Fix this text
EDUCATION
Fix this textJOURMAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION
Fix this textAgreement No. PP255003 00104
Fix this textVol. 82 N 0.6 June 11, 2001
Fix this textParents and teachers to review public education
Fix this textby Maree O’Halloran
Fix this textParents and teachers have taken
Fix this textthe initiative from Government by
Fix this textresolving to launch an independent
Fix this textreview into the provision of public
Fix this texteducation.
Fix this textThe review will be headed by
Fix this textProfessor Tony Vinson from the Uni-
Fix this textversity of NSW. Professor Vinson
Fix this texthas a background in the develop-
Fix this textment of social and public policy
Fix this textand a strong commitment to public
Fix this texteducation and social justice.
Fix this textThis review is well overdue. Suc-
Fix this textcessive state governments since
Fix this text1988 have been restructuring and
Fix this textreorganising the public education
Fix this textsystem with no apparent educational
Fix this textrationale and without any thorough
Fix this textresearch base. These restructures
Fix this texthave affected primary and secondary
Fix this textschools as well as TAFE. The pro-
Fix this textposal in the inner city of Sydney and
Fix this textsurrounding areas to close five high
Fix this textschools and three primary schools,
Fix this textessentially on the basis of property
Fix this textvalues, is the last and worst example
Fix this textof piecemeal restructuring. Private
Fix this textschools remain where there is no
Fix this textlocal public provision.
Fix this textDespite frequent calls from both
Fix this textparents and the teachers of NSW,
Fix this textthe State Government has refused
Fix this textto suspend restructuring proposals
Fix this textand engage in a state-wide review
Fix this textof the system. It is apparent that
Fix this textthe Government has no intention of
Fix this textconducting such a review. Instead,
Fix this textthe piecemeal restructuring of our
Fix this textsystem appears to be a strategy to
Fix this textforce local communities to deal
Fix this textwith a public policy framework that
Fix this textresults in the chronic under-funding
Fix this textof public education and the prolifera-
Fix this texttion of private schools.
Fix this textThe last comprehensive review of
Fix this textsecondary education only, the Wyn-
Fix this textdham Review, took place forty years
Fix this textago over a period of four years. The
Fix this textreview resulted in the introduction
Fix this textof the comprehensive high school.
Fix this textProfessor Vinson’s review will be
Fix this textlaunched on Wednesday June 13 to
Fix this textdelegates’ meetings across the state
Fix this textlinked by Sky Channel broadcast.
Fix this textThe launch of the review will
Fix this textbe supported by radio ads on 2WS,
Fix this textMMM and key regional stations in
Fix this textareas where restructuring is immi-
Fix this textnent such as Orange, Tweed River,
Fix this textLismore and the Central Coast. Print
Fix this textads will run in the Sun-Herald and
Fix this textcommunity language papers.
Fix this textUndertaking this review is one
Fix this textof the biggest and most exciting
Fix this textprojects that the Federation has
Fix this textproposed. It will involve Professor
Fix this textVinson holding hearings at more
Fix this textthan 30 venues across the state to
Fix this texttake submissions about the provision
Fix this textof public education. The general
Fix this textterms of reference will be:
Fix this text1. What are the purposes and values
Fix this textof public education in society?
Fix this text2. What are the resources and struc-
Fix this texttures needed to achieve these pur-
Fix this textposes and values?
Fix this textPublic education has, for more
Fix this textthan 150 years, been the defining
Fix this textinstitution of Australian democracy
Fix this textand its unique values. Professor Vin-
Fix this textson’s independent review is about
Fix this textthe future of public education. The
Fix this textsystem has a proven ability to meet
Fix this textnew challenges and changing times
Fix this textand the review will become part of
Fix this textthe dynamic history of education.
Fix this textIt will be underpinned by the key
Fix this textprovision of the Education Act in
Fix this textNSW:
Fix this text“The principal responsibility of
Fix this textthe State is the provision of public
Fix this texteducation.”
Fix this textIn order to achieve what govern-
Fix this textment has failed to do we must all be
Fix this textcommitted and united in support-
Fix this texting the independent review headed
Fix this textby Professor Vinson. We have the
Fix this textreal chance to change public policy
Fix this textdebate about education in this state
Fix this textif we can involve the public.
Fix this textAs of the date of the launch on
Fix this textJune 13 the review will officially
Fix this textbe the “Vinson Inquiry into the
Fix this textProvision of Public Education in
Fix this textNSW”.
Fix this textMaree O’Halloran
Fix this textis the Senior
Fix this textVice President.
Fix this textSky Channel launch June 13 at 9am
Fix this textThe Vinson Inquiry will be launched to delegates’ meetings. Schools
Fix this textare asked to send up to three teachers, including the principal, and at
Fix this textleast three parents.
Fix this textTAFE colleges are also urged to send delegates.
Fix this textThese meetings are stopwork meetings of up to two hours. Teachers in
Fix this textworkplaces are asked to contribute to any loss of salary for delegates.
Fix this textThe launch has the support of the Federation of P&C Associations and
Fix this textof the Federation of School Community Organisations (FOSCO).
Fix this textFighting for fairness for women
Fix this textby Kerri Carr
Fix this textThe Women’s Electoral Lobby has
Fix this textawarded the NSW Teachers Fed-
Fix this texteration the Edna Ryan Award for
Fix this textimprovements for women in the
Fix this textworkforce sector.
Fix this textThe award was granted because
Fix this textearlier this year 13 women teachers
Fix this textsuccessfully claimed damages against
Fix this textthe Department of Education and
Fix this textTraining for unlawful discrimination
Fix this texton the ground of their sex. Federa-
Fix this texttion had granted the women legal
Fix this textassistance to support their claim.
