AEU Journal Vol. 40. No. 2 | March 2008

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Official publication of the Australian Education Union (SA Branch)

Vol 40 I No.2

March 2008

AEUJOURNAL SA

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FPERAT E SUI D RE N ST’S VIEW

AEU JOURNAL

Lyndsey Oxley page 20 – 21 New Educator talks about life at school and getting support from the AEU.

Australian Education Union | SA Branch Telephone: 8272 1399 Facsimile: 8373 1254 Email: journal@aeusa.asn.au Editor: Craig Greer Graphic Designer: Jo Frost AEU Journal is published seven times annually by the South Australian Branch of the Australian Education Union.

AEU Journal 2008 Dates Deadline Publication date #3 May 2 May 21 #4 June 6 June 25 #5 July 25 August 13 #6 August 29 September 17 #7

Focus: EB2008

The ‘DREAM’ Buggy

pages 12 – 13

page 6 – 7

It’s EB time again and AEU members are speaking up. See our centre spread for comments on a range of EB issues.

They’re engineering for humanity at Noarlunga TAFE.

October 17

November 5

Subscriptions: Free for AEU members. Nonmembers may subscribe for $33 per year.

Print Post approved PP 531629/0025 ISSN 1440-2971 Printing: Finsbury Green Printing Cover Photo: Shutterstock Illustration: Simon Kneebone Advertise in the AEU Journal. Reach over 13,500 members across South Australia.

8272 1399 journal@aeusa.asn.au

L E T T E R S TO T H E E D I TO R

TOP LETTER

*Winner of TOP LETTER!

There is a crisis in Education, a crisis that ultimately needs to be addressed by teachers and the parents of school age children; they are the ones with a vested interest to ensure that real steps are taken to address the problems faced. The problems that we are experiencing in South Australia are by no means unique to South Australia – the same problem is being faced by educators the world over and I suggest that it stems from the same deep rooted problems.

I first came on the Education Department’s payroll in 1968. By the time I started teaching my salary expectations were comparable to that of a parliamentary back bencher. To get a sense of what sort of culture prevailed in the Department at that time you only have to consider my experience when it came to make my subject choices. My girlfriend and I had both won commonwealth scholarships – we had both resolved to become primary teachers. I was directed to secondary education because a commonwealth scholarship indicated I was too bright for primary education – my girlfriend was accepted as a primary teacher. The values indicated by this anecdote are still being

played out within education today.

We still operate in a culture where the importance of primary education is largely undervalued – this is reflected in the way resources are allocated, particularly in the area of teacher training and professional development and class sizes.

One would like to think that sexism has disappeared, after all over 50% of all teachers are female and increasingly, promotion positions are likewise evenly distributed. However, one only has to look at the salaries of teachers to realise that sexism is flourishing.

The assumption is still that the female’s wage is the second income, it is the cream, it is a bonus – the male income is still that of the breadwinner. Globally those occupations that attract females tend also to be the occupations that have stagnated as far as remuneration is concerned.

The steady erosion of teacher salaries and conditions means that teaching is by no means an attractive career choice. For example, a recent graduate I know seriously considered teaching as a career pathway. With a double degree in Maths and Humanities he would have been an asset to any school, always presuming of course that he could actually teach. He chose to work in the private sector – four years after graduating he is nowhere near the top of his earning potential, yet

already his salary is over $80K. Recently I did some TRT work and so refreshed my understanding of what was going on in schools. Some things hadn’t changed – there were still the committed teachers that worked long hours and did their level best to ensure the success of their students. However, there were changes, significant changes. Firstly teachers were under far more pressure – larger class sizes, fewer resources, far less time to prepare and an environment where the most important skills one needed were crisis management – there is simply not enough time to do things properly.

Politicians are aware that the long-term economic future is tied up with the so-called knowledge economy. We need to invest in education from reception to year 12 if we are going to play a meaningful role in that knowledge economy. But that also means that we need to invest in teachers.

I John Töns

The AEU Journal welcomes all letters. Top letter each issue WINS two bottles of wine.

journal@aeusa.asn.au 3

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P U B L I C E D U C AT I O N W E E K

U P DAT E : E N T E R P R I S E BA R G A I N I N G 2 0 0 8

2008

EB: The Process

Mini Media Competition

Initial discussions with the government have come to and end, so what happens next?

For further information contact: Lynn Hall phone: 8272

Call for Submissions AEU members are invited to produce a 30 second digital media clip to be shown during Public Education Week, 26 – 30 May. PRIZES: 2 digital cameras valued at approximately $1300 each will be awarded to the winning member/s nominated sub-branch for workplace use.

Prizes will be awarded at the judges’ discretion.

On 5 March 2008 the State Government formally sent a notice to education employees informing them that they intend to start the Enterprise Bargaining process. The current Agreement nominally expires on 31 March 2008.

The AEU, as the principal registered employee association in the education industry, will represent its members and employees through the negotiating process.

The Government has informed us that it wishes to conduct two sets of negotiations; one for TAFE and the other for DECS. While the Government’s preferred position is for two separate agreements, the holding of separate negotiating meetings does not preclude the development of a single DECS / TAFE agreement.

Who Negotiates?

Open category for Best Digital Media.

The AEU is represented at the Enterprise Bargaining Negotiations by its elected principal officers and its experienced industrial team.

The government negotiating team consists of representatives from the two departments DECS and DFEEST, and of the Minister for Industrial Relations, Michael Wright.

CRITERIA:

The AEU Log of Claims

1. Must include the following creative element: ‘together’

The AEU’s negotiating position can be found in the AEU Log of Claims for a New

TWO CATEGORIES Category 1: Best Digital Media produced by educators in their first 5 years of employment.

Category 2:

2. Must be no longer than 30 seconds.

1399 email: training@aeusa.asn.au

3. Must be G Rated and suitable for viewing by the general public and education stakeholders.

4. Must be suitable for posting to the AEU website or to YouTube.

5. Open to AEU | SA Branch financial members only.

ADVICE: If children or government buildings are featured, all appropriate departmental procedures must be strictly followed.

EB RESOURCES 3 Our multimedia weblog will keep you updated on issues surrounding the Enterprise Agreement so don’t forget to check it out. Also to access to the AEU Log of Claims go to:

www.2008eba.org 3 Details of times and location of AEU area meetings for EB discussion can be found at:

Copyright will rest with the producers, but the AEU | SA Branch will have full permission to use the film for non-commercial public showings.

www.aeusa.asn.au/ getinvolved

TECHNICAL INFO:

Your AEU Negotiating Team includes:

ACTION • Ensure that all people in your work site are AEU members.

• Elect a work place organising committee to implement the campaign.

• Regularly check the AEU website and distribute all AEU information.

• Inform parents and governing council about the importance of the AEU claim.

“While AEU officers sit at the table and negotiate on your behalf, the broader commitment of members to achieving a good offer is vital!”

Correna Haythorpe AEU Branch President Enterprise Agreement 2008. This represents the views of South Australian educators and was developed through extensive consultations with members throughout 2007. It was ratified by Branch Council in December 2007 and has been with government negotiators since January 2008. Through February 2008 the AEU negotiators have outlined the contents of our claim to DECS and PSWD and have provided supportive evidence as well as addressing any questions that the employer has raised.

The Government Offer At the time of publication the Government has not provided to the AEU an offer for a new Enterprise Agreement. The lack of information and willingness to discuss detail has been an impediment to progressing discussions. We call on the Government to outline an offer, so that good faith bargaining can commence.

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Entries must be submitted on DVD. A technical advice sheet will be forwarded on request.

Members wishing to improve their skills are invited to attend the Digital Media Workshop held during the school holidays (April 16).

Correna Haythorpe, President

Jack Major Branch Secretary

Leah York Marcus Anne Industrial Knill, Crawford, Vice President Vice President Officer

Liz Roberts Industrial Officer

Dan Farmer Industrial Officer

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PRESIDENT’S VIEW

UNION TRAINING

United action will make the difference in EB08

Anna Stewart Memorial Project 2008 SA Unions conducts a 2 week training program each year specifically for women to give them an insight on how unions operate and how they can be more active in their union.

• Stay Informed.

• Check out our EB08 blog. (below) • Raise issues with your subbranches.

• Be ready for action when the time comes.

The Anna Stewart Memorial Program provides off-the-job training on industrial issues combined with a union office placement.

“The future of EB08 and Public Education is in the hands of all AEU members.”

The focus for the 2008 program is:

With this increased complexity comes extra workload for education workers. Our Log of Claims has identified many areas of concern for members and outlines the protections which need to be in place to ease the workload burden, ensuring the provision of a quality educational experience for our students. This must include commitment to a curriculum guarantee, an issue which is particularly important for small and country schools.

Not everything can be fixed via an EB process and indeed, many things should just be sorted out by an employer as a matter of principle and in the interests of Public Education. With the DECS negotiations, we are talking to people who have little or no experience of working in our schools and preschools. The TAFE negotiating team, at least, includes this much needed experience and can relate to the issues. The early signs for this EB process are that we are facing a long campaign as progress has been very slow to date. This will be, quite frankly, unacceptable to the AEU. So, what will help us to make the difference and achieve a successful outcome?

The answer is quite clear – YOU will!

