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. 11 (27 Oct 2003)
Images
28
View Catalogue

Contents

EDUCATION JOURNAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION 1
Government attacks public school and TAFE witnesses 1
At a glance 1
IRC visits workplaces 1
Furious teachers stop work 1
NEWS Revised restructure: late again, flawed again 2
Independent MP says Refshauge out of touch 2
MPs to show if friend or foe 2
Non permanent teacher cases 2
Officers 2
Executive 2
TAFE CAMPAIGN TAFE teachers to strike for 24 hours 3
Soup kitchen to counter fee hike 3
Novel protest 3
TAFE course fee exemptions re-instated 3
Witnesses outline value of work 4 , 5
Taking evidence 4
Support your colleagues in the IRC 4
Early Childhood Inquiry to push national agenda 5
Department fined over OH&S 5
Advertising 5
Joint refugee assistance program launched 6 , 7
Plight over politics 6
Primary one day, secondary the next 6
Retrain in physics 6
Check your set of welfare leaflets 6
Have resources, will teach about unions 7
More betterments achieved for isolated teachers 7
Advertising 7
Creating safe and supportive environments 8
Sticks and Stones forum 8
Community wins mobile phone tower fight 8
Skool’s Out! Are you? 8
Gay and Lesbian Special Interest Group 8
in BRIEF 8
Deaths shock communities 9
School sold to French on the cheap 9
Advertising 9
The President “pi Writes Government reneges 10
LETTERS to the Editor Thanks for the fight 10
Ban all extras 10
Seeks a written reference 11
On the cheap 11
Simple arithmetic 11
Transfer tyranny 11
Pay-rates for HSC judges 11
Survey on salaries 11
Another car fire 12
Page 5 12
Giving never stops 12
Travelling musician 12
TCU joins ranks of banks 12
How can they say there is no shortage? Rubbery figures 12
Carbon Copy Distress and disgust 12
Youth paradox 12
Space waste 12
Sharing the blame 14
Advertising 13 , 14 , 15 , 16
RETIRED Teachers 17
Advertising 17
GOING UP THE COUNTRY Caffeine in the city 18
cheap WINE Passion pop rates mention 18
TAFE Concerns remain over restructure mark 2 19
No extra federal funds for extra students 19
RESTRUCTURES central 19
VIEWS Salary justice for HSC markers 20
Advertising 20
REVIEWS Theatre Bright future for Sydney theatre 21
The Lion King 21
Advertising 21 , 22
FILM Relative survival 23
Computer Corner Britannica Online 23
Website Plenty of OH&S resources online 23
Correspondence course Mr Yen’s World 24
Up, Up and Away The rise of the scarecrows 24
Advertising 25 , 26
DT SMITH 26
THOSE WHO CAN’T 26
University staff and students take joint action 27
Available now on the website 27
Federation women setting the agenda 27
INSIDE 28
Schools help Canberra to re-seed 28
World Teachers’ Day October 30 28
Deadline for annual school reports deferred 28

Text

EDUCATION  

JOURNAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION  

Agreement No. PP255003 00104  

Vol. 84 No. 11 October 27. 2003  

Government attacks public school and  

TAFE witnesses  

by Maree O’Halloran  

that new award will be delayed  

past January 1, 2004.  

The Government is condemned  

for its deliberate decision to deni-  

grate and devalue the profession in  

the Commission. It is clear from the  

Government’s submissions, cross-  

examination and rebuttal evidence  

that, in contrast to Dr Refshauge’s  

undertakings on May 13, far more  

than incapacity to pay is being argued  

by the Government.  

The Government has reneged on  

public undertakings that the only argu-  

ment the Government would mount  

against Federation’s salaries case in  

The Government has reneged on  

promise not to denigrate the profes-  

sion by its actions in the salaries  

case before the Industrial Relations  

Commission.  

Federation teacher witnesses  

are facing unnecessary lengthy  

cross-examination.  

If the Government continues  

its cross-examination and rebuttal  

evidence, then valuable site inspec-  

tions of public schools and TAFE  

colleges by the judges may be cur-  

tailed and there is the potential that  

the Government’s actions will mean  

Sydney Secondary College (Balmain campus) acting head teacher  

technology Michael Fullerton (left) gave evidence in the Industrial  

Relations Commission about mandatory computer competence in  

all syllabuses and the expectation that students create multimedia  

products. Here he talks to music teacher Andrew Banks.  

the Industrial Relations Commission  

was ‘incapacity to pay’.  

The breaking of these under-  

takings has been clear during the  

cross-examination of Federation  

witnesses.  

Cross-examination continually  

returns to the same themes. These are  

that there has been no real change in  

the nature of teachers’ work, that the  

evidence contained in the affidavits  

of the witnesses is exaggerated or  

overstated and that the DET has  

provided support for teachers in rela-  

tion to the issues raised by the wit-  

nesses.  

