travelling show
Fix this textwhich is currently bringing colle-
Fix this textgiates, super-schools, multicampus
Fix this textschools, senior and junior high
Fix this textschools (call them what you will) to
Fix this textschool communities across NSW,
Fix this textwhether they want them or not.
Fix this textOne of the most recent to be
Fix this textannounced is the so-called
Fix this text“University Collegiate” in
Fix this textNewcastle. It involves changing
Fix this textthree existing 7—12 high schools
Fix this textinto one senior high school and two
Fix this textjunior highs. Jesmond High School
Fix this textwould become a senior high with
Fix this textvery close links to Newcastle
Fix this textUniversity.
Fix this textAs each announcement is made
Fix this textthe DET seems less and less com-
Fix this textmitted to even pretending there has
Fix this textbeen genuine consultation with the
Fix this textschool communities affected.
Fix this textIt is possible that the creation of a
Fix this textsenior high school in the area may
Fix this textbe a really good idea. It could be a
Fix this textreally bad idea.
Fix this textThe point is there has been no
Fix this texteducational research base to under-
Fix this textpin any of the proposals. There has
Fix this textbeen no clear exploration of the edu-
Fix this textcational issues which exist, let alone
Fix this textvalid conclusions about the solu-
Fix this texttions.
Fix this textParents at Jesmond High School
Fix this texthave raised protests about proposals
Fix this textto turn the school’s current year 7
Fix this textaway to the other schools in 2001. In
Fix this textparticular, they have pointed at the
Fix this texthuge expense of school uniforms
Fix this textwhich will now have to be re-pur-
Fix this textchased. The Minister’s response, as
Fix this textreported in the Newcastle Herald on
Fix this textAugust 8, is real evidence of a gov-
Fix this texternment making decisions on the
Fix this textrun. “Parents will be given a
Fix this textvoucher or cheque for about $135,
Fix this textabout the cost of one set of new
Fix this textschool clothing,” the newspaper
Fix this textreports.
Fix this textAs well, the same parents have
Fix this textbeen told that if they don’t want to
Fix this texttransfer their children to the junior
Fix this textcampuses they have been told by
Fix this textdistrict superintendent Laurie
Fix this textTabart that they would not be forced
Fix this textto change campuses. However, the
Fix this textNewcastle Herald then quotes him
Fix this textas saying: “However if the student
Fix this textnumbers fall the curriculum will be
Fix this textaffected. We’ll try to overcome the
Fix this textnegative effects, but obviously we’d
Fix this textlike to see students attend the cam-
Fix this textpus where they will have access to
Fix this textthe most opportunities.”
Fix this textOn July 27 many local
Fix this textFederation members attended a
Fix this textcombined after school meeting at
Fix this textthe Newcastle Workers Club. Their
Fix this textdecisions included a call for the
Fix this textDET to immediately commence
Fix this textnegotiations with Federation to
Fix this textdevelop a state-wide industrial
Fix this textagreement around the implementa-
Fix this texttion of the collegiate education plan,
Fix this textand a call for implementation of the
Fix this textproposal to be delayed for 12
Fix this textmonths.
Fix this textMembers in the three schools
Fix this texthave banned any implementation
Fix this textpending the outcome of discussions
Fix this textwith the DET.
Fix this textJennifer Leete
Fix this textis the acting President
Fix this textAquilina to review dubious private schools
Fix this textby Chris Goudkamp
Fix this textThe Government is to conduct an
Fix this textinquiry into the standards of independ-
Fix this textent schools - an inquiry which
Fix this textFederation feels is long overdue.
Fix this textThe inquiry comes as a result of
Fix this textconcerns being expressed about the
Fix this textcurrent criteria used to enable private
Fix this textschools to be established and main-
Fix this texttained.
Fix this textFederation has written to
Fix this textEducation Minister John Aquilina
Fix this textwelcoming the decision to review the
Fix this textestablishment, financial viability and
Fix this textteaching standards of independent pri-
Fix this textvate schools in NSW.
Fix this textFederation General Secretary John
Fix this textHennessy told Mr Aquilina:
Fix this text“Federation members on the Board of
Fix this textStudies and Federation Officers have
Fix this textdone much research on the deficien-
Fix this textcies of the current registration stan-
Fix this textdards in the new independent private
Fix this textschools compared to those expected of
Fix this textthe public system.
Fix this text“The Federation would call for the
Fix this textinquiry to be established and complete
Fix this textits work as soon as possible.”
Fix this textFederation has sought a meeting with
Fix this textMr Aquilina to discuss the matter.
Fix this textThe union believes deficiencies in
Fix this textthe mechanisms and rales for estab-
Fix this textlishing new private schools have led to
Fix this textthe establishment of private schools of
Fix this textdubious quality.
Fix this textIn NSW the Board of Studies is
Fix this textresponsible for registering new
Fix this textschools using the requirements of the
Fix this textEducation Reform Act of 1990. New
Fix this textschools receive virtually mbber stamp
Fix this textapproval from the Board because there
Fix this textare only very minimal requirements
Fix this textneeded before schools are given regis-
Fix this texttration.
Fix this textA good example of the minimal
Fix this textregistration requirements for private
Fix this textschools concerns the employment of
Fix this textteaching staff. In the Education
Fix this textReform Act of 1990 the only require-
Fix this textment is to have teaching staff with the
Fix this textnecessary experience or qualifications
Fix this text(or who are supervised by teaching
Fix this textstaff with the necessary experience or
Fix this textqualifications). This means that virtu-
Fix this textally anyone can be a teacher in these
Fix this textprivate schools.
Fix this textTo add to the problem, the Howard
Fix this textGovernment has abolished the New
Fix this textSchools Policy of the previous Labor
Fix this textGovernment so there are now no set
Fix this textregulations proposed schools have to
Fix this textmeet before being granted funding
Fix this textfrom the Federal Government. This
Fix this textmeans that schools of dubious creden-
Fix this texttials, sometimes referred to as garage
Fix this textschools, receive substantial federal
Fix this textand state funding without any mean-
Fix this textingful quality control.
Fix this textFederation believes that an inquiry
Fix this textinto the educational viability of these
Fix this textschools is long overdue. There is a lot
Fix this textof anecdotal evidence concerning
Fix this textthese schools. Many of them have
Fix this textonly very small enrolments (there are
Fix this textno minimal enrolment requirements).
Fix this textSome of them are fundamentalist
Fix this textChristian Schools or other religious
Fix this textschools whose teachings have little to
Fix this textdo with the syllabus requirements
Fix this textfaced by public schools.
Fix this textAlthough these schools are very
Fix this textgenerously funded by both the Federal
Fix this textand State Governments some of them
Fix this textdo get themselves into financial diffi-
Fix this textculties and a few have had to close.
Fix this textChris Goudkamp
Fix this textis the acting Senior
Fix this textVice President.
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-680906941
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 January 11, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680906941
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 January 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680906941>
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 January 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680906941
{{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. 81 No. 09 (21 Aug 2000)
| location=Sydney
| publisher=The Federation
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680906941
| id=nla.obj-680906941
| access-date=11 January 2025
| via=Trove
}}
Citations are automatically generated and may require some modification to conform to exact standards.
Select the images you want to download, or the whole document.
You can order a copy of this work from Copies Direct.
Copies Direct supplies reproductions of collection material for a fee. This service is offered by the National Library of Australia
Copyright varies by issue and article
Copyright varies with each issue and article. You may have full rights to copy, or may be able to copy only under some circumstances, for example a portion for research or study. Order a copy where circumstances allow or Contact us for further information.
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply.
For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
Copy and paste one of these options to share this book elsewhere.