AEU members are the key to a successful EB08. While AEU officers sit at the table and negotiate on your behalf, the broader commitment of members to achieving a good offer is vital! The nature of this commitment and action will be discussed at Branch Council on 29 March ‘08 and communicated to members.

Stay informed, check out the EB08 blog, (and yes, we know the DECS filter has a block on this) raise the issues within your subbranches and be ready for action when the call comes. The future of EB08 and Public Education is in the hands of all AEU members.

In solidarity

Correna Haythorpe, AEU President

Women Working in a Global Environment All women union members are invited to apply.

26th May – 6th June For an application form visit these websites:

www.aeusa.asn.au/events www.saunions.org.au F I G H T G LO BA L WA R M I N I N G

Earth Hour Adelaide Turn your lights out for one hour to support this global event.

Saturday 29 March 2008 8.00pm – 9.00pm Millions of people in some of the world’s major capital cities will unite and switch off for Earth Hour. Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Canberra are taking part as well as international cities including Manila, Tel Aviv, Copenhagen, Chicago and Toronto.

Consider turning lights off to show your support and get the message out to your workplace! (see website right) for more details.

www.2008eba.org 5

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wwwearthhour.org/cities/adelaide

For Info and updates see our EB Blog:

ACTION

Register to take part at:

Embarking on EB08 negotiations with the State Government has been an interesting (and somewhat frustrating) experience. With a state Labor government and an ‘Education Premier’, members could reasonably assume that strengthening public education via EB would be a priority. It is certainly a priority for 13,500 members who have devoted considerable time, energy and effort into developing our enterprise bargaining claim. By the time this journal goes to print, our current enterprise agreement will have almost expired (31 March ‘08). Whilst status quo will be maintained until a new agreement, the salary and conditions for all education workers will stagnate until we see and accept an appropriate offer. The onus is on the State Government to deliver that offer for member consideration, without delay.

For the past six weeks, we have engaged in informal discussions with the Public Sector Workforce Division, DECS and DFEEST negotiators. The AEU team has clarified all aspects of the AEU Log of Claims so that as we begin the formal negotiations, the government is fully briefed on our position.

Government negotiators have delivered information about ‘broad concepts’ that will be offered in a ‘package’. I suspect, with a take it or leave it clause!

Some of DECS ‘broad concepts’ have included changes to the Staffing Allocation Document for schools, Educational Leadership restructure in DECS and TAFE and baseline public sector entitlements for work and life balance. Early indications show that we are unlikely to be offered nationally competitive salaries for all education workers, smaller class/student group sizes, effective workload protections, nor the removal of the DECS 37.5 hours T&D scheme.

Of strong concern is the Government’s apparent attitude that this EB will be purely industrial and is not about student learning.

Our history shows us that a good outcome during EB will not only deliver better conditions for members but will also deliver increased outcomes for the children and students that we work with every day.

During the past decade, with the help of Federal Liberal funding policies, we have experienced a student drift to the private sector. There is no doubt that this has increased the student diversity and complexity within the public education system.

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TA F E P R O F I L E

“Members of Engineering for Humanity Inc. believe that education is about the knowledge of values and that it is for improving the lives of others.”

Computer Aided Design (CAD) back to her community and teach others how to carry out this kind of work. Knowledge is very empowering.”

The ‘DREAM’ Buggy Something great is happening at Noarlunga TAFE, but you’ll have to drive off-road to see it.

In December 2005 Barbara Roszkowski was invited, as she recalls it, ‘by accident’ to South Australia’s David Unaipon Awards for Innovation by then Minister for Science, Stephanie Key. Raised and educated in Poland, Barbara knew nothing of David Unaipon and his history as an Aboriginal spokesperson, poet and inventor. So it was a pleasant surprise when she arrived at the Awards to find that the majority of participants were young Aboriginals. “My students and I have since researched David Unaipon and have learnt that he was granted a patent for his sheep clipper; he had applied for ten patents in total. Before this I knew nothing of him so it was a surprise to be amongst so many Aboriginal people at the Awards.”

It was this event that inspired Barbara to create an engineering program for matureage Aboriginal students at Noarlunga TAFE campus where she is an Advanced Skills Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering. The students are all members of the Stolen Generation and have come to the course from considerable disadvantage.

Rather than delivering her programs using traditional methods, Barbara says she encourages her students to manage their own learning. In essence, she acts as mentor rather than lecturer. “If the students have an interesting project that stimulates them, they can do it without me, they don’t need me to babysit them.”

Project-based learning is nothing new in the world of education but according to

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Barbara, this is probably the first time that mature-age Aboriginal students in South Australia have taken part in an engineering course at the Diploma level and by the middle of this year they will be moving on to complete an Advanced Diploma.

Barbara’s learning model revolves heavily around engagement with community and industry. “My knowledge is mostly theoretical so I work with industry to give the students the real-world experience that they need.”

And the students will hopefully share their knowledge with the wider community. “I have a female student who would find it difficult physically to carry out some of the heavy welding work that is required. However, she can take what she’s learnt in areas like Mathematics, Technical Drawing and

As part of the training at the Advanced Diploma level, students are required to develop a business project. The students in Barbara’s previous course set up a not-forprofit company, Engineering for Humanity Incorporated, which, thanks to a paucity of funds, Barbara eventually paid to have registered with her own money. Members of Engineering for Humanity Inc. believe that education is about the knowledge of values and that it is for improving the lives of others.

This is why it’s important for Barbara that her students become more than just theoretically proficient. “If the students do bookwork they can get a piece of paper at the end of the course, but by teaching them to write a tender application they can apply for funding and perhaps realise their projects.”

Barbara says that the students have all learnt how to write a successful tender application. Since 2006, Barbara’s students were able to raise $14,000 for two projects.

“The concept is that if industry, community organisations, disadvantaged groups or charity groups need something done, the students can tender for the job and get to work on a solution. They may complete a project for people with disabilities or the ageing, for instance. I also want them to go into their own communities and see what they can do to make a positive difference.”

Barbara speaks highly of the dedication and work ethic of her students. “I think there is a feeling amongst some people that Aboriginal people don’t want to work. I can tell you from experience that this is not the

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V I CE P R E S I D E N T ’ S R E PO RT case. One of my students, Elliot, is in the workshop every day and takes a lot of pride in the work he is doing.”

Working under the umbrella of Engineering for Humanity, the Aboriginal students big project at the moment is called D.R.E.A.M Buggy – the acronym stands for Diversity, Recreational, Engineering, Aboriginal Mentoring. “We are building an off-road vehicle using recycled materials and will submit it in the future for the David Unaipon Innovation Awards.” It will be the second project of this type overseen by Barbara.

“The students who helped me set up Engineering for Humanity built an off-road buggy for a young boy with Spina Bifida named Daniel Conway – he named it Speed Demon. It was designed with customised hand controls to make it possible for him to drive due to the lack of use of his legs. We have since found that there are some improvements that can be made, especially with the steering column, so we are taking that into consideration with this new design.”

“My knowledge is mostly theoretical so I work with industry to give the students the real-world experience that they need.”

Working with mature-age students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, can throw up all kinds of challenges. For Barbara and the students, developing skills in Mathematics was no exception. “There were some basic concepts that the students were finding difficult, but we worked very hard together to get through three competencies in the space of a year. One of our non-Indigenous students was doing fantastic work tutoring the Aboriginal students so I nominated him for the Vocational Student of the Year Award in 2007. Much to his surprise, the Aboriginal students even wrote him a reference. I thought that was fantastic.”

Importantly, Barbara has built good relationships with her students. “It is quite funny because there is a woman named Eva Haisova who works voluntarily with me on the program and she is from Czechoslovakia.

So here we are, two Eastern-European women working with Aboriginal students. It is a very multi-cultural situation.”

Barbara Roszkowski is a wonderful educator, the kind you know would probably be in the job no matter what the pay. Her dedication to her students and their goals is truly inspirational. The AEU wishes Barbara, Eva and their students the very best success at the next David Unaipon Innovation Awards and beyond.

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Staffing Matters In my role as Vice President I have a key responsibility for staffing matters, many of which underpin our current claim for a new Enterprise Agreement.

Teachers The AEU has recently been contacted by many teachers who have expressed deep concern at the relatively small number of positions advertised in the 2007 local selection exercise. It appears that not all ongoing positions are being identified, causing many long term vacancies to be filled on the basis of 12 month appointments. This impacts negatively on both permanent and contract teachers. For permanent teachers, it creates more PAT positions, resulting in a lack of stability for our members and for schools.

For contract teachers, 12 month appointments block any opportunities for permanency. One of the few ways in which contract teachers can be assured of conversion to permanency is to secure a position longer than 12 months through local selection.

This year I would ask all sub-branch secretaries and AEU PAC representatives to ensure that the PAC advises the principal to declare ongoing teacher vacancies wherever possible for the next round of local selection. In some instances, this will not be viable, especially where student numbers are declining or staffing allocations are uncertain.

The lack of clarity in relation to Year 3 teachers in the last placement exercise is an unfortunate example of the latter. We are seeking an integration of this type of ‘additional staffing’ into the staffing formula as part of our current enterprise bargaining in order to assist schools in future planning.

