Fix this text
EDUCATION
Fix this textJOURNAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION
Fix this textPP255003 00104
Fix this textVol. 84 N 0.2 March 3, 2003
Fix this textCarr sends Watkins to stall for time
Fix this textComment
Fix this textQuotable quotes
Fix this textby Maree O’Halloran
Fix this textEducation Minister John Watkins, in the spotlight with
Fix this textnothing to say at the Sydney Town Hall on February
Fix this text19, rightly angered the 2500-strong audience of public
Fix this texteducation supporters.
Fix this text- The ALP may argue that the Public Education Fomm
Fix this textat the Town Hall was not their event, not in their timetable
Fix this textand therefore not deserving of election announcements.
Fix this textHowever, the excruciating spectacle of a Minister sent
Fix this textto an election event with nothing to say was hardly
Fix this textedifying. It signalled contempt for the public education
Fix this textconstituency and an assured smugness brought about by
Fix this textsuccessive polls showing an easy ALP victory.
Fix this textThe clear message for us, however, is that there is
Fix this textstill time for the Carr Government to make significant
Fix this textannouncements about public education. The Minister’s
Fix this text“if and when” class sizes policy must become real. The
Fix this textGovernment will match the Opposition’s announcements
Fix this textabout class sizes and professional development “if and
Fix this textwhen” opinion polling and pressure from the public
Fix this texteducation constituency forces it to do so.
Fix this textThe Minister’s promises not to denigrate the profes-
Fix this textsion and to negotiate immediately after the election for
Fix this texta new award to be in place by the end of 2003 were
Fix this textapplauded. Unfortunately, we hear in those words a
Fix this textsuspicious echo of the Minister’s predecessors. The
Fix this textGovernment could give these words the “ring of truth”
Fix this textand make an auspicious start to the next salaries round
Fix this textby paying the Vinson five per cent salary increase to
Fix this textteachers in 2003. The call to significantly increase the
Fix this textsalaries of the profession was strongly made on the
Fix this textnight and each politician was put under pressure during
Fix this textquestion time. Significantly, the Coalition ruled out
Fix this text“performance-based” pay as did the ALP.
Fix this textThe Town Hall Forum forced politicians to confront
Fix this textthe unsuppressed passion and the well-reasoned argu-
Fix this textments of the public education constituency. The Vinson
Fix this textInquiry is our platform: it is where we stake out our
Fix this textground. From the Vinson research base and the recom-
Fix this textmendations, we are able to analyse election announce-
Fix this textments of all parties. To date the ALP has announced four
Fix this textsmall and, in the main, operationally sound policies.
Fix this textNone of these policies has required enhanced Treasury
Fix this textfunding, that is, they have all been within the current
Fix this textbudget. Boasting that no extra funds are provided is
Fix this textpart of the government’s media strategy to highlight
Fix this text“fiscal responsibility”.
Fix this textWe should note, however, that even using the Treas-
Fix this texturer’s own ‘not to be trusted’ figures, there is at least
Fix this text$BOO million over four years available for increased
Fix this textinvestment in certain areas. There are certainly more
Fix this textGovernment announcements to be made and we need
Fix this textto ensure that public education is in the forefront of
Fix this textthese.
Fix this textThe Coalition Leader, John Brogden, took the oppor-
Fix this texttunity at the Forum to announce a $5O million profes-
Fix this textsional development plan to commence in 2005. The
Fix this textplan, though not the timing, was adopted in full from the
Fix this textVinson Report. While there are elements of Coalition
Fix this textLee Rhiannon
Fix this text“The money is most
Fix this textdefinitely there...all
Fix this textit takes is the politi-
Fix this textcal will and a com-
Fix this textmitment to public
Fix this texteducation.”
Fix this textJohn Brogden
Fix this text“Performance pay
Fix this textis no longer on the
Fix this texttable for considera-
Fix this texttion in the Coali-
Fix this texttion.”
Fix this textJohn Watkins
Fix this text“If and when a
Fix this textclass size policy
Fix this textis announced...you
Fix this textwill need to com-
Fix this textpare it to the guar-
Fix this textantee hinted by the
Fix this textOpposition.”
Fix this textpolicy that we would applaud, it is all clouded by their damaging
Fix this text“league tables” proposal. This proposal was passionately opposed by
Fix this textthe entire Town Hall audience. Professor Vinson publicly called upon
Fix this textthe Coalition leader to withdraw the damaging proposal.
Fix this textThe Greens’ Lee Rhiannon, was the speaker overwhelmingly
Fix this textsupported on the night. She analysed the flaws in both ALP and
Fix this textCoalition policy and mounted a case for significantly increased
Fix this textinvestment in public education. Her plan to hold the Coalition to
Fix this texttheir promises by moving the Vinson recommendations in the Upper
Fix this textHouse was loudly applauded. The Town Hall seemed to turn green
Fix this textbefore our eyes.
