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. 83 No. 04 (1 Apr 2002)
Images
24
View Catalogue

Contents

EDUCATION JOURNAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION 1
Parent meetings on class sizes vital 1
Watkins calls for co-operation 1 , 3
Kindergarten with 34 students See page 3 Computer policy to be updated 1
Work Cover prosecutes 1
DET again 1
NEWS Recruiting and becoming active are main aims Women’s Conference 2
Review of programs for low support needs 2
Understanding superannuation seminars 2
Inquiry expresses appreciation 2
Public education in paradise 2
Officers 2
Executive 2
Support the CFMEU 3
Parents try to rescue kindergarten class of 34 3
Teachers at Nemingha subjected to public attack 3
Some TARS practices counterproductive 4
Ombudsman audits DET 4
Trainee recruits rising 4
Staffing of tutorial centres threatens BD program 4
TECHNOLOGY Using information technologies in public schools Lost in cyberspace 5
Technology and pedagogy 5
Chasing your tail to keep up 5
P&C left to fill the gap 5
Advertising 5
Corrective Services talks at crisis point 6
Advertising 6
The more things change 7
Refugees supported in Sydney 7
Campaign against demountables begins 7
Seeking books for detainees 7
Drugs and youth explored 7
Advertising 7
The President Writes Blueprint for the future 8
LETTERS to the Editor Plight of the PPT 8
Hooray for the picnic day 9
Due recognition 9
Educational loyalty is missing 9
Number crunching 9
Advertising 9
ADMINISTRATION Year end accounts 10
NSW Teachers Federation 10
No title 10
Australian Education Union (NSW Branch) 10
POETRY 11
Advertising 11
Lessons for educators about justice and being gay 12
Advertising 12
THE WATKINS BRIEFING PAPERSI TAFE and schools 13
Our Fed Reps 13
Private school, Public Purse 13
Advertising 13
Still working to save Seaforth TAFE 14
Advertising 14
What is happening in Burma? 14
RETIRED Retired Teachers Association 15
Acronyms 15
Website Isn’t it ironic? 15
Advertising 16
Up, Up and Away Barcelona – not gaudy but Gaudi 17
Computer Corner Late mail on e-mail 17
Last of summer whites Cheap WINE 17
VIEWS We can learn from the children 18
Advertising 18
FILM Worlds apart 19
Theatre The art of politics 19
Advertising 19
Yen’s book of baby names Mr Yen’s World Out of This World June 1998 20
GOIN' UP THE COUNTRY 20
Advertising 21 , 22
DT SMITH 22
Abecedarian* 22
THOSE WHO CAN’T 22
Speaking up on class sizes 23
Local message most important 23
in BRIEF 23
The decision that just made itself 23
INSIDE 24
Federation supports trainee teachers 24
Isolated parents support rural schools 24

Text

EDUCATION  

JOURNAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION  

Agreement No. PP255003 00104  

Vo I. S3 No.4 April 1. 2002  

Parent meetings on class sizes vital  

by Jennifer Leete  

Federation is preparing important cam-  

paign materials for members, espe-  

cially in infants and primary schools,  

to use when campaigning for reduced  

class sizes.  

Educating the community about  

the benefits of reduced class sizes in  

the early years of schooling, is vital in  

order to convince politicians to act.  

The campaign aims to achieve  

maximum class size of 20 in years  

K-3.  

In the period between Easter and  

the April school holidays video and  

kit which includes speaker’s notes and  

leaflet for parents will be despatched  

to schools.  

The video, which will be distributed  

on the basis of one per primary and  

central school, is designed for screen-  

ing to parents. It covers the current  

class size situation in NSW and the  

rest of Australia and details of the sig-  

nificant research which demonstrates  

the benefits for students and the com-  

munity of small classes in K-3.  

Federation Representatives are  

asked to arrange for the video to be  

screened at an appropriate parent meet-  

ing before the end of May.  

While it is expected many schools  

will screen the video at regular P&C  

meeting, those schools which have  

separate infants parents meetings, be  

St Marys Public School has made commitment to lower class sizes  

in the early years of schooling. Teachers and students from the  

school were filmed as part of the Federation’s video to be distributed  

to primary and central schools which demonstrates the benefits for  

students and the community of smaller classes in K—3.  

they during the school day or other-  

wise, are asked to use these opportuni-  

ties so that the video is seen by as  

many parents as possible.  

Despatched around the same time  

as the video will be the kit and parent  

leaflet. The kit contains speaker’s notes  

and overhead masters for use in parent  

meetings.  

What we must achieve in every  

school is dialogue between parents  

and teachers about the class sizes issue.  

The materials emphasise the research  

evidence and encourage parents to  

campaign for commitments from the  

politicians for reduced class sizes.  

To ensure that all parents, includ-  

ing those who are not able to attend  

school meetings, get information on  

the benefits of reducing class sizes,  

Federation is preparing leaflets which  

will be distributed to primary and  

central schools so they can be provided  

to all parents before the end of May.  

Federation’s aim is to get parents  

talking to politicians about reducing  

class sizes. Your role in the campaign  

is vital.  

Jennifer Leete  

is the Deputy Pres-  

ident.  

Watkins calls for  

co-operation  

by Dennis Long  

Education and Training Minister  

John Watkins has said that he will  

be judged by his actions and has  

called on the Teachers Federation to  

work with him in support of public  

education.  

“You’ll need to judge us, the  

Government, and me, on decisions  

made in the upcoming budget and  

commitments made in the lead up  

to the State election,” the Minister  

said.  

The State Budget is “looming  

test”.  

“All can do is assure you that  

am fighting to make sure we get the  

best for the education portfolio,” he  

said, but he also made reference to  

working “within the envelope that  

we are given”.  