However, it is vital to both contract and permanent teachers that PACs identify teaching vacancies as ongoing whenever they can be realistically funded and sustained. Where AEU representatives on PACs believe

vacancies have been described as temporary but meet the criteria for ongoing positions, they should liaise with the sub-branch secretary to have this discussed for action at a sub-branch meeting. In circumstances where the situation cannot be resolved successfully at the local level the matter should be referred to the AEU. We may then decide to initiate a meeting of the joint DECS/AEU Position Tenure Review Panel.

This Panel has the capacity to consider the specific concerns and to ascertain the appropriate tenure of the position.

SSOs and ECWs The AEU is driving the current negotiations with DECS regarding changes to declaring permanent SSO and ECW vacancies. In essence, the requirements are likely to involve three years continuous service and a minimum of fifteen hours per week in a position as well as a range of other factors.

In some instances there will be opportunities to appoint SSOs and ECWs permanently to a cluster of sites, particularly where the funding is attached to Tier 2 staffing. Detailed information will be circulated to members as soon as these negotiations are finalised.

In our current enterprise bargaining discussions with DECS, we are advocating a 95 percent target for permanency for all employment categories. However, even within the confines of current staffing policies, the PAC and our AEU representatives play a major role in promoting and monitoring opportunities for permanent employment I for our members.

ACTION

• PAC and AEU reps: promote and monitor opportunities for permanent employment.

• AEU reps on PAC: identify temporary vacancies that could become ongoing and discuss at sub-branch meetings.

Australian Education Union | SA Branch

2008 Public Education Awards To be announced during Public Education Week 26 – 30 May. These awards recognise the contributions made by preschools, schools and TAFE campuses and AEU members to public education in South Australia.

Your sub-branch is invited to nominate its workplace or an individual. Nominations should be endorsed by the sub-branch and sent to Jack Major, AEU Branch

Secretary, 163 Greenhill Road, Parkside SA 5063, no later than

Wednesday, 30 April.

To nominate, provide a supporting statement of up to 200 words that details contributions made in at least one of the following: • Advocacy for public education, • Community involvement and support, • Positive outcomes for public education and students, • How a program or initiative has contributed to a positive view of public education.

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A E U I N F O R M AT I O N U N I T

CO N V E R SAT I O N W I T H A N E A R LY C H I L D H O O D W O R K E R the job for so long.

Journal: It seems hard to believe. It sounds like a good example of the perils faced by employees on short-term contracts.

MN: Well you’re sort left in limbo really. Each year you don’t know what’s happening, you can’t really go taking out any loans or anything because you don’t know from one year to the next if you’ve got a job. Sometimes you don’t even know until the week the kids go back to school, so it does make things pretty difficult.

Journal: It must make it hard to cope with bills and other financial pressures.

MN: Well, it does. We have to rely on my husband’s wage because, as I said, we never

Questions from the Workplace 7 AEU Legal and Information Officer Anne Walker answers your questions.

Q A

As a part-time teacher, am I required to attend staff meetings if they are held on a day I do not normally work?

Principals should negotiate with parttime teachers, the timing of and attendance at staff meetings. Although it is a requirement under the Education Act that all teachers attend staff meetings, it is unreasonable to expect a part-time teacher to attend a staff meeting which is on a day they do not normally work.

Responsibility should be taken by the part-time teacher and the Principal to communicate and any dispute which arises about attendance at staff meetings should be referred to the Personnel Advisory Committee (PAC) at the worksite for resolution.

[Source: DECS Human Resources – Policy HR 14A PartTime Operational Procedures for Teachers (Schooling Sector]

Q

I am a substantive SSO2 in an acting SSO3 position. This position expires at the end of 2008 when I will revert to my SSO2 classification. I am considering either taking long service leave or resigning. Will I be paid my long service leave at the higher level?

A

You will be paid at the higher rate (SSO3) if you take long service leave within the tenure of your acting position. Equally if resigning, to attract the higher level of payout for long service leave, you must resign within the tenure of the acting position.

Q A

As an Hourly Paid Instructor in TAFE, what are the maximum number of teaching hours I can work?

Under the South Australian Education Staff (Government Preschools, Schools and TAFE) Enterprise Agreement 2006, Clause 51.5.1 provides that “an HPI’s weekly teaching hours maybe increased from the 10 hour limit but the engagement shall not exceed 15 hours per week”.

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For all your questions contact the

AEU Information Unit Monday to Friday 10:30am - 5pm

8272 1399 8

In Limbo... an ECW speaks out!

Without job security it’s hard to plan ahead says ECW Mary-Anne Nappa.

There’s nothing quite like a short-term contract to put your future on hold. Unfortunately for ECWs, SSOs and other support staff, the short-term contract is an all too familiar arrangement which places unnecessary stress on working families.

Much like the arguments in favour of John Howard’s soon-to-be-abolished WorkChoices legislation, employers will tell you that shortterm contracts are good because they are flexible and give the employee the opportunity to negotiate for better terms into the future.

But with the prohibitive costs of child-care, the absence of career paths and the lack of prestige placed on those jobs which are considered ‘women’s work’, the low job security of the short-term contract is a stress that most workers could do without.

Hamley Bridge ECW Mary-Anne Nappa speaks to the AEU Journal after losing her job of seven years.

Journal: What was it that drew you towards working with children?

MN: When I had my own children I started doing Family Day Care and then I got some work as a volunteer in the local kindergarten.

Eventually I became an Early Childhood Worker (ECW). That was about fourteen or fifteen years ago. I’ve been contracted as an ECW every year for the last eight years but haven’t been able to get a permanent position.

At the start of this year I was told I no longer had the contract and that a permanent person had got the position.

Journal: It must be pretty disappointing.

MN: It is disappointing. Obviously it’s great for the person who got the job because I believe that staff who are permanent with the Department should be placed in a position, but I can’t understand why I haven’t been made permanent given that I’ve been doing

know if we’ve got mine the next year or not so you can’t really plan anything for the future because you don’t know where you’re going to be.

Journal: Can you describe your previous role in the Kinder for our readers, were you just doing support work as outlined in the job specification for an ECW? MN: No, not at all. Because it was such a small centre, my role as an ECW was almost the role of a teacher. I was contributing to programming and other organisational tasks that are normally the responsibility of a teacher or Director. In a way it was like doing two jobs in one. In a country centre you have to do it. There’s only you and one other person and you can’t expect the Director to do everything. You have to do a lot more than what the job description states.

Journal: Mary-Anne, I believe that you’ve managed to pick up some work since this happened, what are you doing now?

MN: Well I’d previously done some work at Hamley Bridge Primary so when they heard about my situation they were able to offer me some work there. I am really grateful to them for that. It’s been good in the sense that I’ve had the opportunity to learn some new skills, but losing my old position was devastating nonetheless. I’m also back at the kindergarten doing four hours a week support work but I’m not sure if that will last beyond this term or not.

Journal: Well that’s good news. It sounds like you were lucky that the local primary school needed an SSO. MN: Yes I am, but luck shouldn’t come into it really. I feel that I should have been made permanent in my previous role and I hope that something is done to make sure nobody else ends up in the same situation.

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MEMBER RECRUITMENT

TA F E – R E C R U I T M E N T

Educators join en masse in Upper Spencer Organisers ask: do you want to join?

Howard Spreadbury reports.

“I’ve been meaning to join the AEU but I just didn’t know much about it. Now you’re here I’d like to sign up.”

TAFE numbers on the increase

“I heard about the AEU at Uni but now that I’m teaching I really understand why I should be a member.”

Enterprise Bargaining is a time that tends to focus the mind on what the Union can do for members. It is a natural phenomenon every three years when we focus on the next agreement, that some of those employees working in public education who are not AEU members decide that they really ought to join up.

“Until you explained it, I didn’t realise how much the AEU has achieved. I’d like to join now and be part of it.”

1 (above) While visiting Upper Spencer, Organiser Irene Tam met with SSOs. (below) Organiser Daniel Pereira signs up New Educator Raman Bhangu from Augusta Park Primary.

While there, we had a couple of really well attended sub-branch meetings where we looked at the Government’s Lecturer Classification model and sought comments from members. These, along with those raised at similar meetings at TAFE campuses across the metropolitan area are helping us in our EB negotiations.

While we intend getting to as many TAFE campuses as possible over the next months, to repeat this exercise, clearly you as members should have no hesitation in speaking with your colleagues who are not AEU members and encourage them to join. Membership forms and information about the AEU can be obtained from the AEU office, or simply go to our website (right) to join online.

I Alan Wilson AEU Organiser – TAFE Focus

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www.aeusa.asn.au/membership

of such a concentrated effort can also be measured in terms of the impact this has had on sub-branches and existing members. Many sub-branches are now stronger in terms of their capacity to campaign around enterprise bargaining and future local campaigning issues. A clear outcome is the strengthening of the position of the sub-branch secretary in their on-going roles of recruiting and implementing local campaigns.

Building on the successes of the Upper Spencer visit, Organisers embarked upon a further recruitment drive in a number of northern suburbs schools and TAFE campuses in week 6. Over three days, teams of Organisers visited sites in the Elizabeth/Munno Para area resulting in further recruitment of teachers and SSOs. Further visits are planned in both regional and metropolitan areas in the weeks ahead.