Fix this textThe Forum demonstrated to the politicians, the media and the
Fix this textpublic that we are united behind the Vinson plan. The physical
Fix this textdemonstration of our support was cmcial to our mounting campaign.
Fix this textThe current position of each political party has been exposed. We
Fix this textmust now capitalise on the time left before the state election.
Fix this textMaree O’Halloran is the President.
Fix this textSupporters of public education filled the Sydney Town Hall.
Fix this textCoalition launches
Fix this textand scraps policy
Fix this textby Kerri Carr
Fix this textThe Coalition has used the Public Education Forum at
Fix this textthe Sydney Town Hall to announce proposed spending of
Fix this textan additional $5O million on professional development
Fix this textand the scrapping of its performance pay proposal.
Fix this textTeachers, parents and public education supporters
Fix this textfilled the town hall on February 19 to hear politicians
Fix this textspeak in the lead-up to the state election.
Fix this textCoalition leader John Brogden said funding for the
Fix this textprofessional development program would start at the
Fix this textbeginning of 2005.
Fix this textHe said for each full-time teaching position in
Fix this textSydney, Newcastle and Wollongong there would be
Fix this text$BOO for professional development, and for all other
Fix this textschools $l2OO for each full-time teaching position.
Fix this text“It will be indexed to CPI, so it can never be dimin-
Fix this textished or reduced,” Mr Brogden said.
Fix this textMr Brogden also declared: “Performance pay is
Fix this textno longer on the table for consideration in the Coali-
Fix this texttion.”
Fix this textWhen Mr Watkins came to the lectern there were
Fix this textcalls of, “Where’s Bob [Carr]?”
Fix this textHe was further met with hostile interjections when
Fix this texthe said he would be unable to provide details of all
Fix this textthe ALP’s policies.
Fix this textIn fact, he did not announce any new policies at the
Fix this textevent, rather summarising policies previously announced
Fix this textand declaring “there are more to come”.
Fix this textMr Watkins said the Public Education Council was
Fix this text“assisting in the task of prioritising areas of reform”.
Fix this text“And Tony [Vinson] has addressed the Public Educa-
Fix this texttion Council [PEC]. Tony’s landmark study and the
Fix this textPEC advice and the plans I have and will announce
Fix this textduring this campaign will together come to form a
Fix this textclear 10 year plan to strengthen all that is good about
Fix this textpublic education.”
Fix this textHe did say: “The Premier said this morning that
Fix this textthere will be more to say [about class sizes] as the
Fix this textelection campaign goes on.”
Fix this textThe audience was unhappy with this response. Mr
Fix this textWatkins continued: “If and when a class size policy
Fix this textis announced, and full details about funding, you will
Fix this textneed to compare it to the guarantee hinted by the
Fix this textOpposition.”
Fix this text“They said $212 million would come from cuts to
Fix this textgovernment departments - that means cuts to public
Fix this textsector employment.
Fix this text“The other $3OO million comes from future govern-
Fix this textment surpluses.”
Fix this textMr Brogden confessed to the audience: “We don’t
Fix this textagree on everything and I don’t pretend that we do.”
Fix this textHe mentioned selective schools and performance
Fix this texttables (see page 23).
Fix this textT continued on page 8
Fix this textNo action from Watkins on salaries
Fix this textby Dennis Long
Fix this textThe Federation has written to Education
Fix this textMinister John Watkins expressing disappoint-
Fix this textment over his failure to respond to a five-point
Fix this textplan to avoid a repetition of the 1999 salaries
Fix this textdispute. The plan was outlined to the minister
Fix this textin a letter dated December 9.
Fix this textThe Federation wrote again on February
Fix this text17 seeking a positive response to the proposal,
Fix this textsaying that “such a response would ensure
Fix this textthat the bitter disputation which characterised
Fix this textthe last salaries round was not repeated”.
Fix this textThe five-point plan proposed:
Fix this text□ that the five per cent catch-up recom-
Fix this textmended by the Vinson Inquiry be paid to
Fix this textteachers in addition to the five per cent
Fix this textdue in January 2003;
Fix this text□ the Government and the Department commit
Fix this textnot to propose cuts to working conditions,
Fix this textincrease workload or undermine the profes-
Fix this textsion in the next salaries round;
Fix this text□ the first percentage increase for the next
Fix this textaward be from January 1,2004 regardless
Fix this textof whether negotiations are completed;
Fix this text□ restructuring of the current award to rectify
Fix this textinequities in primary executive structure
Fix this textand release; incremental progression for
Fix this texttemporary teachers; by aggregating casual,
Fix this texttemporary and permanent service for incre-
Fix this textmental progression; and ensuring sufficient
Fix this textfunds to rectify anomalies in the operation
Fix this textof the TAFE head teacher classification;
Fix this textT continued on page 2
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682775620
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-682775620
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-682775620>
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-682775620
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| 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. 84 No. 02 (3 Mar 2003)
| location=Sydney
| publisher=The Federation
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682775620
| id=nla.obj-682775620
| access-date=26 July 2025
| via=Trove
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