The Minister stressed his com-  

mitment to dialogue with Federation  

and the “threat to public education  

if we fail to engage”.  

“Clearly many of the challenges  

we face, we face together,” he told  

Federation Council on March 16.  

The Minister admitted that he  

was starting “well behind the start-  

ing line” on the salaries issue  

because of the poor relationship  

between the Federation and the  

Government in recent years. He  

promised to avoid “the long drawn-  

out disputation that has charac-  

terised the last two awards” but  

also said that he would be doing so  

“within the political and financial  

reality we face in NSW”.  

Mr Watkins defended the deci-  

sion of the Government to mount an  

appeal in the Amery case concern-  

ing casual teachers’ salary rates  

saying that “strong legal advice left  

no other real alternative”.  

The Minister declined to give  

commitment that the forthcoming  

pay rises for TAFE teachers would  

be fully funded by Treasury.  

He rattled off list of issues  

on which he had taken up posi-  

tions put by the Teachers Federa-  

tion, including the appointment of  

union representative on the TAFE  

Commission Board, commitment  

to increasing the number of pre-  

schools and an independent review  

of the HSC. The report of that  

review, chaired by Geoff Masters,  

will “be public as soon as it arrives”  

at the end of the first week of  

April.  

Settlement had also been reached  

on the new staffing agreement.  

Other positive responses cited  

were the extra $7O million for main-  

▼ continued on page  

Kindergarten with 34 students  

See page  

Computer policy to  

be updated  

by Angelo Gavrielatos  

Federation will pursue the proper  

implementation and use of infor-  

mation technologies in public  

schools.  

On March 16, Council resolved  

to “pursue vigorously” with the  

Minister the issue of resource guar-  

antees in this area.  

Council resolved that resource  

guarantees must include:  

• the employment of qualified  

personnel to deal with the  

installation and maintenance of  

computers and other technologies  

in schools  

• infrastructure support (that is,  

bandwidth) to ensure meaning-  

ful access to the Internet for stu-  

dents  

• appropriate training and develop-  

ment for teachers to ensure the  

technology is used to its maxi-  

mum potential.  

Federation will also develop  

comprehensive information tech-  

nology policy for consideration at  

Annual Conference in July.  

The union seeks your input in  

developing the proposal to be put  

before Annual Conference. Indi-  

vidual views and views arising out  

of Federation meetings at schools  

or Association meetings are all  

welcome.  

Please forward your views  

to “Computers/IT in Schools  

Policy Update”, NSW Teachers  

Federation, Locked Bag 3010,  

Darlinghurst 1300 or email  

mail@nswtf.org.au by May 17.  

Angelo Gavrielatos  

is the  

Senior Vice President.  

IT impact on schools  

See stories page  

Work Cover prosecutes  

by Joan Lemaire  

The Department of Education and  

Training has been ordered to pay  

fine of $30,000 by the Chief Indus-  

trial Magistrate for its failure to  

ensure the health and safety of  

student.  

The 12-year-old student had his  

right thumb amputated when it came  

into contact with the moving blade  

of bandsaw.  

The Chief Industrial Magistrate,  

George Miller, who heard the case in  

Chief Industrial Magistrates Court,  

noted that the teacher had retrieved  

the thumb which was later surgi-  

cally reattached resulting in the stu-  

dent having almost full use of his  

thumb.  

Despite this the court found the  

Department’s breach of the Occu-  

pational Health and Safety Act  

was serious. The judgment states:  

“There were patently inadequate  

levels of supervision of the students  

in the classroom. When the accident  

occurred the teacher had his back to  

the student and was assisting another  

student.”  

The judgment also states: “Coun-  

sel for the defendant [DET] in  

answer to question by me regarding  

the use of bandsaws and training year  

students in woodwork submitted  

that the community was prepared to  

provide this type of machine to stu-  

dents at this age but at the same time  

the community was not prepared to  

pay for ‘one on one’ teaching. At  

the same time in my view the com-  

munity would not expect 12-year-  

olds or even older students returning  

home from day at school minus  

thumbs and fingers.”  

In Daily Telegraph story on  

March 15 it was reported that the  

school was fined and “Chief Indus-  

trial Magistrate George Miller said  

anyone under the age of 18 needed  

certificate to use dangerous fac-  

tory equipment”. The school was  

not fined and the statement about  

certificates is inaccurate.  

The judgment stated: “It seems  

incongruous to me that prior to 2001  

person aged less than 18 years  

was required to be certificated to use  

dangerous plant in factory whereas  

students as young as 12 were allowed  

to use large industrial type bandsaw  

without one-on-one supervision.”  

This refers to specific requirement  

under legislation which has now been  

replaced by the Occupational Health  

DET again  

and Safety Regulation 2001. The  

Regulation requires risk manage-  

ment approach to all hazards which  

places an obligation on employers to  

identify hazards, assess the risks and  

eliminate the risks or, if this is not  

practicable, to control the risks.  

The judgment pointed to this as  

“continuing dilemma for the defend-  

ant because the only way to eliminate  

the risk altogether is to prevent stu-  

dents of young ages using bandsaws  

and the like”.  

In previous prosecution the  

DET was fined $105,000 by Justice  

Walton in the Industrial Relations  

Commission of NSW in Court Ses-  

sion. Chief Industrial Magistrate  

George Miller indicated that he was  

“limited to imposing maximum  

penalty up to $55,000” because  

the prosecution was conducted in  

the Chief Industrial Magistrates  

Court.  

Federation will seek meeting  

with the DET to discuss the implica-  

tions of this and previous judgments  

for industrial arts and design and  

technology teachers.  

Joan Lemaire  

is an Industrial  

Officer.  

Cite

Citation options:
Work identifier

http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634191

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 July 26, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634191

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. 26 July 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634191>

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 26 July 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682634191

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. 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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