Fix this text
EDUCATION
Fix this textJOURNAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION
Fix this textAgreement No. PP255003 00104
Fix this textVo I. S3 No.4 April 1. 2002
Fix this textParent meetings on class sizes vital
Fix this textby Jennifer Leete
Fix this textFederation is preparing important cam-
Fix this textpaign materials for members, espe-
Fix this textcially in infants and primary schools,
Fix this textto use when campaigning for reduced
Fix this textclass sizes.
Fix this textEducating the community about
Fix this textthe benefits of reduced class sizes in
Fix this textthe early years of schooling, is vital in
Fix this textorder to convince politicians to act.
Fix this textThe campaign aims to achieve a
Fix this textmaximum class size of 20 in years
Fix this textK-3.
Fix this textIn the period between Easter and
Fix this textthe April school holidays a video and a
Fix this textkit which includes speaker’s notes and
Fix this texta leaflet for parents will be despatched
Fix this textto schools.
Fix this textThe video, which will be distributed
Fix this texton the basis of one per primary and
Fix this textcentral school, is designed for screen-
Fix this texting to parents. It covers the current
Fix this textclass size situation in NSW and the
Fix this textrest of Australia and details of the sig-
Fix this textnificant research which demonstrates
Fix this textthe benefits for students and the com-
Fix this textmunity of small classes in K-3.
Fix this textFederation Representatives are
Fix this textasked to arrange for the video to be
Fix this textscreened at an appropriate parent meet-
Fix this texting before the end of May.
Fix this textWhile it is expected many schools
Fix this textwill screen the video at a regular P&C
Fix this textmeeting, those schools which have
Fix this textseparate infants parents meetings, be
Fix this textSt Marys Public School has made a commitment to lower class sizes
Fix this textin the early years of schooling. Teachers and students from the
Fix this textschool were filmed as part of the Federation’s video to be distributed
Fix this textto primary and central schools which demonstrates the benefits for
Fix this textstudents and the community of smaller classes in K—3.
Fix this textthey during the school day or other-
Fix this textwise, are asked to use these opportuni-
Fix this textties so that the video is seen by as
Fix this textmany parents as possible.
Fix this textDespatched around the same time
Fix this textas the video will be the kit and parent
Fix this textleaflet. The kit contains speaker’s notes
Fix this textand overhead masters for use in parent
Fix this textmeetings.
Fix this textWhat we must achieve in every
Fix this textschool is a dialogue between parents
Fix this textand teachers about the class sizes issue.
Fix this textThe materials emphasise the research
Fix this textevidence and encourage parents to
Fix this textcampaign for commitments from the
Fix this textpoliticians for reduced class sizes.
Fix this textTo ensure that all parents, includ-
Fix this texting those who are not able to attend
Fix this textschool meetings, get information on
Fix this textthe benefits of reducing class sizes,
Fix this textFederation is preparing leaflets which
Fix this textwill be distributed to primary and
Fix this textcentral schools so they can be provided
Fix this textto all parents before the end of May.
Fix this textFederation’s aim is to get parents
Fix this texttalking to politicians about reducing
Fix this textclass sizes. Your role in the campaign
Fix this textis vital.
Fix this textJennifer Leete
Fix this textis the Deputy Pres-
Fix this textident.
Fix this textWatkins calls for
Fix this textco-operation
Fix this textby Dennis Long
Fix this textEducation and Training Minister
Fix this textJohn Watkins has said that he will
Fix this textbe judged by his actions and has
Fix this textcalled on the Teachers Federation to
Fix this textwork with him in support of public
Fix this texteducation.
Fix this text“You’ll need to judge us, the
Fix this textGovernment, and me, on decisions
Fix this textmade in the upcoming budget and
Fix this textcommitments made in the lead up
Fix this textto the State election,” the Minister
Fix this textsaid.
Fix this textThe State Budget is a “looming
Fix this texttest”.
Fix this text“All I can do is assure you that I
Fix this textam fighting to make sure we get the
Fix this textbest for the education portfolio,” he
Fix this textsaid, but he also made reference to
Fix this textworking “within the envelope that
Fix this textwe are given”.