While recruitment is a major component of the work of sub-branch members, visiting areas in this way demonstrates how AEU officers can support the work of members and bring about a positive outcome from a collective effort. In the end, it is all about increasing the strength of the union, both at the worksite and across the state.

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I spent the best part of two days in each of Port Augusta and Whyalla Campus of TAFE, speaking with members and more particularly talking to potential members about the benefits of joining the AEU. This proved to be extremely successful in that we recruited eight new members at Port Augusta Campus and ten at Whyalla. Consequently, Port Augusta Campus now boasts a membership density of 80 percent and Whyalla is now up to 70 percent. Potential members were very impressed by the Teachers Federation Health benefits scheme. Brendan and Sarah from TFH were able to provide some really compelling statistics on the benefits of this scheme.

To join the AEU simply go to:

These statements are indicative of responses of a number of potential AEU members to the recruitment visits conducted recently in schools, preschools and TAFE campuses across targeted regional areas.

Research shows that many people don’t join the union because they haven’t been asked. It was on this basis, and the need to consolidate membership in all sectors and across all classifications, that the AEU determined to embark on a series of recruitment visits from the beginning of the school year.

During week 3, eleven officers arrived in the Upper Spencer Gulf cities of Port Augusta and Whyalla to commence what can only be described as an unusual approach to recruiting in this state. In just four days, every preschool, school and TAFE campus was visited by a team of two Organisers who based themselves in staff rooms or located potential members in their work areas.

Prior to the visits, Organiser Anne Beinke undertook detailed research with sub-branch secretaries in order to identify potential members and develop a profile of the sub-branch in terms of newly appointed teachers, those in leadership positions, SSOs, AEWs and ECWs. This facilitated easier contact during the visits as sub-branch secretaries and site leaders assisted in releasing staff to enable them to speak with Organisers. In TAFE campuses, officers were able to spend extended periods of time locating staff in various work areas to speak one-on-one about union membership.

As a result of these visits, upwards of 100 new members have been recruited to the AEU. These members include new teachers, SSOs, preschool and TAFE staff. The success

This year we have decided to focus our energies on getting to ‘potential members’ and signing them up. In week 3, all the AEU Organisers spent four days visiting schools, preschools and TAFE in the Port Augusta, Whyalla area.

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I N D I G E N O U S I SS U E S 7 From left: Wayne Costelloe (AEU Federal Aboriginal Education Officer), Nola Foster (AEU SA Aboriginal Education Organiser), Darcel Russell (AEU Federal Assistant Secretary), Peter Buckskin (Co-Chair, Reconciliation SA), Sharan Burrow (ACTU President), Marcus Knill (AEU SA Vice President).

Together, we are sorry Reconciliation moves forward as Rudd apologises on behalf of the nation.

On February 12, AEU Aboriginal Organiser Nola Foster travelled to Canberra with VicePresident Marcus Knill to witness the Apology to the Stolen Generations.

It was a privilege to represent the AEU (SA Branch) in Canberra for the apology by the Australian Parliament. For Nola, it was a moving experience based on personal knowledge and understanding of past events as an Aboriginal person. For Marcus as a nonAboriginal person, it restored a sense of pride and expectation that genuine reconciliation

U PCO M I N G E V E N T

Friday, 23 May

‘08 9.15am – 4.00pm

AEU Reconciliation Conference This conference promotes Reconciliation in the education community through sharing knowledge and strategies.

Who can attend: Open to union members, community members, families and students.

FREE: for AEU members, members of Aboriginal communities and students.

For further info: Lynn Hall P: 8272 1399 E: lhall@aeusa.asn.au 10

is truly possible.

The atmosphere was like no other that we’ve experienced as we made our way to Parliament House to be a part of one of the most significant moments for Reconciliation.

There was collective exhilaration mixed with a deep level of respect and remorse for those of the Stolen Generations who have suffered and continue to be traumatised by previous government policy. We soon appreciated that everyone joining us in the line to Parliament House had their own background, experiences and purpose for being there, but we all shared the same high level of anticipation of what was about to take place.

We stood at the back of The Great Hall inside Parliament House where the apology was transmitted on large screens. Every seat was taken, with people wall to wall at the sides and rear of the Hall. Even the upper deck balconies were overflowing.

An applause of expectation broke out as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd entered the House of Representatives. Should he deliver the apology as expected, it would signal the first genuine step by an Australian Parliament toward Reconciliation in this country. And deliver he did. Not another sound was heard in The Great Hall until the end of the Prime Minister’s speech.

The apology was greeted by a spontaneous ovation; there were cheers of sheer delight, tears of emotion and great relief. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people along with non-Aboriginal people embraced each other in what was a fantastic moment in time. We think it’s fair to say that the Prime Minister’s words, and the delivery of those words, exceeded the high expectations of those present in The Great Hall.

Nothing quite so positive can be said for the Leader of the Opposition, Brendan Nelson.

“On behalf of the SA Branch of the AEU, I’d like to congratulate the Rudd Government for the apology to the Stolen Generations and for committing to close the gap in education between Indigenous and nonIndigenous Australians.”

Correna Haythorpe, AEU | SA President

As one, attendees at The Great Hall stood and turned their backs during the delivery of Nelson’s address. It symbolised the fact that the Australian people will not stand for an apology in one hand, only for it to be ripped away with the other. His speech reminded all of us of the huge difference in policy direction and commitment to reconciliation between the two major political parties.

After the delivery of the apology, there was a celebration for all in attendance on the lawns of Parliament House. We enjoyed being part of this great occasion. While we both realised we had witnessed a monumental leap toward reconciliation for all Australians, we left Canberra knowing that there are many more steps to take in the future. Our challenge as a nation is to continue to take these steps together in the true spirit of reconciliation. I Written by Nola Foster and Marcus Knill

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T R A I N I N G A N D D E V E LO P M E N T @ T H E A E U

Creative Actions Workshop

New (& Potential) Country Workplace Reps Course

Thursday 17 April 9:15am-4:00pm

Monday 31 March & Tuesday 1 April 9:15am-4:00pm

A one day course to develop creative fun actions linked to AEU campaigns which members will engage in.

Who can attend: All AEU members.

Support: Relief funding, country travel and accommodation.

Women’s Contact Officers Course Monday 5 & Tuesday 6 May 9:15am-4:00pm A course for AEU women members on the role of the AEU Women’s Contact Officer, and how to support women in their workplace.

Adelaide Turns Out for Apology Around 2,000 people (above) attended the Apology to the Stolen Generations event in Adelaide on February 13. The Prime Minister’s speech was broadcast on a big screen at Elder Park on the banks of the Torrens. It was a momentous and emotional occasion for those directly affected by the removal policies of past governments and for all Aboriginal people. The apology may not have been as meaningful if it wasn’t for the wide support it received from the non-Aboriginal community. Hundreds of non-Aboriginal South Australians turned out to show their support for the apology and reconciliation.

The AEU was represented at the rally by both officers and members. Danny Ellis, AEW at Ross Smith Secondary School was there with a busload of his students who were among many young people at the rally. AEU SA Branch President Correna Haythorpe attended and was impressed with the sincerity of the apology. “On behalf of the SA Branch of the AEU, I’d like to congratulate the Rudd Government for the apology to the Stolen Generations and for committing to close the gap in education between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.”

I

The AEU has produced a short video podcast of the Apology event at Elder Park. Go to our EB blog which also hosts a range of other interesting items including our new video and audio podcast, AEUPOD.

www.2008eba.org

March – April ‘08

AEU Courses & Workshops

Who can attend: All AEU Women Contact Officers and interested women members.

Support: Relief staff, country travel & accommodation support.

A two day course for country members on resolving workplace issues effectively through various decision-making structures and processes, e.g. PAC; working constructively with members.

Who can attend: All AEU members who have not attended any AEU two-day union education courses pre 2008; newly elected workplace reps/SBS; members of WOCs. Participants should bring at least one other member with them, eg. AEU PAC rep, new educators, women’s contact person, OHSW rep or WOC member.

Support: Relief staff, country travel & accommodation support.

For further info contact: Lynn

phone: 8272

Hall

1399 email: training@aeusa.asn.au

‘08

Australian Education Union

SSO Conference Tuesday, 15 April 9.15am – 4.00pm

Conference Dinner: Monday, 14 April | 6.00pm Accommodation and travel assistance available for country members.

Further Information Phone Irene Tam: 8272 1399 To Register: aeusa.asn.au/events 11

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F O C U S | E N T E R P R I S E BA R G A I N I N G 2 0 0 8

AEU Members give Opinions on EB Issues

the time I have with my family is reduced.

I find it funny when people suggest teachers get paid enough already. I often think I’d like to let them do my job for a week and see how they cope with the workload.

Staff meetings, behaviour management, marking, lots of extra-curricular activities and the rest. It’s not at all easy.

Here’s what those at the coal-face have to say about current working conditions.

Chad Morrison | Teacher Murray Bridge PS

Work/Life Balance

Check out the EB blog for news and updates at:

I’ve been teaching for four years now and I really enjoy it. Of course the job can be very challenging at times and the dual roles of teaching and bringing up my eleven year old daughter is a difficult balancing act. It’s often the case that I’m up until very late at night planning for the next day and dealing with the range of issues that come from each day of teaching and my relationship with my daughter does suffer because of this. Teaching doesn’t start at eight-thirty and finish at four; the massive workload doesn’t really let up from the beginning of the year until the end.