Fix this textThe teachers were, at the rele-
Fix this textvant time, casuals employed by the
Fix this textDepartment at schools for blocks of
Fix this textmore than eight weeks. Their pay
Fix this textscale had been capped to the equiv-
Fix this textalent of step 8 on the permanent
Fix this textscale.
Fix this textThe Department of Education and
Fix this textTraining has since appealed against
Fix this textthe Administrative Decisions Tribunal
Fix this textdecision.
Fix this textSeven of the 13 women attended
Fix this textFederation’s May Council meeting
Fix this textwhere three of the teachers reflected
Fix this texton their experience as casuals.
Fix this textMargaret Douglas said: “I started
Fix this textteaching in the early sixties when we
Fix this textwere going for equal pay for equal
Fix this textwork...and now at the end of my
Fix this textcareer I want equal pay for equal
Fix this textwork again so I seem to have been
Fix this texton the merry-go-round for quite a
Fix this textnumber of years.”
Fix this textJoyce Amery was permanently
Fix this textappointed to Cabramatta Infants in
Fix this text1975. In mid 1979 she resigned but
Fix this textafter five years started to teach casu-
Fix this textally at Chester Hill Intensive English
Fix this textCentre (lEC) and in 1990 started
Fix this textteaching at Kogarah Intensive English
Fix this textCentre.
Fix this text“On May 5,19921 made an appli-
Fix this textcation to break the incremental barrier
Fix this textbased on pedagogical service, because
Fix this textI’d never left the school as a casual,”
Fix this textJoyce said.
Fix this text“In December 1993 I made an
Fix this textapplication for permanency because
Fix this textthe Federation handbook says if
Fix this textyou’ve been working in a position for
Fix this texttwo years and it’s a vacant position you
Fix this texthave a right to apply for permanency
Fix this textin that position.
Fix this text“As far as I knew I was being con-
Fix this textsidered for that position but I found out
Fix this textlater that position was being masked
Fix this textby the system and would not be made
Fix this textavailable.”
Fix this textIn 1997 Joyce made a reapplication
Fix this textfor permanency at Kogarah.
Fix this text“We were told there was a freeze on
Fix this textlECs so no matter what way I turned
Fix this textthere was no way I was going to get
Fix this textinto a permanent position again.”
Fix this textJoyce described how she has felt:
Fix this text“Frustration, alienation.. .hopelessness,
Fix this textpowerlessness, dehumanisation, your
Fix this textcorrespondence is ignored, you’ve got
Fix this textfinancial hardship because you’re in
Fix this textthe 40 year old age bracket and you’re
Fix this texton a 20 to 30 year old’s pay.”
Fix this text“The education department thinks
Fix this textthat casual teachers who are working
Fix this textday after day in schools have left all
Fix this texttheir experience at home and it doesn’t
Fix this textcome with them into whatever job
Fix this textthey’re doing, but that’s not true,” she
Fix this textadded.
Fix this textMarian Platt reapplied for perma-
Fix this textnency in 1987.
Fix this text“Despite two post-grad diplomas
Fix this textat my own expense. ..I still don’t have
Fix this texta permanent job,” she said.
Fix this text“I think that when it comes to retire-
Fix this textment age I won’t have a job to retire
Fix this textfrom.
Fix this text“I’m very, very depressed by the
Fix this textsituation and it’s very, very humiliating
Fix this textand demeaning to know that despite
Fix this textbeing entitled to long service leave
Fix this textyes ...some section of it [the Depart-
Fix this textment] recognises that I’m at step 13
Fix this textplus,... the salary section still pays me
Fix this textat step 9.”
Fix this textDoes this apply to you?
Fix this textSee page 13 for how to
Fix this textpursue the issue.
Fix this textProgressing the rights of casual women teachers: (clockwise from front left) Marian Platt, Jenny Drury,
Fix this textJoyce Amery, Karen Mors, Denise McHugh, Megan Pursche, Margaret Douglas.
Fix this textTwo
Fix this textBudgets
Fix this textDr David Kemp claimed “gov-
Fix this texternment schools will get an esti-
Fix this textmated $238 million or 87 per
Fix this textcent of the funding for specific
Fix this textschools initiatives contained in
Fix this textthis year’s Budget”. This was a
Fix this textblatant attempt to draw attention
Fix this textaway from the fact federal fund-
Fix this texting to private schools is set to
Fix this textrise by 33.6 per cent by 2004/05
Fix this textwhile that to public schools rises
Fix this textby only 20.4 per cent over the
Fix this textsame period.
Fix this textOf the $238 million, $143.5 mil-
Fix this textlion is the previously announced
Fix this textreturn of the funding collected
Fix this textunder the enrolment benchmark
Fix this textadjustment (EBA) mechanism.
Fix this textAt the state level, Treasurer
Fix this textMichael Egan claims to have
Fix this textincreased education and training
Fix this textfunding by 5.6 per cent over last
Fix this textyear. Not quite. He has com-
Fix this textpared last year’s Budget allocation
Fix this text(which proved to be inaccurate in
Fix this textactual terms) against this year’s
Fix this textBudget allocation. But when you
Fix this textcompare actual spending last year
Fix this textwith the new allocation, Treasurer
Fix this textEgan doesn’t look so generous
Fix this textit’s just a 2.5 per cent increase at a
Fix this texttime when inflation is anticipated
Fix this textat around 2.25 per cent.
Fix this textFull details on
Fix this textpages 3 and 5
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-680978409
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 July 29, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680978409
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. 29 July 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680978409>
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 29 July 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680978409
{{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. 82 No. 06 (11 Jun 2001)
| location=Sydney
| publisher=The Federation
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-680978409
| id=nla.obj-680978409
| access-date=29 July 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.