Fix this textThe Minister stressed his com-
Fix this textmitment to dialogue with Federation
Fix this textand the “threat to public education
Fix this textif we fail to engage”.
Fix this text“Clearly many of the challenges
Fix this textwe face, we face together,” he told
Fix this textFederation Council on March 16.
Fix this textThe Minister admitted that he
Fix this textwas starting “well behind the start-
Fix this texting line” on the salaries issue
Fix this textbecause of the poor relationship
Fix this textbetween the Federation and the
Fix this textGovernment in recent years. He
Fix this textpromised to avoid “the long drawn-
Fix this textout disputation that has charac-
Fix this textterised the last two awards” but
Fix this textalso said that he would be doing so
Fix this text“within the political and financial
Fix this textreality we face in NSW”.
Fix this textMr Watkins defended the deci-
Fix this textsion of the Government to mount an
Fix this textappeal in the Amery case concern-
Fix this texting casual teachers’ salary rates
Fix this textsaying that “strong legal advice left
Fix this textno other real alternative”.
Fix this textThe Minister declined to give a
Fix this textcommitment that the forthcoming
Fix this textpay rises for TAFE teachers would
Fix this textbe fully funded by Treasury.
Fix this textHe rattled off a list of issues
Fix this texton which he had taken up posi-
Fix this texttions put by the Teachers Federa-
Fix this texttion, including the appointment of
Fix this texta union representative on the TAFE
Fix this textCommission Board, a commitment
Fix this textto increasing the number of pre-
Fix this textschools and an independent review
Fix this textof the HSC. The report of that
Fix this textreview, chaired by Geoff Masters,
Fix this textwill “be public as soon as it arrives”
Fix this textat the end of the first week of
Fix this textApril.
Fix this textSettlement had also been reached
Fix this texton the new staffing agreement.
Fix this textOther positive responses cited
Fix this textwere the extra $7O million for main-
Fix this text▼ continued on page 1
Fix this textKindergarten with 34 students
Fix this textSee page 3
Fix this textComputer policy to
Fix this textbe updated
Fix this textby Angelo Gavrielatos
Fix this textFederation will pursue the proper
Fix this textimplementation and use of infor-
Fix this textmation technologies in public
Fix this textschools.
Fix this textOn March 16, Council resolved
Fix this textto “pursue vigorously” with the
Fix this textMinister the issue of resource guar-
Fix this textantees in this area.
Fix this textCouncil resolved that resource
Fix this textguarantees must include:
Fix this text• the employment of qualified
Fix this textpersonnel to deal with the
Fix this textinstallation and maintenance of
Fix this textcomputers and other technologies
Fix this textin schools
Fix this text• infrastructure support (that is,
Fix this textbandwidth) to ensure meaning-
Fix this textful access to the Internet for stu-
Fix this textdents
Fix this text• appropriate training and develop-
Fix this textment for teachers to ensure the
Fix this texttechnology is used to its maxi-
Fix this textmum potential.
Fix this textFederation will also develop a
Fix this textcomprehensive information tech-
Fix this textnology policy for consideration at
Fix this textAnnual Conference in July.
Fix this textThe union seeks your input in
Fix this textdeveloping the proposal to be put
Fix this textbefore Annual Conference. Indi-
Fix this textvidual views and views arising out
Fix this textof Federation meetings at schools
Fix this textor Association meetings are all
Fix this textwelcome.
Fix this textPlease forward your views
Fix this textto “Computers/IT in Schools
Fix this textPolicy Update”, NSW Teachers
Fix this textFederation, Locked Bag 3010,
Fix this textDarlinghurst 1300 or email
Fix this textmail@nswtf.org.au by May 17.
Fix this textAngelo Gavrielatos
Fix this textis the
Fix this textSenior Vice President.
Fix this textIT impact on schools
Fix this textSee stories page 5
Fix this textWork Cover prosecutes
Fix this textby Joan Lemaire
Fix this textThe Department of Education and
Fix this textTraining has been ordered to pay a
Fix this textfine of $30,000 by the Chief Indus-
Fix this texttrial Magistrate for its failure to
Fix this textensure the health and safety of a
Fix this textstudent.
