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. 84 No. 04 (31 Mar 2003)
Images
24
View Catalogue

Contents

EDUCATION JOURNAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION 1
Holding the ALP to their promises 1
Salaries negotiations must commence 1
Letter to John Watkins 1
NEWS TAFE teachers lead way on salaries 2
Social history in art 2
State Budget reporting lacks transparency’ 2
Clarification 2
Officers 2
Executive 2
Polling results augur well for salaries campaign 3
The promises that Labor must keep 3
Watkins acknowledges workload link to stress 3
What’s happening to our beginning teachers? 4
Join in research 4
Let’s make it happen 4
Guest speaker 4
Central school values part-time teachers 4
Injured teachers should check entitlements 4
Action gets results 5
Get your submissions in to assessment and reporting evaluation 5
in BRIEF 5
Beginning teachers learn to survive 5
Beginning Teachers TUT at Narrabri 5
Drought schools thankful for reprieve 6
Private financing of schools in England, Scotland and Canada 6
Beware the TARS pro-forma 7
School expansion widens horizons 7
Harmony at Marrickville IEC 7
Advertising 7 , 8
Prioritising teaching and learning 9
Excellence in teaching and learning for all through resourcing, accountability and support – policy framework 9
The President Writes Great expectations warranted 10
LETTERS to the Editor Super report 10
Picking and choosing 11
Dealing with Centrelink 11
Priority date a joke 11
How can it be true? 11
Further light 11
Sick of the brush-offs 13
Advertising 11
ADMINSTRATION Additional Annual Conference delegates 12 , 13
Advertising 12 , 13
RETIRED Retired Teachers Association Second Friday of each month, 1.15 pm. Teachers House, Mary Street, Surry Hills Sydney. 14
Advertising 14
TAPE matters 15
Edith, the quiet achiever 15
Advertising 15
GOING UP THE COUNTRY Something special about small towns 16
Advertising 16
Theatre The way of theatre in all its glory 17
Advertising 17
Up, Up and Away Totems, potlatch and the children of the raven 18
Advertising 18
FILM Such is life... 19
Cheap WINE Tipples for the tongue 19
Advertising 19
Vacated promises Mr Yen’s World 20
Computer Corner Software makes for impressive package 20
Website Bookmarks for cyber-activists 20
Advertising 21 , 22
DT SMITH 22
THOSE WHO CAN’T 22
School community copes with flying foxes 23
Picnic forges resolve on peace 23
Seeking entries from teacher artists 23
National Folk Festival ticket giveaway 23
INSIDE 24
Stop the war on Iraq 24
Advertising 24

Text

EDUCATION  

JOURNAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION  

pp 25500  

Vol. 84 0.4 March 31. 2003  

Holding the ALP to their promises  

by Maree O’Halloran, Jennifer Leete  

and Angelo Gavrielatos  

The Cam Government has been returned to  

office with an increased majority after putting  

itself before the electorate on public educa-  

tion platform.  

The campaign by teachers, parents and  

principals as the Public Education Alliance  

focussed on achieving the key recommenda-  

tions of the Vinson Inquiry.  

So effective was the campaign that both  

the ALP and the Coalition had to focus their  

policy announcements around these key recom-  

mendations.  

Federation had high expectations that the  

major political parties would recognise and  

address the needs of public education.  

There is no doubt some significant promises  

have been made as result of the concerted  

efforts and collective action on the part of  

the membership. Furthermore, as result of  

Federation’s pressure and influence in the lead  

up to the election, the union will not be forced  

into massive rear guard campaign to defeat  

plethora of regressive policies as had been  

the case in the past.  

In contrast, Federation will be able to focus  

and concentrate energies and resources on  

campaigns to achieve further advancements.  

While the policy announcements by the ALP  

clearly do not meet the Vinson benchmarks,  

they do not run counter to the Vinson bench-  

marks. They represent an acknowledgment of  

the issues and begin to address them.  

Education was the centrepiece of Bob Cam’s  

election policy launch on March 9.  

In his speech on that day he referred to  

public education as follows: “It’s strong  

system. We want to make it even stronger.” He  

also referred to the ALP’s education plan as:  

“It’s plan parents can rely on us to deliver  

in full; carefiilly targeted, affordable, achiev-  

able.”  

The issue on which the ALP remained  

conspicuously and deliberately silent during  

the state election was Federation’s salary claim  

including the immediate five per cent catch  

up salary increase recommended by Inquiry  

into the Provision of Public Education chair  

Professor Tony Vinson.  

The most offered by Minister John Watkins  

was that “the Government is not prepared to  

negotiate an additional pay rise outside the  

award” but that he was “committed to process  

that would see new teachers’ award developed  

to operate after the current award expires  

at the end of December 2003. In addition,  

am committed to ensure that the process put  

in place to develop new teachers’ award  

recognised and supports the professional work  

of teachers”.  

Mr Watkins also said during the election  

campaign: “I will do nothing to denigrate or  

undermine the profession.”  

Professor Vinson delivered clear and posi-  

tive plan for strong future for public educa-  

tion. Federation and its members, with the  

support of parents, delivered strong campaign  

that resulted in “bidding war” on the part  

of the major political parties in their attempts  

to win the public education vote. It is now  

time for the Carr Government to deliver on  

its commitments in way that retains public  

education at centre stage and builds on its  

strengths in the interests of our students and  

our communities.  

At the time of writing, the Carr Govern-  

ment’s new Cabinet had not been announced  

and it was unsure whether John Watkins would  

remain as Education Minister.  

Maree O’Halloran  

is the President,  

Jen-  

nifer Leete  

is the Deputy President and  

Angelo Gavrielatos  

is the Senior Vice Pres-  

ident.  

