Fix this text
EDUCATION
Fix this textJOURNAL OF THE NEW SOUTH WALES TEACHERS FEDERATION
Fix this textAgreement No. PP255003 00104
Fix this textVol. 84 No. 11 October 27. 2003
Fix this textGovernment attacks public school and
Fix this textTAFE witnesses
Fix this textby Maree O’Halloran
Fix this textthat a new award will be delayed
Fix this textpast January 1, 2004.
Fix this textThe Government is condemned
Fix this textfor its deliberate decision to deni-
Fix this textgrate and devalue the profession in
Fix this textthe Commission. It is clear from the
Fix this textGovernment’s submissions, cross-
Fix this textexamination and rebuttal evidence
Fix this textthat, in contrast to Dr Refshauge’s
Fix this textundertakings on May 13, far more
Fix this textthan incapacity to pay is being argued
Fix this textby the Government.
Fix this textThe Government has reneged on
Fix this textpublic undertakings that the only argu-
Fix this textment the Government would mount
Fix this textagainst Federation’s salaries case in
Fix this textThe Government has reneged on a
Fix this textpromise not to denigrate the profes-
Fix this textsion by its actions in the salaries
Fix this textcase before the Industrial Relations
Fix this textCommission.
Fix this textFederation teacher witnesses
Fix this textare facing unnecessary lengthy
Fix this textcross-examination.
Fix this textIf the Government continues
Fix this textits cross-examination and rebuttal
Fix this textevidence, then valuable site inspec-
Fix this texttions of public schools and TAFE
Fix this textcolleges by the judges may be cur-
Fix this texttailed and there is the potential that
Fix this textthe Government’s actions will mean
Fix this textSydney Secondary College (Balmain campus) acting head teacher
Fix this texttechnology Michael Fullerton (left) gave evidence in the Industrial
Fix this textRelations Commission about mandatory computer competence in
Fix this textall syllabuses and the expectation that students create multimedia
Fix this textproducts. Here he talks to music teacher Andrew Banks.
Fix this textthe Industrial Relations Commission
Fix this textwas ‘incapacity to pay’.
Fix this textThe breaking of these under-
Fix this texttakings has been clear during the
Fix this textcross-examination of Federation
Fix this textwitnesses.
Fix this textCross-examination continually
Fix this textreturns to the same themes. These are
Fix this textthat there has been no real change in
Fix this textthe nature of teachers’ work, that the
Fix this textevidence contained in the affidavits
Fix this textof the witnesses is exaggerated or
Fix this textoverstated and that the DET has
Fix this textprovided support for teachers in rela-
Fix this texttion to the issues raised by the wit-
Fix this textnesses.
Fix this textThe Government’s position is
Fix this textthat any work value changes put
Fix this textforward by Federation witnesses are
Fix this texteither exaggerated or have been fully
Fix this textcompensated for by previous pay
Fix this textrises. In addition, the Government
Fix this textargues that teachers have been sup-
Fix this textported by the Department to imple-
Fix this textment change. The Government, for
Fix this textexample, is arguing that the work
Fix this textattached to outcomes-based assess-
Fix this textment and reporting is not mandatory
Fix this textand not expected of teachers. Instead,
Fix this textit is said to be extra, discretionary
Fix this textwork that should not be paid for.
Fix this textThe State Government does not
Fix this textvalue public education.
Fix this textIn sharp contrast to the Govern-
Fix this textment, the Catholic Education Office
Fix this textis not contesting the work value of
Fix this textteachers in the Independent Educa-
Fix this texttion Union case. In that case the
Fix this textCatholic teacher witnesses are not
Fix this textbeing cross-examined and an Agreed
Fix this textStatement of Facts has been pro-
Fix this textduced about the significant, positive
Fix this textcontribution and work value changes
Fix this textby Catholic teachers. To date the
Fix this textGovernment has refused to reach a
Fix this textsimilar agreement with Federation.
Fix this text(Details of what was agreed in the
Fix this textCatholic case is available on the
Fix this textwebsite).
Fix this textCatholic employers have filed
Fix this textstatements from 10 witnesses in
Fix this textthe Independent Education Union’s
Fix this text(lEU’s) case. Each of these state-
Fix this textments was in support of pay rises
Fix this textfor teachers and recognised the
Fix this textincreased demands on teachers and
Fix this textincreased skills necessary to meet
Fix this textthese demands. Catholic employers
Fix this texthave submitted that public school
Fix this textand Catholic school teachers should
Fix this textbe awarded the same increases.