The Government’s position is  

that any work value changes put  

forward by Federation witnesses are  

either exaggerated or have been fully  

compensated for by previous pay  

rises. In addition, the Government  

argues that teachers have been sup-  

ported by the Department to imple-  

ment change. The Government, for  

example, is arguing that the work  

attached to outcomes-based assess-  

ment and reporting is not mandatory  

and not expected of teachers. Instead,  

it is said to be extra, discretionary  

work that should not be paid for.  

The State Government does not  

value public education.  

In sharp contrast to the Govern-  

ment, the Catholic Education Office  

is not contesting the work value of  

teachers in the Independent Educa-  

tion Union case. In that case the  

Catholic teacher witnesses are not  

being cross-examined and an Agreed  

Statement of Facts has been pro-  

duced about the significant, positive  

contribution and work value changes  

by Catholic teachers. To date the  

Government has refused to reach  

similar agreement with Federation.  

(Details of what was agreed in the  

Catholic case is available on the  

website).  

Catholic employers have filed  

statements from 10 witnesses in  

the Independent Education Union’s  

(lEU’s) case. Each of these state-  

ments was in support of pay rises  

for teachers and recognised the  

increased demands on teachers and  

increased skills necessary to meet  

these demands. Catholic employers  

have submitted that public school  

and Catholic school teachers should  

be awarded the same increases.  

The State Government should  

cease cross-examining Federation  

witnesses and agree to no less than  

the Agreed Statement of Facts in the  

lEU case. Such actions would keep  

faith with Government promises. To  

date the Government has refused to  

do so.  

Witnesses from public schools  

and TAFE colleges are in the course  

of giving evidence in the Commis-  

sion. There are 48 witnesses in total.  

Those witnesses who have given  

evidence to date deserve the high-  

est praise for their professionalism  

and eloquence. They have provided  

the presiding judges with invalu-  

able explanations of the nature of  

teachers' work in the public system.  

Regular reports from the Commis-  

sion appear on the Federation’s web-  

site.  

Members are alerted to the poten-  

tial for further industriab action this  

year if the Government continues to:  

• threaten the funding of public  

education  

• devalue the profession, and  

• delay the award past January 1,  

2004 without agreeing to payment  

from that date.  

Maree O’Halloran  

is the Presi-  

dent.  

At glance  

Since the 24 hour strike across three states on September 17. the following  

facts have emerged:  

□ The Treasurer has reiterated that the public education budget will be cut  

to pay for salary increases over three per cent per annum.  

□ In 2002/3 NSW had $620 million surplus. The Vinson five per cent  

is clearly affordable in 2003.  

□ The Minister lias blatantly reneged on the undertaking not to undermine  

or denigrate the profession.  

□ The Catholic employers have agreed about work value issues and not  

one ITU wit nined.  

□ The Government's arguments and actions in the IRC may cause the case  

to be delayed so that new award is not ready by January 1,2004.  

IRC visits workplaces  

by Gary Zadkovich  

Four judges of the Industrial Relations Com-  

mission conducted workplace inspections  

at Sarah Redfem Public School, Passfield  

Park SSP and Sarah Redfem High School on  

October 21. This visit was the first undertaken  

in the current salaries case, and served to  

inform the Commission of the practical reali-  

ties of contemporary teaching and learning as  

outlined by Federation’s witnesses.  

The Commission spent two hours visiting  

classrooms at Sarah Redfem Public School,  

observing range of programs and contexts,  

and interacting with teachers, students and  

support staff. After morning tea with the  

primary school staff, the Commission visited  

the adjacent special school for 30 minutes  

and observed students with disabilities at play  

during their lunch break, as well as several  

classes at work once lessons resumed. The  

inspection concluded with 30 minutes at the  

high school, where number of junior and  

senior classes were observed.  

At short notice, Federation members at  

these schools provided thoroughly profes-  

sional insight to the nature of their work and  

their dedication to providing quality public  

education. It was clear from passing remarks  

and concluding comments that the Commis-  

sion greatly appreciated the opportunity to  

conduct the inspection, and that Federation  

members had made impressive contributions  

to the Commission’s understanding of teach-  

ers’ work.  

Gary Zadkovich  

is City Organiser.  

PAGE 4: More  

Commission  

reports  

Furious teachers stop work  

Federation members at Kororo Public School stopped work on October 15 to discuss  

future industrial action opposing Treasury’s intention not to fully fund any pay rise  

handed down by the Industrial Relations Commission that is above and beyond  

the Government’s offer of three per cent per annum for two years. Teachers are  

angry that the Government has threatened to fund any pay rise above three per cent  

per annum out of the already depleted Education budget. Federation Representative  

Michael Hepi said: “We feel the Government is holding teachers, students, parents and  

the future of public education to ransom. It is time the Government valued public  

education.”  

Cite

Citation options:
Work identifier

http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682776304

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 5, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682776304

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. 5 August 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682776304>

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 5 August 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682776304

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. 11 (27 Oct 2003)
  | location=Sydney
  | publisher=The Federation
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682776304
  | id=nla.obj-682776304
  | access-date=5 August 2025
  | via=Trove
}}

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