PAGE 3: The promises that  

Labor must keep  

Salaries negotiations must commence  

by Maree O’Halloran  

Federation made repeated representations to Educa-  

tion Minister John Watkins and Premier Bob Carr  

throughout 2002 and 2003 about award negotia-  

tions and significantly increasing teachers’ salaries.  

There has also been paid advertising about teach-  

ers’ salaries, numerous media releases and media  

interviews with Federation’s Senior Officers and  

notification to the Industrial Relations Commis-  

sion.  

Immediately following February Council, the  

Government was called upon to join the Federation  

in the Industrial Relations Commission to include  

the “Vinson five per cent” salary increase in the  

current award. This call was emphasised on Febru-  

ary 19 at the Sydney Town Hall in front of 2500  

teachers. That event was the first public event of  

the salaries campaign.  

In an election campaign heavily focused on  

education, there was conspicuous and deliberate  

silence from the Carr Government about the need  

to significantly increase teachers’ salaries. The  

mantra about negotiating after the election was  

repeated often by the Minister. Thus, inexorably and  

inevitably, it would appear that the Government has  

set the stage for repeat of the last bitter salaries  

round. Federation’s history with the Carr Govern-  

ment means teacher unionists must be prepared for  

industrial action when necessary.  

The Premier’s views  

On March 21 in the Sydney Morning Herald, the  

Premier expressed the following views about teach-  

ers’ salaries:  

“Q: Can we go to education: You’ve got round  

of wage negotiations with the Teachers Federation  

very soon. Are you going to force them to the table  

on performance pay?  

“A: On performance pay? I’m not sure if there’s  

ever been satisfactory way of measuring the  

performance of teachers. It strikes me as very  

subjective area. I’ve been to schools for kids with  

disabilities, special education schools. I’ve been  

in classroom where the teacher is working with  

these Down syndrome youngsters to get them to the  

stage where they can read rail timetable so they  

can get to work on their own. How do you measure  

the performance of teacher in comprehensive  

high school who has class of youngsters all drawn  

from public housing.estate? Most from single  

parent families, few with desk to study at, many of  

them with unstable homes? How do we measure the  

performance of that teacher compared to teacher  

in selective high, recruiting at the start of year  

the most motivated youngsters in our society? I’ve  

never seen system to do it.  

“Q: But if you want to elevate the quality of  

teaching, which you talk about lot, how can you  

do it without having some level of reward for the  

better teacher or the really good teacher?  

“A: What we need are more gradations within  

teaching. At the present, we’ve got the highest  

starting pay for teachers in Australia, but at about  

think after eight years teacher reaches level he  

or she could well be on for the rest of their career.  

That’s the challenge. We need more gradations.  

“Q: Are you going to hand out those higher pay  

bands based on seniority as the current system  

exists?  

“A: I’ve challenged the Teachers Federation and  

the department in several meetings over the past  

12 months to work creatively on options for the  

new award and it includes all these opportunities.  

It’s going to take goodwill and creativity on both  

sides.”  

Negotiations  

The Premier’s words do provide “glimmer of  

hope” about salaries negotiations.  

Apart from quantum increases in our claim of  

(10%+5%+5% over two years) for the next award  

and the “Vinson five per cent” in this award, the  

following issues are absolutely critical:  

1. Salary increases to be fully-funded from  

Treasury to ensure that students’ learning conditions  

and teachers’ working conditions are not cut;  

2. Stability or enhancement of working condi-  

tions.  

Both the Premier and the Minister have been  

advised that these issues are critical and will form  

the basis of our negotiations.  

Advertising  

Paid advertising about teachers’ salaries commenced  

in January 2003 and will continue throughout this  

year.  

Maree O’Halloran  

is the President.  

Wollongong TAFE teachers lead the way on salaries: Wollongong TAFE  

Federation Representative Rob Long (right) addresses about 130 teachers  

at stopwork meeting on March 19. Details page 2.  

Letter to John Watkins  

19 March 2003  

Dear Mr Watkins,  

Re: Teachers’ Salaries  

refer to our letters of December 2002 and 17 February 2003 regarding  

teachers’ salaries. The Federation has also made repeated representations to you  

throughout 2002 about award negotiations and significantly increasing teachers’  

salaries. To date the Federation has received no formal, written response to  

these letters or our representations. Your answer to the question about teachers’  

salaries, asked of all political parties in the lead up to the State Election, was  

cursory at best.  

note your promise made at the Town Hall on 19 February 2003 not to  

denigrate the profession during the salaries negotiations and your intention to  

have negotiated settlement in place by 31 December 2003 (the end date of the  

current award). These statements are, of course, welcome and the Federation  

has notified the Industrial Relations Commission that both parties have publicly  

evinced an intention to reach negotiated settlement. The Federation will be  

contacting you immediately after the State Election to commence negotiations  

proper about the next award and the quantum increase for teachers.  

Meanwhile, reiterate that the teaching profession expects and anticipates  

that the “Vinson per cent” will be paid in 2003. Your negative response on the  

airwaves to this issue is causing unrest amongst teachers. therefore foreshadow  

that the Federation will be approaching the incoming Government to jointly  

lodge with the Federation in the Industrial Relations Commission the attached  

variation to the award. The variation increases award rates by per cent. believe  

that this process will accommodate your stated desire not to act outside the  

award and it will certainly be seen as an act of goodwill and good faith by the  

teaching profession.  

Barry Johnson  

General Secretary  

Cite

Citation options:
Work identifier

http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682775792

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 August 18, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682775792

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. 18 August 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682775792>

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 18 August 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682775792

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. 84 No. 04 (31 Mar 2003)
  | location=Sydney
  | publisher=The Federation
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682775792
  | id=nla.obj-682775792
  | access-date=18 August 2025
  | via=Trove
}}

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