December 2023 Western Teacher

Volume 52.9 December 2023

The State School Teachers’ Union of W.A.

Life membership conferred An honour for Pat pg 8

sstuwa.org.au

In this edition

Volume 52.9 December 2023

In this edition Correspondence:

The Editor, PO Box 212, West Perth WA 6872 editor@sstuwa.org.au | Ph: 9210 6000

Member Assist:

Ph: 9210 6060 memberassist@sstuwa.org.au Print post publication 100004470 | $4.95 ABN: 544 780 946 35 Authorised by Mary Franklyn, General Secretary, The State School Teachers’ Union of W.A. (Inc.) 1 West Street, West Perth WA. Printed by Vanguard Press, 26 John Street, Northbridge WA. December 2023.

Cover: Life membership of the SSTUWA has been conferred upon former president Pat Byrne. Read more on page 8.

To access the digital copy of Western Teacher, visit: sstuwa.org.au/westernteacher

Connect with us: @sstuwa

Features

2024 Western Teacher deadlines Edition

Deadline

February

4 December

March

5 February

May

8 April

June

20 May

August

8 July

September

12 August

October

16 September

November

7 October

December

11 November

Dates are subject to change

Presidents, pledges and promises...............6 An honour for Pat...........................................................8 More than a recruitment campaign needed to fix teacher shortages.................... 11 Reflecting on 2023........................................................12 Inspiration from the past and hope for the future...............................................................................13 Your union, the climate crisis and you... 16 Western Teacher goes green...........................17 How teachers are navigating climate change education...................................................... 18 Learning and leading for change..............20 “That is the language they understand”: Why Indigenous students need bilingual teaching at school............ 22 Seen around the SSTUWA...................................24 National education and union news.......26

Regulars

From the President........................................................5 From the Senior Vice President........................9 From the Vice President........................................ 10 Education and Training.........................................28 Member Benefits..........................................................30 Classifieds..........................................................................32 Noticeboard......................................................................34

Advertisements in Western Teacher are the responsibility of advertisers. While Western Teacher makes reasonable efforts to ensure that no misleading claims are made by advertisers, responsibility is not accepted by The State School Teachers’ Union of W.A. (Inc.) for statements made or the failure of any product or service to give satisfaction. Inclusion of a product or service should not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation by The State School Teachers’ Union of W.A. (Inc.)

Western Teacher is the official publication of The State School Teachers’ Union of W.A. (Inc.)

Acknowledgement of Country: We wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work. We wish to pay respect to their Elders – past, present and future – and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia. We stand in solidarity.

Artwork: This design was created for the SSTUWA by Tyrown Waigana, a Wandandi Noongar and Ait Koedal artist/designer and former WA public school student. Read more about the artist and the artwork at sstuwa.org.au/connections

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN FOREVERYCHILD.AU

Authorised by Kevin Bates, Federal Secretary, Australian Education Union, 120 Clarendon Street, Southbank, Victoria, Australia 3006

Western Teacher

December 2023

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From the President

President’s address

November State Council Conference

By Matt Jarman President

The following is an excerpt from SSTUWA President Matt Jarman’s address to November State Council Conference, held on 10-11 November.

rhetoric with words – we need to see the state government properly show its respect to public educators as individuals and to public education as a whole.

Good morning delegates.

In our written submission to the state government’s public sector wages policy review we pointed to the words of New South Wales Education Minister Prue Carr, who said of her government’s significant pay offer to teachers: “negotiating an outcome that demonstrates respect to teachers has always been my highest priority”.

I look forward to today when we will hear from the Education Minister Tony Buti and Minister for Training and Workforce Development Simone McGurk, who will be speaking to us later.

Forgive me if I especially look ahead to a little ceremony we hope to have later today honouring Pat Byrne.

Thank you for your efforts in getting here early and then heading off to the Public Sector Alliance meeting – I hope you will agree with me that it was worth the effort.

I’d especially like to thank Reece Young, who spoke on our behalf with such strength and clarity. Thank you Reece.

In 2021 the SSTUWA helped form and joined an alliance of public sector unions to campaign against the state government’s punitive $1,000 salary cap.

Our message was clear – we wanted to give the cap the boot and return to collective bargaining.

Today the Premier was very complimentary about the public sector.

The Premier said he wants to reset the relationship. We welcome a reset. But it must be accompanied by an immediate reset of salaries and working conditions.

We need the government to tell departments to stop dragging their feet over bargaining.

We need the state government to match

That is the message we want to hear from the Minister for Education in WA. We want that message echoed by the Minister for Training and Workforce Development. We want not just words that speak of respect but actions that actually demonstrate it.

I’d like to thank all of our members across schools and TAFEs who contributed their experiences towards the wages policy review, telling their personal stories of the impact the cost of living increases has had on their lives after the public sector was singled out to fund budget repair.