Workload There are many pressures on teachers from outside the schools to continually add more and more onto the existing workload.

There seems to be an expectation from the community that schools can easily implement new fads and ideas in education. We’re continually expected to incorporate social issues and meet an array of needs that aren’t necessarily the responsibility of teachers.

It’s extremely challenging to fit it all in and to meet the administrative expectations of the Department while giving kids the best quality instruction. There are many competing interests that really stretch us to the limit.

Rebecca Knight | Teacher Elizabeth Downs PS

Class Size

www.2008eba.org

I’m currently on a one year contract having recently come from the United Kingdom where I taught in the equivalent to what you would call a Category 1 school near Birmingham. I found the registration process quite tricky but I’m glad I got there in the end because so far my experience here has been fantastic.

As they are here, class sizes in Birmingham were also quite large but the biggest difference is the amount of support and preparation time teachers receive. I think that reductions in class sizes are crucial and teachers need more support in the classroom.

I’m used to having more support in the classroom and also having the lunch hour to eat and then prepare for upcoming lessons.

12

Because of the large class sizes and minimal preparation time I find myself working at home a lot. I’m often up very late planning lessons or marking work. My husband is always asking me, “Have you finished work yet?”

Fiona Tremain | Lecturer, Salisbury TAFE I’ve been at Salisbury TAFE for three years and prior to coming here I’ve had around 25 years experience in health, education and welfare. Since arriving at TAFE my workload has been gradually increasing and this has coincided with the reduction of hours allocated for hourly paid instructors. We’ve had to increase the number of units and subjects that we teach over a period of time, which over the semester can add up to an increase of maybe three classes. This equates to around sixty more students who also have work that needs to be marked and it means more preparation for the lecturer. It means that lecturers are being forced to condense programs and this ultimately impacts on the quality of the course.

Leon Day | Teacher/ Librarian Salisbury Primary I think that the ‘Education Revolution’ proposed by the Rudd Government would be more successful if they funded smaller class sizes, particularly in Years 4 to 7, rather than providing laptops to high school kids.

Class Size Already I’ve noticed the difference smaller class sizes make in Year 3s at our school. The teachers are able to spend more time oneto-one with the children. This is a very powerful educational tool. Children need individual attention to help them thrive in life.

Karen Simmons | Teacher Hallett Cove School The loss of NIT time has contributed greatly to the increase in workload. I am now using my own time to prepare and mark. It’s become very difficult to fit everything in over the course of the week. Because of this I find

Vira Wallis | WOC Member The Heights

Workload My working days seem to be getting longer which in turn makes it feel like a very long week. I find that I’ve got less family and recreational time and when I am available I’m inevitably quite tired.

Class Size Reducing class size will increase one-toone contact and give students more room to work in the classroom, which is often overcrowded and not practical for some of the work we do. A large class also means more noise and this can disrupt the learning of students. I think at the very least there needs to be more support for teachers, especially when they are teaching students with learning difficulties or behaviour problems.

Maria Stone | Arts Coordinator Hendon Primary I’ve lost a lot of my time with friends and I’m often feeling exhausted. It’s one thing to be tired after work but when your time at home is being consumed because of work, it gets a bit much. I think reduced class sizes will mean teachers have more time to prepare as the marking will be reduced. It also means we can give the children more individual attention.

Peter Dunstan | Principal Elizabeth Downs Primary School

Workload We’re a Category One school, we have a high degree of disadvantage across the community and we work really positively to make change happen. Even in the last two years the work we are doing across the community has increased as we try to help with children’s learning. I think teachers here work fantastically hard so we just need as much resourcing and support as we can get so we’re able to deal with our students’ needs and our community.

Work/Life Balance It’s important that as staff members, we work together and that the education sector works to make sure that our wellbeing is looked after.

Class Size We’ve had some problems with staffing allocations happening at the start of the year and that often impacts on class sizes.

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F O C U S | E N T E R P R I S E BA R G A I N I N G 2 0 0 8 It’s harder to plan for the year when things are left so late. Sometimes staff numbers are not confirmed until week 2 so it’s hard to organise classes in advance. I think a reduction in the student to teacher ratio would positively impact on student learning. We have seen evidence of that in our school.

Tony Sheldon | Eastern Fleurieu Sub-Branch Secretary I think Federal and State Government initiatives like A to E reporting, summer schools and school comparisons are ideologically flawed and should be done away with. I also think that most people in the community believe that teachers should be paid more for what we do. Given the huge workload, teachers do a fantastic job in designing an engaging and relevant curriculum for their students.

The lack of time made available to plan means that it’s hard to adapt activities and lessons to suit the needs of students.

Julienne Hewton | Student Counsellor/ Teacher/Coordinator Ross Smith Secondary School

paring us to? Aren’t their children worth the best that money can buy? With a teacher shortage looming we need to attract and retain quality staff – it’s an investment in future generations!

Meredith Farmer | Arts Coordinator Ross Smith Secondary School

Work/Life Balance

Smaller class sizes will enable me to spend more time with individual students. This is especially important in my site as we have many disadvantaged students who need more support to succeed.

Work/life balance is a big problem for me and other teachers. The lack of balance has increased the stress in our household. It’s hard to explain to a four year-old that you can’t read them a book because you have piles of marking to get through.

Salary

Salary

It’s ironic that government wants to keep teachers salaries down when they themselves are paid so much. You only have to look at backbenchers salaries and how they have increased enormously when compared with teachers. Whose role is more valuable?

I think we definitely need to increase teacher salaries, particularly for graduates as we need to attract young people into teaching. If salaries aren’t competitive then we won’t be able to reverse the teacher shortage which is becoming a major crisis.

Class Size

Workload

Marcelle Muller | Teacher (NAP) Cowandilla Primary

I’m too exhausted to provide adequate help to my elderly mother and my own health has declined due to the excessive workload.

Policy Curriculum really needs to be driven by teachers, not politicians. We are the ones with the skills and the knowledge.

Based on ten years of giving grades to young students in the U.S., I believe that A to E grades are a waste of time and damaging to Junior Primary and Middle Primary students.

Ann Langlands, Jennifer Harris, Lara Potter Teachers | Ascot Park Primary There is very little time at work that is not committed to meetings, yard duty, extra-curricular activities and of course taking lessons.

This means that we have minimal time to plan and often this has to happen out of school hours. This results in less time with family and friends.

It’s strange that some people think teachers are already paid enough. Who are they com-

Workload The increasing workload makes a big difference to my effectiveness as a teacher. I have less energy in class and NAP requires a lot of energy.

Salary When people say that teachers are already paid enough it really begs the question; are lawyers paid enough? Are doctors paid enough? What is enough for empowering your children to become effective members of society as opposed to paying for more jails?

Terry McCutcheon | Teacher Eastern Fleurieu

Salary Teaching does not end at 3.30 in the afternoon, it tends to be all-consuming.

I never stop thinking about resources, curricula and student needs. I’m often working in the holidays to find interesting resources and to create interesting lessons. There is little time during the school term to do this kind of thing.

Workload The increase in workload has reduced my effectiveness as a teacher. I seldom have time to plan and organise new themes, ideas and assessment tasks for senior English students as I have enough work trying to keep up with the marking. There is therefore a tendency to regurgitate what I have already taught.

Dianne Wilson | SSO Craigmore High School I work as an SSO1 which as far as I’m concerned is a classroom support role. I have minimal supervision, I keep the front desk running and take on many other tasks that are not in my job description. I get to school at seven in the morning and arrange TRT relief where required; this is technically the job of the Deputy Principal. I have to now go for a reclassification, which is time consuming and not easy when you have a huge workload.

Salary I think DECS needs to look at the classification of SSO’s. I think my pay is terrible given the responsibility that I have in the school. I was lucky enough to get a permanent position but I know there are many SSOs who are on contracts that should be made permanent. Often a permanent employee will come in and not be as skilled as the contract employee they replaced, so it can be quite unfair in that respect. It’s also harder on the other permanent staff who have to train someone new all over again. It just doesn’t make sense!

I

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O H S W : W O R K LOA D I SS U E S

E B F O C U S | AQ U AT I CS I N ST R U C TO R S

AEU Claim & OHSW

On September 19 last year, members from the Swimming and Aquatics sector turned out in force to assemble items for inclusion in the 2008 Claim for a New Agreement. This was a momentous occasion because since the inception of the DECS Swimming & Aquatics programs over 30 years ago, there have been no formal award conditions for instructors.

There are some instructors that have been working in the program for over thirty years, are still casually employed and have no more than one week’s guarantee of employment by DECS, this situation is totally unacceptable.

Historically, working conditions for instructors have been laid out in DECS’ Swimming and Aquatics Handbook, needless to say the existing list of employment conditions weigh heavily in favour of DECS, ranging from ‘Instructors may be required to work at any centre’ state-wide, to the absurd ‘Instructors must wear bathers when conducting classes’, but I suppose Speedos are better than nothing! In the list there are just three conditions that favour instructors.