Fix this textThe State Government should
Fix this textcease cross-examining Federation
Fix this textwitnesses and agree to no less than
Fix this textthe Agreed Statement of Facts in the
Fix this textlEU case. Such actions would keep
Fix this textfaith with Government promises. To
Fix this textdate the Government has refused to
Fix this textdo so.
Fix this textWitnesses from public schools
Fix this textand TAFE colleges are in the course
Fix this textof giving evidence in the Commis-
Fix this textsion. There are 48 witnesses in total.
Fix this textThose witnesses who have given
Fix this textevidence to date deserve the high-
Fix this textest praise for their professionalism
Fix this textand eloquence. They have provided
Fix this textthe presiding judges with invalu-
Fix this textable explanations of the nature of
Fix this textteachers' work in the public system.
Fix this textRegular reports from the Commis-
Fix this textsion appear on the Federation’s web-
Fix this textsite.
Fix this textMembers are alerted to the poten-
Fix this texttial for further industriab action this
Fix this textyear if the Government continues to:
Fix this text• threaten the funding of public
Fix this texteducation
Fix this text• devalue the profession, and
Fix this text• delay the award past January 1,
Fix this text2004 without agreeing to payment
Fix this textfrom that date.
Fix this textMaree O’Halloran
Fix this textis the Presi-
Fix this textdent.
Fix this textAt a glance
Fix this textSince the 24 hour strike across three states on September 17. the following
Fix this textfacts have emerged:
Fix this text□ The Treasurer has reiterated that the public education budget will be cut
Fix this textto pay for salary increases over three per cent per annum.
Fix this text□ In 2002/3 NSW had a $620 million surplus. The Vinson five per cent
Fix this textis clearly affordable in 2003.
Fix this text□ The Minister lias blatantly reneged on the undertaking not to undermine
Fix this textor denigrate the profession.
Fix this text□ The Catholic employers have agreed about work value issues and not
Fix this textone ITU wit nined.
Fix this text□ The Government's arguments and actions in the IRC may cause the case
Fix this textto be delayed so that a new award is not ready by January 1,2004.
Fix this textIRC visits workplaces
Fix this textby Gary Zadkovich
Fix this textFour judges of the Industrial Relations Com-
Fix this textmission conducted workplace inspections
Fix this textat Sarah Redfem Public School, Passfield
Fix this textPark SSP and Sarah Redfem High School on
Fix this textOctober 21. This visit was the first undertaken
Fix this textin the current salaries case, and served to
Fix this textinform the Commission of the practical reali-
Fix this textties of contemporary teaching and learning as
Fix this textoutlined by Federation’s witnesses.
Fix this textThe Commission spent two hours visiting
Fix this textclassrooms at Sarah Redfem Public School,
Fix this textobserving a range of programs and contexts,
Fix this textand interacting with teachers, students and
Fix this textsupport staff. After morning tea with the
Fix this textprimary school staff, the Commission visited
Fix this textthe adjacent special school for 30 minutes
Fix this textand observed students with disabilities at play
Fix this textduring their lunch break, as well as several
Fix this textclasses at work once lessons resumed. The
Fix this textinspection concluded with 30 minutes at the
Fix this texthigh school, where a number of junior and
Fix this textsenior classes were observed.
Fix this textAt short notice, Federation members at
Fix this textthese schools provided a thoroughly profes-
Fix this textsional insight to the nature of their work and
Fix this texttheir dedication to providing quality public
Fix this texteducation. It was clear from passing remarks
Fix this textand concluding comments that the Commis-
Fix this textsion greatly appreciated the opportunity to
Fix this textconduct the inspection, and that Federation
Fix this textmembers had made impressive contributions
Fix this textto the Commission’s understanding of teach-
Fix this texters’ work.
Fix this textGary Zadkovich
Fix this textis a City Organiser.
Fix this textPAGE 4: More
Fix this textCommission
Fix this textreports
Fix this textFurious teachers stop work
Fix this textFederation members at Kororo Public School stopped work on October 15 to discuss
Fix this textfuture industrial action opposing Treasury’s intention not to fully fund any pay rise
Fix this texthanded down by the Industrial Relations Commission that is above and beyond
Fix this textthe Government’s offer of three per cent per annum for two years. Teachers are
Fix this textangry that the Government has threatened to fund any pay rise above three per cent
Fix this textper annum out of the already depleted Education budget. Federation Representative
Fix this textMichael Hepi said: “We feel the Government is holding teachers, students, parents and
Fix this textthe future of public education to ransom. It is time the Government valued public
Fix this texteducation.”
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-682776304
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
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>
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
{{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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