Fix this textThe 12-year-old student had his
Fix this textright thumb amputated when it came
Fix this textinto contact with the moving blade
Fix this textof a bandsaw.
Fix this textThe Chief Industrial Magistrate,
Fix this textGeorge Miller, who heard the case in
Fix this textChief Industrial Magistrates Court,
Fix this textnoted that the teacher had retrieved
Fix this textthe thumb which was later surgi-
Fix this textcally reattached resulting in the stu-
Fix this textdent having almost full use of his
Fix this textthumb.
Fix this textDespite this the court found the
Fix this textDepartment’s breach of the Occu-
Fix this textpational Health and Safety Act
Fix this textwas serious. The judgment states:
Fix this text“There were patently inadequate
Fix this textlevels of supervision of the students
Fix this textin the classroom. When the accident
Fix this textoccurred the teacher had his back to
Fix this textthe student and was assisting another
Fix this textstudent.”
Fix this textThe judgment also states: “Coun-
Fix this textsel for the defendant [DET] in
Fix this textanswer to a question by me regarding
Fix this textthe use of bandsaws and training year
Fix this text7 students in woodwork submitted
Fix this textthat the community was prepared to
Fix this textprovide this type of machine to stu-
Fix this textdents at this age but at the same time
Fix this textthe community was not prepared to
Fix this textpay for ‘one on one’ teaching. At
Fix this textthe same time in my view the com-
Fix this textmunity would not expect 12-year-
Fix this textolds or even older students returning
Fix this texthome from a day at school minus
Fix this textthumbs and fingers.”
Fix this textIn a Daily Telegraph story on
Fix this textMarch 15 it was reported that the
Fix this textschool was fined and “Chief Indus-
Fix this texttrial Magistrate George Miller said
Fix this textanyone under the age of 18 needed
Fix this texta certificate to use dangerous fac-
Fix this texttory equipment”. The school was
Fix this textnot fined and the statement about
Fix this textcertificates is inaccurate.
Fix this textThe judgment stated: “It seems
Fix this textincongruous to me that prior to 2001
Fix this texta person aged less than 18 years
Fix this textwas required to be certificated to use
Fix this textdangerous plant in a factory whereas
Fix this textstudents as young as 12 were allowed
Fix this textto use a large industrial type bandsaw
Fix this textwithout one-on-one supervision.”
Fix this textThis refers to a specific requirement
Fix this textunder legislation which has now been
Fix this textreplaced by the Occupational Health
Fix this textDET again
Fix this textand Safety Regulation 2001. The
Fix this textRegulation requires a risk manage-
Fix this textment approach to all hazards which
Fix this textplaces an obligation on employers to
Fix this textidentify hazards, assess the risks and
Fix this texteliminate the risks or, if this is not
Fix this textpracticable, to control the risks.
Fix this textThe judgment pointed to this as a
Fix this text“continuing dilemma for the defend-
Fix this textant because the only way to eliminate
Fix this textthe risk altogether is to prevent stu-
Fix this textdents of young ages using bandsaws
Fix this textand the like”.
Fix this textIn a previous prosecution the
Fix this textDET was fined $105,000 by Justice
Fix this textWalton in the Industrial Relations
Fix this textCommission of NSW in Court Ses-
Fix this textsion. Chief Industrial Magistrate
Fix this textGeorge Miller indicated that he was
Fix this text“limited to imposing a maximum
Fix this textpenalty up to $55,000” because
Fix this textthe prosecution was conducted in
Fix this textthe Chief Industrial Magistrates
Fix this textCourt.
Fix this textFederation will seek a meeting
Fix this textwith the DET to discuss the implica-
Fix this texttions of this and previous judgments
Fix this textfor industrial arts and design and
Fix this texttechnology teachers.
Fix this textJoan Lemaire
Fix this textis an Industrial
Fix this textOfficer.
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-682634191
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 26, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634191
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. 26 July 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634191>
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 26 July 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634191
{{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. 04 (1 Apr 2002)
| location=Sydney
| publisher=The Federation
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634191
| id=nla.obj-682634191
| access-date=26 July 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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