• Rate of pay • LSL entitlement • One hour minimum engagement As a result, the AEU Claim for a New Agreement contains a number of sections directly relating to Swimming & Aquatics. This is an attempt to create and lock in sensible conditions of employment, some of which were only negotiated recently in our 2006 Agreement.

The Department’s own document, the ‘Report on an Examination of the Aquatics Program’ was highly complimentary of the program and its instructors. The report noted that improvements needed to be made in relation to the recruitment of instructors, the appointment process, and differential rates of pay relating to experience and qualifications.

The report also cited several examples of

ACTION

• Email letters to MPs • Identify a workplace rep and inform the AEU • Encourage your colleagues to join the union

under-resourcing within the program. One of these referred to an instructor who, after travelling from Port Noarlunga to Coffin Bay – at their own expense – had to be put up at the home of the Instructor in Charge – at her expense – over a two-week period.

Of course, instructors who do manage to stay in the program despite the poor working conditions, do so for the children and the outcomes we achieve. As one teacher explained to me, “the kids look up to you guys because what you do automatically makes you cool.”

It is a great job, but due to inadequate working conditions, attraction and retention of staff is a constant problem. This has been recognised by DECS in their Review, but not considered important items for discussion at consultation meetings. It’s no surprise that cost cutting measures - increasing instructor/ student ratios and cutting the entitlements of year 6/7 students from 7.5 to 6 hours – were top of the agenda. Naturally, issues raised in the Review have been covered in the 2008 claim.

Given DECS’ attitude in its report, it is clear that Swimming & Aquatics instructors will have to go back into the trenches and fight hard to shift their working conditions out of the 1950’s. However, given the massive public school and student support for the programs, we have every opportunity to succeed, provided that support is matched with enthusiasm for the future and a committed campaign by instructors.

I Kelvin Jeanes West Lakes Aquatic Centre

www.parliament.sa.gov.au/members

14

Working conditions for Swimming & Aquatics

To contact Members of Parliament go to:

Workload is an Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare issue, as evidenced by the employers’ own injury and incident data.

So the AEU claim for a new Enterprise Agreement which aims, among other things, to reduce members’ workload, can be seen from another perspective: that is as a vehicle for DECS and DFEEST to provide resources in order to improve their employees’ health, safety and welfare at work.

A ‘sample’ of the relevant improvements in conditions sought by members and now in the claim includes: • reductions in class size • setting an upper limit on contact hours • reduction in class size based on class complexity • increased SSO hours and replacement for SSOs on leave • full resourcing of new initiatives in DECS and TAFE • more support for Professional Development in working hours • improved ratios of staff to students with conditions like autism spectrum disorder or violent behaviour • extra time for administration and to support new teachers There are many more examples. If you went through the whole claim marking all the clauses with the potential to improve DECS employees’ wellbeing, a large part of your document would be highlighted!

Our claim also specifically seeks a time allocation (above the staffing formula) of 0.2 to carry out the role of Health and Safety Rep (HSR). The need for this allocation has become increasingly obvious in recent years. While the OHSW Act states that HSRs should have time to carry out their representative functions (S 34.3) and the employer advises sites to provide this time, this is all a bit hollow given that there is no actual allocation of resources for this. The employer is required by the Act to consult with employees, but there is no time allocation for this to occur. As a result, any time for consultation at site level on OHSW matters comes out of existing staffing – which means that it is adding to somebody’s workload. This of course, is counter-productive!

This small amount of additional resourcing has been sought by the AEU several times in previous claims. DECS has always argued that it’s not appropriate to discuss it in a claim, as time for HSRs is not an industrial matter, but something that should be provided for by implementing the OHSW Act. However, when the matter has been taken up at the highest level of OHSW consultation in DECS, the argument has been that it is an industrial matter! Surely they can’t go on having it both ways.

I Jill Cavanough AEU OHSW Officer

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I N T E R STAT E SA L A R Y CO M PA R I S O N S

Senior teachers ask: Are we being duped?

When negotiating an EB, it always pays to read the fine print.

A teacher in Western Australia recently emailed the local paper to comment on an article regarding professional pay: “I was at home the other day when I had cause to call a plumber, thanks to a what I thought was a blocked u-bend in my sink. The plumber arrived and having diagnosed the problem as something altogether different proceeded to dive headfirst into my septic tank out the back. It was hot, so I ventured out with a cool drink to offer this brave (and now rather smelly) man. He popped his head up and wiped what appeared to be the remains of what I’d eaten the night before from his sleeve. Thanks mate, so whaddaya do for a crust? I’m a teacher, I replied. A teacher?

Shit mate, with what you get paid I wouldn’t have your job for quids!”

Teachers are fed up. We are constantly reminded in the media that our country is gripped by a skills shortage. We are told that the economic future of our nation will rely on the development of a highly skilled labour force. Our Government speaks of ‘education revolutions’ and how there is “incontrovertible evidence that education should be understood as an economic investment.” Yet despite all of the rhetoric, the AEU and its members in at least three states are locking horns with Labor governments in order to negotiate some real investment in teacher salaries and improved resourcing for public schools.

To keep you informed about the current state of salaries across the nation, AEU Industrial Coordinator Leah York has compiled the following information:

Interstate Salaries at 1 July 2008 NSW

$75,352

ACT

$74,279

Qld** $71,993 (Senior Teacher 98% / $68,839 at top of incremental scale) Tas NT

$71,133 $70,047

WA* $72,844 (Senior Teacher 2 / $69,152 at top of incremental scale) Vic $65,414

Current agreements have expired in Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory and will soon expire here in South Australia. Industrial action has been taken in both Victoria and Western Australia (see page 19). Members in the Northern Territory are currently being balloted to undertake protected industrial action. Therefore, it is expected that salaries in these states and territories will increase by 1 July 2008. * This is the Senior Teacher 2 rate which requires an employee declaration that a specified amount of PD has been undertaken.

Approximately 90% of WA classroom teachers at the top incremental level are paid at this rate. ** This is the Senior Teacher rate which after one teaching year on Band 3 Step 4 requires a teacher to sign an undertaking that they will fulfil the role of ‘Senior Teacher’.

Monitoring of this is part of normal performance management by the site leader and only requires tasks that are normally carried out by a classroom teacher (and may include the role of Union Rep). The QTU estimates 98% of Qld teachers at the top of the incremental level are paid at this rate.

Senior Teacher and AST: What’s the Difference?

The Senior Teacher systems in Qld and WA attract approximately 98% and 90% respectively of ‘top of the incremental scale’ teachers. South Australia’s Advanced Skills Teacher 1 classification accounts for less than 10% of teachers. Our State Government will not take account of the salaries of Senior Teachers in Qld and WA when making interstate comparisons. They say these Senior Teacher classifications are ‘above the incremental scale’, like our AST system. But our AST process is onerous and attracts nowhere near the amount of teachers that the Senior Teacher systems do. To fairly bring into line SA salaries, Government needs to: • Pay higher percentage increases across the incremental scale in order to place SA teachers in line with the Senior Teacher classifications, given the much greater access to these systems in Qld and WA. At 1 July the AEU claim would place Step 8 teachers at $72,527 and in October at

For full details of the Claim please see our EB Blog:

$74,703. On the above figures, SA would be at 4th position in July and 2nd position in October, notwithstanding increases, and including the senior teacher classifications in Qld and WA. • Change the process to progress to the AST1 classification so a far greater percentage of teachers at the top of the incremental scale access AST1. Such a process is outlined in the AEU’s claim: Progress to AST1 following a school year served at Step 8 and a commitment to operate at the AST level.

The accomplished classroom teacher career structure would be maintained through access to the current AST2 classification and the introduction of an AST3 classification.

Contact time/NIT In South Australia, contact time and NIT is determined by a mix of legislation (Education Regulations, Reg 69) and the Staffing Allocation Document: • Regulation 69 provides a minimum of 5 hours 15 minutes per day of instruction for students; • The Staffing Allocation Document provides for teacher non-instructional time using divisors of 0.905 (Primary), 0.85 (Secondary Years 8-11) and 0.83 (Secondary Year 12).

If applied on the average 1600 min of instruction, the following contact hours apply in SA: Primary

24 hrs 8 mins/wk

Secondary (Years 8-11) Secondary (Year 12)

22 hrs 40 mins/wk 22 hrs 8 mins/wk

However, these provisions do not guarantee individual entitlement, rather they are an allocation of resources to the school.

Other states and territories operate under models that provide individual entitlements such as maximum teaching hours per week.

See chart below: Primary

Secondary

NSW

21 hrs 45 mins

18 hrs 40 mins

Vic

22 hrs 30 mins

20 hrs

Qld

20 hrs 40 mins

20 hrs 40 mins

(16hrs 30mins in Senior Secondary Colleges)

WA

21 hrs 20 mins

21 hrs 20 mins

Tas

22 hrs

20 hrs

NT

26 hrs 40 mins

21 hrs 20 mins

ACT

21 hrs 30 mins

19 hrs average

The AEU’s claim provides for prescribed contact time of 18 hours/week for primary, secondary and special schools, and limits on time spent in staff meetings, yard duty and other non teaching duties.

