Fix this text
EDUCATION
Fix this textJOURNAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION
Fix this text’ P 2 5 5 O O 3 00104
Fix this textVot. 84 No.3
Fix this textMarch 17. 2003
Fix this textSocial States Election Edition
Fix this textPublic education takes centre stage
Fix this textby Angelo Gavrielatos
Fix this textMembers of the Public Education Alliance,
Fix this textparents, teachers and principals are to be
Fix this textcongratulated for their tireless campaigning
Fix this textin the interest of public education.
Fix this textThe teaching profession, in partnership
Fix this textwith parents, has fulfilled its responsibility by
Fix this textgiving the public in NSW a detailed plan to
Fix this textmake our great public schools even greater.
Fix this textThis was achieved by commissioning the
Fix this textVinson Inquiry and campaigning for immedi-
Fix this textate implementation of its key recommenda-
Fix this texttions.
Fix this textThe strength of campaigning to achieve
Fix this textthe implementation of the key Vinson recom-
Fix this textmendations has been such that, for the first
Fix this texttime in many years, the issue of public educa-
Fix this texttion has been centre stage.
Fix this textFederation created the necessary condi-
Fix this texttions which resulted in a “bidding war” on
Fix this textthe part of the major parties in an attempt by
Fix this textthem to win the public education vote.
Fix this textIn addition to the Vinson Inquiry, Federa-
Fix this texttion constructed what can only be described
Fix this textas one of our most successful campaigns
Fix this textleading into a state election in our history. The
Fix this textsuccess of the campaign, of course, has been
Fix this textdriven and underpinned by the individual
Fix this texteffort§ and collectiye action on the rt of
Fix this textblic education community,
Fix this textThe campaign was forther augme nted by
Fix this textan extens i ve advertising campaign which has
Fix this textincluded billboard posters, TV commercials
Fix this textand racdo and p r i n t advertisements, Schools
Fix this textare a j so p rou dly displaying new signage “Our
Fix this textfuture _ public education”.
Fix this textdistribution of 600,000 booklets rep-
Fix this textresenting an abridged version of the Vinson
Fix this textfindings in the back-to-school edition of the
Fix this textSun-Herald on January 26 and the use of a
Fix this texts t a te election campaign button on Federation’s
Fix this textwebsite are campaign highlights which further
Fix this textengaged the public education community in
Fix this textpolitical action. More than 3000 e-mails to
Fix this textpoliticians were generated through the state
Fix this textelection campaign website,
Fix this textThe campaign culminated in a major public
Fix this textevent at the Sydney Town Hall on February
Fix this text19 at which the main political parties were
Fix this textput to the test, the result being that there have
Fix this textbeen announcements by the parties on the
Fix this textsix united demands of the Public Education
Fix this textAlliance.
Fix this textWe have achieved commitments on:
Fix this text• the reduction of class sizes in the early years
Fix this textof education
Fix this text• additional funding to better meet student
Fix this textwelfare and special education needs
Fix this text• increased funding for professional develop-
Fix this textment
Fix this text• enhancing the capacity of comprehensive
Fix this texteducation
Fix this text• funding for improvements to physical ameni-
Fix this textties
Fix this text• strategies to attract teachers into the profes-
Fix this textsion.
Fix this textWith the swearing in of a new government,
Fix this textFederation’s work will focus on the achieve-
Fix this textment of the best possible implementation of
Fix this textthe initiatives announced during the election
Fix this textcampaign.
Fix this textAnd, in the best of the union’s tradition,
Fix this textthere will be more campaigning in the inter-
Fix this textest of achieving further advancements for
Fix this textstudents, the profession and public educa-
Fix this texttion.
Fix this textAngelo Gavrielatos
Fix this textis the Senior Vice
Fix this textPresident.
Fix this textThe Public Education Forum at Sydney
Fix this textTown Hall played a major role in ensur-
Fix this texting public education is on the political
Fix this textagenda for the state election.
Fix this textAverage class sizes on
Fix this textthe way down
Fix this textby Jennifer Leete
Fix this textEffective campaigning by Federation mem-
Fix this textbers on class sizes means no matter which
Fix this textparty wins government at the state election
Fix this texton March 22, the average class size for stu-
Fix this textdents in the early years of schooling will be
Fix this textreduced.
Fix this textOn March 9 Premier Bob Carr launched
Fix this textthe ALP’s class sizes policy.
Fix this textHe announced $329 million ($222 million
Fix this textin recurrent funding and $lO7 million to build
Fix this textnew classrooms and modify existing teaching
Fix this textspaces) over four years in new money for “a
Fix this textmajor investment in our children’s future”.
Fix this textThe policy document, released to coincide
Fix this textwith the launch, stated that by 2007 the Carr
Fix this textGovernment would reduce class sizes:
Fix this text• in kindergarten to an average of 20
Fix this text• in year 1 to an average of 22
Fix this text• in year 2 to an average of 24.
Fix this textThe pilot program running in 63 schools
Fix this textduring 2003 would be used to draw up an
Fix this textoperational plan to roll out the broader class
Fix this textsize reduction program and to provide ‘base-
Fix this textline’ data and information for the longer-term
Fix this textplan.
Fix this textIn 2004 all kindergarten classes in 429
Fix this textdisadvantaged schools, that is, schools cur-
Fix this textrently part of the Priority Schools Funding
Fix this textProgram (PSFP) would be reduced to an
Fix this textcIVOTcIIZC of 20
Fix this textIn 2005'
Fix this textQ a ,, other kindergarte n classes would be
Fix this textreduced tQ an e of 20; and
Fix this textQ a „ , c|asses in PSFP schoo|s would
Fix this textbe reduced , Q an average of 22
Fix this text2006’
Fix this text” a „ remaini ar j classes would be
Fix this textreduced to an average of 22; and
Fix this textQ a|| 2 dasses jn PSFP schools wou | d
Fix this textbe reduced (0 an a of 24
Fix this text, n 2m remaini ar 2 classes wou ld
Fix this textbe reduced , 0 an eof 24
Fix this textAccording t 0 the ALP , the re are currently
Fix this text2fi 5 students in the a Nsw ,
Fix this textgch()ol classroom
Fix this textThe ALp wiu establlsh a class size Reduc .
Fix this texttion Unit ln the Department 0 f Education and
Fix this textTraining (DET) , 0 oversee , lementation
Fix this textof the plan as well as a dedicated properties
Fix this text, eam R rti tems focussing on class
Fix this textsjzes wjl| be t into lace This wi|l include
Fix this textan annual aud]t , 0 be rted in the DET ’ S
Fix this textannua , as we| , as a irement that
Fix this textschools indude , heir ow „ c|ass size figures in
Fix this textthe annual school report to parents.
Fix this textFederation . s class sizes campaign began at
Fix this textV continued on page 7
Fix this textLabor’s plan for professional support for teachers
Fix this textPage 7
Fix this textHow do the political
Fix this textparties rate on salaries?
Fix this textby Maree O’Halloran
Fix this textAs the state election approaches, only the
Fix this textGreens have been willing to make a com-
Fix this textmitment on teacher salary increases for the
Fix this textnext award.
Fix this textThe ALP and the Coalition remain con-
Fix this textspicuously and deliberately silent about spe-
Fix this textcific quantum increases for teachers.
Fix this textOn February 19 Minister John Watkins
Fix this textsaid: “We will arrive at a negotiated settlement
Fix this textthat will bring salary justice for teachers.
Fix this textThat is the intention.”
Fix this textWhile the words are hopeful, they are
Fix this texteerily similar to former Education Minister
Fix this textJohn Aquilina’s script before the 1999 state
Fix this textelection. Of course, this should be no surprise
Fix this textwhile Ministers come and go, Govern-
Fix this textment salary offers to teachers are control-
Fix this textled and generated by the Premier and the
Fix this textTreasurer.
Fix this textVinson 5 per cent
Fix this textProfessor Vinson recommended that teach-
Fix this texters should be given a one-off five per cent
Fix this text“catch-up” salaries increase during the life
Fix this textof the current award. This “catch-up” was to
Fix this textbe independent of our next salaries negotia-
Fix this texttions.
Fix this textThe inquiry said: “Apart from more ade-
Fix this textquately recognising the social value of the role
Fix this textperformed by teachers, appropriate salaries
Fix this textwill be important for attracting quality new
Fix this textrecruits to the profession, especially in the
Fix this textcircumstances where substantial numbers of
Fix this textteachers are expected to retire in the near
Fix this textfuture.”
Fix this textT continued on page 7
Fix this text“The Greens have a public
Fix this texteducation policy that matches
Fix this textin all respects the Vinson plan.”
Fix this textThe President Writes
Fix this textPage 8
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682775759
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 August 19, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682775759
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. 19 August 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682775759>
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 19 August 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682775759
{{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. 84 No. 03 (17 Mar 2003)
| location=Sydney
| publisher=The Federation
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682775759
| id=nla.obj-682775759
| access-date=19 August 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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