I

www.2008eba.org 15

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2 0 0 8 J E A N PAV Y AWA R D S

Young Women Inspired “A woman who has moulded me to become the best I can be is my teacher and my friend Anne Bourke, a woman who has inspired many young women to fight for a 3rd wave of feminism and acknowledge the ‘other’ women of the third world. And now I study Journalism and International Studies at UniSA and am hoping to become a journalist or a diplomat or a United Nations representative.

Wherever life takes me I will continue to fight for women scorned by oppression and challenge those who cage women so they can exercise gender power over them.”

I Nicole Dikkenberg, Le Fevre High School “My teacher, Ms. Dale-Little, was incredibly passionate about the subject and her enthusiasm was reflected in her students…

I couldn’t read or watch or hear anything without analysing every single word, every picture, everything! I learnt to appreciate the work of feminists and those who stuck up for women’s rights in the past. I learnt about many women’s circumstances and how they differ from my own. I also began to defend my own rights.”

I Ashleigh Emery, Le Fevre High School

“It was here that I first met my desktop publishing teacher Gloria Marchetti and the following year Karen Zilm my Women’s Studies teacher. Both of these women have been instrumental in motivating and inspiring me to achieve excellence in my studies. They set very high benchmarks for quality, while they challenged me to strive and achieve my very best. They encouraged me to take my

studies further. They believed in my capabilities at a time when I had no confidence in myself to achieve a pass mark, let alone several merits. I am very grateful to these two women for their contributions and dedication to making my studies the success they have become and helping me to achieve the best I can.”

I Erifili Kalominidis, Christies Beach

1 from left: Karen Zilm, Erifili Kalominidis (Recipient), Ashleigh Emery (Recipient), Nicole Dikkenberg (Recipient, Gedda Dale-Little and Anne Bourke.

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W O R KCOV E R

Employers gain while workers lose?

WorkCover entitlements being ‘Rann-sacked’ in State Parliament.

Rann’s cuts to injured workers entitlements include: • Reduction in income maintenance after 13 weeks to 80% of pre-injury income. (this means a step 8 teacher or TAFE lecturer would be worse off by $10,263.30 in the first 12 months compared to the current system, a step3 AEW4 would be worse off by $9,003.30 and a step 6 SSO1 or ECW1 would be worse off by $6,383.04).

• Income maintenance to stop after 130 weeks in most cases.

• Threshold level of permanent disability introduced and the new method of

calculation will mean many disabled workers will receive no compensation for permanent loss of function.

• Income maintenance stops during disputes in the Workers Compensation Tribunal. (Currently income maintenance continues with payments recoverable if the worker is unsuccessful).

Mike Rann has stated in parliament that the changes proposed won’t be retrospective but this may not have been entirely accurate.

There is a real concern that provisions related to stopping income maintenance after 130 weeks will affect individuals whose injuries or illnesses occurred before the changes come into operation.

Many South Australians will think that these changes have no impact on them but then none of us expect to get injured at work. The fact is any working South Australian could potentially suffer a work related injury and we all need to ask ourselves ‘How will I support my family if I’m injured at work?’ and ‘How will I pay my mortgage and bills if I can’t return to work?’

As the AEU’s WorkCover Officer, many members tell me that they have an extremely negative experience of the workers’ compensation system in its currently form. They tell me that they feel that they are not respected and they are perceived as a burden or at the very least an inconvenience. They feel guilty that they have had to make a claim and angry about how they are treated. No one wants to suffer a work related injury or illness but if they do they need support.

Mike Rann wants to make the situation even worse for AEU members when they are at their most vulnerable.

It is critical that our workers compensation system provides fair compensation as employees in SA have no right to sue an employer via common law if they suffer an injury due to employer negligence. Workers in every other state of Australia have some access to common law. SA workers gave up

their right to common law in return for a fair ‘no fault’ scheme whose primary aim was to provide rehabilitation and help workers recover from their work related injuries.

South Australians are now being told that they are going to get a low cost scheme that isn’t interested in fairness or providing common law rights.

Importantly AEU members need to remember that whether it is getting rid of WorkChoices and AWAs, negotiating the 2008 Claim for a new Agreement with DECS & DEFEEST, or opposing the Rann Government’s slashing of WorkCover entitlements, your AEU needs strong, active sub-branches with maximum union membership.

SA Unions, the peak body representing unions, has started to campaign against the Rann Government’s proposal to slash injured workers’ entitlements. SA Unions will model its campaign on the successful ‘Your Rights at Work’ campaign run prior to the recent Federal Election. Your AEU will be working with SA Unions and supporting the campaign. I

Ed Grue AEU WorkCover Officer

ACTION

If you are concerned that Rann is slashing injured workers entitlements to cut costs for employers then we urge you to write directly to the Premier at:

Hon M D Rann Premier GPO Box 2343 Adelaide SA 5001 Don’t forget to send your local Member of Parliament a copy of your letter. Contact details on website (right).

333

17

www.parliament.sa.gov.au/members

entitlements.

Mike Rann says that this is to reduce the WorkCover Scheme’s unfunded liability (the scheme is currently 67% funded).

Without cuts to entitlements the WorkCover Board says it is expected that the Scheme would be 100% funded by 2013.

Rann says his cuts will allow the scheme to be 100% funded in 5 or 6 years (i.e. 2013 – 2014) and cut the WorkCover levy paid by employers by between 0.25% and 0.75%.

Once the scheme is fully funded it is likely that employer levies will be reduced even further. There is no suggestion that workers’ entitlements will be restored.

It has also been said by the Rann Government that these changes are about encouraging injured workers to return to work sooner. The truth is that the proposed changes do not contain any provisions that will assist injured workers to make a real and sustainable return to work. The expression ‘return to work’ when used in the context of the proposed changes really means an injured worker no longer receiving compensation payments.

While AEU members are employed by the South Australian Government which is self insured for workers’ compensation purposes and doesn’t pay a levy to the WorkCover Corporation nor contribute to the Corporation’s unfunded liability, the reduction in entitlements will affect all AEU members. Around 40% of South Australian employees work for self insured employers.

“The truth is that the proposed changes do not contain any provisions that will assist injured workers in returning to work.”

To contact Members of Parliament go to:

The Rann Government has tabled in parliament a Bill to amend the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1986 that will have the effect of slashing injured workers

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Mike Rann has put a law into Parliament that attacks the rights and cuts the pay of injured workers.

At the same time he wants to reduce the costs for employers.

The law will mean that • Injured workers will have to live on 80% of their wage after only 13 weeks.

• Most workers will be kicked off the scheme with no pay from Workcover after 2 and half years.

• Injured workers will have their pay suspended if they dispute a decision about their claim.

• The amount injured workers receive for loss of a limb or body function will be less and always at the discretion of the Workcover board.

Anyone can be hurt at work. Nobody asks to be injured and that’s why we need a fair system that helps people get better and back to work. Worry about the mortgage and bills doesn’t help people recover.

• We want an improved scheme that gets more people back to work safely and fairly.

• We want safe workplaces where injuries are prevented.

Join the campaign saveworkcovernow.wikispaces.com Tell Mike Rann that you don’t support cuts to injured workers pay and rights by emailing premier@saugov.sa.gov.au

What South Australian workers say about the new Workcover laws.

“This seems like a quick fix for the government; put a band aid on it.

It’s the easiest way to do it; cut costs.

There must be a better way.”

“We’re Australians, we pride ourselves on being decent people and looking after ourselves… that would be horrible… to do this to our fellow people is absolutely disgraceful.”

“How would you support your children when you’re in that situation? And you would be in pain and everything else.”

“I don’t think its fair at all because you don’t ask for that to happen; no one asks for an accident… so how unfair.”

Phil is a firefighter who injured his knee on the job. He was recovering well but developed an infection in hospital which meant he was off for 18 weeks. He’s back to work now. Under the new laws he would have had his pay cut by $1,622 adding financial pressure to his recovery.

These laws will force people to return to work before they are recovered and in our profession this could have a detrimental effect on the service we can provide.

We do important and dangerous work. We want to know that if we are injured, we will be properly supported.

Worth fighting for. Join in to protect your rights.

18

Authorised by J. Giles on behalf of SA Unions, 46 Greenhill Rd, Wayville SA 5034. Printed by Concord Printing Pty Ltd.

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I N D U ST R I A L AC T I O N I N T E R STAT E

Vic & WA out in Force Educators in two states take their for better pay and conditions to the streets.

Educators in Victoria showed the State Government their love on Valentine’s Day as across the State they closed schools and packed out Melbourne’s Vodafone Arena to protest the Labor Government’s failure to offer a fair deal to teachers.

The Victorian Branch of the AEU has been forced into industrial action by the Brumby Government’s failure to shift from an offer of 3.25 percent – now less than inflation. Talks between the AEU and the State Government were abandoned last November because departmental bureaucrats leading the negotiations were not empowered to move from their position.

“The government seems to have been waiting for support for industrial action to dissipate but the rallies to date have certainly put paid to that,” says AEU State Secretary Mary Bluett.

“We’re seeing not only very strong attendance at all the rallies, but a real passion and determination to see the campaign through.”

Teachers have been infuriated by demands that they show ‘productivity’ gains to get more money. With 93 percent of school budgets spent on staffing, this will only lead to fewer programs and bigger classes.

“Principals and teachers alike are very angry with the Brumby Government,” Ms Bluett said.

Teachers have been buoyed by support from inside and outside the union movement.

Parent groups were waiting to meet them on Parliament steps after the February 14 rally.

Margaret Pledger, State President of Parents Victoria, told Victoria’s AEU News: “Without teachers getting better pay we are not going to retain quality teachers and we are not going to attract new ones into the profession.”

The AEU in Victoria has also received great support from Education associations around the state. Jacinta Cashen, President of

the Victorian Council of School Organisations sent a message to AEU members – saying parents feel “enormous respect and gratitude” towards teachers.

The Valentine’s Day rally heard messages of support from Federal AEU Secretary Susan Hopgood and Victorian Trades Hall Secretary Brian Boyd. Newspaper opinion writers and leader columns continue to support the campaign, and listeners are quick to speak up for teachers on talk radio phone-ins.

And the Victorian Independent Education Union has also shown support, with up to 4000 Catholic school teachers striking on March 7 for a pay rise in line with the AEU’s demands.

Union membership in Victoria has grown as thousands of teachers and principals joined to take part in the industrial action on November 21 and February 14.

And in the West…

Industrial action has also been the order of the day in Western Australia where they too are locked in negotiations with a Labor State Government. Angry at the refusal to accept an insulting offer in November last year, Western Australian Education Minister Mark McGowan has launched a television advertising campaign to convince the community that teachers are being unreasonable in seeking decent salaries and improved working conditions. In what can only be described as a patronising broadside against AEU members, the minister has suggested that members “do not realise that they knocked back a great offer in 2007.”

Like their colleagues’ AEU branches around the country, The State School Teachers Union of WA is not in the business of knocking back ‘great offers’. This statement from the Minister reveals his lack of willingness to accept the reality that as highly trained professionals, teachers are

1 Victorian AEU members take to the streets to rally on Valentine’s Day. Photos: Kim Fleming

simply over-worked and underpaid.

President of the SSTUW, Anne Gisborne says that all members were fully aware of the details in the 2007 offer, as every branch and member received individual copies of the second offer information at their home addresses. “Comparing current 2008 salaries with proposed WA salaries in 2011, particularly when each state is, or will be, negotiating to improve their salary over the next twelve months is disingenuous if not dishonest.”

Two offers, both almost as inadequate as each other were made by the government.

Anne Gisborne explains: “The first offer was an insult. At the tail end of the year, blighted by teacher shortages, the Minister saw fit to deliver the first salary increase in 2009.

Executive were aghast and rejected the offer outright.” Ms Gisborne says that a further offer was provided several weeks later which made minor improvements to the original but was still deemed unsatisfactory by the Executive.

It’s against this background and the inability of the WA State Government to drastically improve it’s offer, that in late February members in WA stood together in the Supreme Court Gardens in Perth and in other towns and major centres around the state to protest the lack of a decent offer from government.

Negotiations are continuing in WA and the union is hoping that the government will soon put forward an offer that is acceptable to its members. Stay tuned.

The AEU in SA wishes to express our solidarity with our colleagues around the country who are taking up the fight for better working conditions and the increased funding which is required to properly resource our public schools. We will keep you updated as to developments.

It’s vitally important that members in South Australia encourage non-members to join the AEU and stand firm as we move into formal negotiations with DECS and DFEEST. There is no telling yet if we will be forced to take similar action to that which is occurring in Victoria and Western Australia.

I

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N E W E D U C ATO R S

An old school on ancient soil gains new blood writes Craig Greer.

“Having a smaller class gives me the opportunity to work one-on-one with students and this makes a huge difference.” under her belt, Lyndsey is able to reflect on how her expectations as a student haven’t quite matched the real-world experience in the school. “There are a lot of unexpected challenges that you come across in your first year of teaching and probably beyond. You need to seek out a lot of support that you thought you would receive on the job, especially when you’re in such an isolated school. You really need to go out and find it somewhere else and that’s where the AEU has been fantastic.”

Classroom management is a big issue for teachers, particularly those teachers who are in the first few years on the job. For Lyndsey her first year presented some difficult challenges. “You often come across dynamics in your class that you didn’t originally think you would have to deal with. For example, in my first year of teaching I knew that I was having a 5/6/7 class but was surprised when I ended up having sixteen boys and four girls, which for a young female teacher, is quite a challenge.”

To add to the difficulties of being a first year teacher with limited support, Lyndsey

8272 1399 to register: www.aeusa.asn.au/events

Port Wakefield Primary is far from the largest school in South Australia. With only 45 students and three teachers, one might be forgiven for assuming – if one ignored the obvious giveaway in the name – that it is situated near an outstation at the end of a long, dry dirt track. But this is not the case.

Only an hour north of Adelaide, Port Wakefield lies on the traditional border of the Adjahdura people of the Yorke Peninsula and the Kaurna people of Adelaide. For forty-thousand years it acted as a significant trading area for both of these clan groups.

Although it can’t boast a history quite as ancient, Port Wakefield Primary School was opened in 1866, with the original stone building now containing a classroom, ITC Room, library and art area. The former principal’s residence was converted to an administration area in the 1970’s.

Having finished her teaching degree at Flinders University in 2006, beginning teacher Lyndsey Oxley is the new hand on deck – so to speak – and she’s brought with her a vibrant personality and the kind of enthusiasm that has kept this charming community-oriented school operating for 140 years. Lyndsey, whose mother is a teacher and father an aquatics instructor, is in her second year at the school and teaches the Year 6/7 class. She also teaches Indonesian to the whole school and takes the ‘Active After-school’ program.

Lyndsey is also an active member of the AEU – she is the Sub-branch Secretary and PAC rep at the school.

Now that she has a year of teaching

Further info: Sam Lisle-Menzel:

Back to the Future

10 10

together we teachEducation together we Union teach together we teach together we Australian teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together April wefri.4-sat.5 teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together we teach together

2008 NEW EDUCATORS’

th STATE CONFERENCE Anniversary

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celebrate Celebrate

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I N T E R N AT I O N A L W O M E N ’ S DAY 2 0 0 8

0 e er h e er h e er h e er h e er

h

y

ee

faced another unexpected hurdle as the year drew to a close. “In term three I was given an ESL student who had been in the country for around a year and then soon after another student came to the school from China with no English. Needless to say, it was very complex because I didn’t really have the skills to deal with such a situation.”

Although Lyndsey has had her share of challenges, she does have something of an advantage over many of her university colleagues who are having to cope with classes of 30 or more students. “At the moment I only have twelve children in my class. This makes it a little easier although you still have the same amount of lessons to plan. It gives me the opportunity to work one-on-one with students when they’re struggling with a concept and this makes a huge difference. Also, the amount of marking and reporting is reduced and this is where it can have a positive impact on workload.”

Lyndsey says that it’s important that teachers, like all working people, manage their workload so that the balance between one’s job and family life is healthy. “I think you need to be very careful that you don’t take your job home with you all the time because it can have a negative effect on your health.

This is why it’s important that schools are adequately resourced by the government.”

Port Wakefield Primary is classified as a ‘country’ school, but somewhat strangely, Lyndsey is not eligible for any country incentives. “I won my position through the round one selection process and was placed on a country scholarship but soon found out that Port Wakefield Primary is one of the only sites that is classified as a ‘hard to staff’ country school where country incentives don’t apply. DECS doesn’t seem to be consistent on things like this. For example, Rapid Bay is closer to Adelaide, is about the same size as our school but it does get the incentive payments.”

Lyndsey Oxley is an articulate and enthusiastic beginning teacher and in many ways she represents the future of the teaching profession. What a shame it would be to see the likes of Lyndsey and the hundreds of other talented young graduates coming out of our Universities, choose other professions over teaching because the conditions and the pay fall short of the expectations and needs of a highly trained professional.

The AEU is calling on DECS to stop the rot and introduce salaries and conditions that will attract and retain high quality teaching graduates like Lyndsey Oxley.

I

ACTION • Discuss EB issues with other New Educators.

• Check out our EB08 blog.

• Get active in your sub-branch.

1 Women marched from Victoria Square along Angas Street, down Pultney Street to Hindmarsh Square The AEU delegation (from left) Liz Roberts (Industrial Officer), Maria Homan (Printer), Nola Foster (Aboriginal Organiser), Jo Frost (Graphic Designer) and Anne Crawford (Vice President).5

International Women’s Day Twilight March Hundreds turn out despite soaring temperatures writes Liz Roberts On Thursday 6 March 2008 a rally of hundreds of women braved intense heat in recognition of the 100 year anniversary of the New York garment workers strike for improved conditions. Auntie Josie, carried out the traditional welcome to country before the enthusiastic group of women. Janet Giles, Secretary of SA Unions also addressed the crowd. A vocal march, led by a fantastic women’s percussion band then proceeded to Hindmarsh Square where the shadows cast by the tall buildings and cooling green lawns

provided a perfect venue. Michele O’Neil, State Secretary of the Victorian Branch of Textile, Clothing and Footwear Union of Australia, talked about the New York garment workers strike 100 years ago and what this meant to the recognition of the plight of women workers and their families. Michele not only gave an insight into the exploitation of this group of largely women workers but provided practical action that we can all take to ensure that their appalling working conditions become everybody’s business. I

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N OT I CE B OA R D

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N OT I CE B OA R D

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