I especially thank those who attended consultation sessions in person. I am absolutely convinced that their words have been heard. We wait to see if they have been listened to.

They were troubling tales of people falling behind on rent and mortgage payments, of children missing out on their favourite activities, of people having to move back home, of having to change jobs to reduce their commute and petrol use, of not being able to fix broken hot water systems, under-insuring their belongings and having to miss out on even the fundamentals like fresh fruit and

vegetables.

What an utterly unacceptable situation for the very people whose dedication is to giving others a better chance in life through education at schools and TAFEs. Salaries are of course but one aspect of the changes and improvements we need in the schools and TAFE General Agreement negotiations.

With respect to schools we were all too aware from our own research, member feedback and from the studies carried out by others that education was at a crossroads.

What we needed was a process by which the public could be made more aware of the challenges schools, school leaders, teachers and other staff were facing.

That is why we commissioned a wideranging review. It is why we appointed the highly-respected Dr Carmen Lawrence as chair of a panel of equally respected people with a broad range of public sector, research, and especially, teaching experience.

It is why that panel travelled the length and breadth of WA to hear from members, peer groups and the community at large.

We wanted to start a conversation that would reach from the grassroots of the community to the higher echelons of government.

Read the full address at sstuwa.org.au/NovSCPresAddress

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November State Council Conference

Presidents, pledges and promises Bestowal of life membership on former SSTUWA President Pat Byrne, a pledge from the Premier to fully consult with unions before announcing salary rises for the public sector and a promise from the education minister that both state and federal Labor governments are committed to working to deliver full funding for public schools were among the highlights of State Council.

Pat Byrne was given a champagne toast and a standing ovation as the life membership was proposed by union President Matt Jarman (see page eight), seconded by former SSTUWA President Anne Gisborne and supported in speeches by another former leader Brian Lindberg as well as David Balfour, Antony Pearson and Graeme Repper.

Delivering a video message to over 140 delegates, Education Minister Dr Tony Buti said he understood the demands on teachers and thanked them for their ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality public education.

The minister also pledged to deliver full funding for schools.

“We intend to take the opportunity of having Labor governments at both state and federal level, who share the same values and ideas, to finally deliver 100 per cent funding against the Schooling Resource Standard for every single public school student in Western Australia,” Minister Buti said.

Delegates also heard from Training Minister Simone McGurk about the importance of TAFE, working with the federal government to properly direct extra funding and her personal commitment to the sector.

Reece Young addresses the PSA rally.

Minister McGurk also took questions from passionate TAFE delegates who urged the minister to ensure funding was spent in ways that alleviated the workplace issues they were facing.

This included areas such as combined classes which saw students from different levels of learning thrown together requiring practical and theory lessons to be undertaken in the same spaces and with overcrowded classes.

The day began with delegates joining members from other Public Sector Alliance unions at Perth Town Hall to hear Premier Roger Cook say public sector workers were essential to the government achieving its goals, and that he wanted a reset in the relationship between the government and public sector unions.

Amid a series of pledges about growing the sector and returning more work to public hands – including main roads maintenance - the Premier promised there would be extensive consultation with unions before decisions were made about salary offers for public sector workers.

SSTUWA member Reece Young also spoke to the rally, saying “we need change, a proper pay rise, to stem the flow [of teachers leaving the profession] and ensure retention, a change for attraction, change to ensure that we are paid properly for the work we do”.

Maylands delegates at State Council Conference.

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December 2023

Mr Young said his colleagues had many stories about the impact of the rising cost of living, accompanied by stagnating

November State Council Conference salaries, with his colleagues leaving to find opportunities elsewhere.

“We don’t want just thanks,” Mr Young said.

Mr Jarman welcomed the Premier’s desire for a reset in the relationship but said it would have to be accompanied by a reset in salaries (see page five and sstuwa.org.au/ Nov23PresAddress for the president’s full address).

State Council also heard from Dr Carmen Lawrence on Facing the Facts – a review into Public Education in Western Australia.

Dr Lawrence and her fellow panelists took delegates through the key findings of the review and answered questions from the floor.

One delegate with over 30 years’ teaching experience in two states said she had been moved to tears watching the launch as she had felt it spoke directly to her own experiences.

Several findings on issues such as the need to dramatically revise the Independent Public Schools system drew ovations from the floor.

Andrea Mackenzie is presented with the 2023 Lynette Virgona Scholarship.

Dr Lawrence thanked all of those who had made submissions, whether at consultative meetings across Western Australia, in individual written submissions or through peer groups from the sector.

The panel was also thanked for their efforts both by Mr Jarman and by the Minister for Education in his video address.

In response to questions about where the review would go now, Dr Lawrence said the presence of the Education Minister, Shadow Education Minister and numerous MPs at the launch of Facing the Facts demonstrated the impact the review had already begun to have.

Mr Jarman said the launch had generated over 200 media mentions across TV, radio, print and online. It had also attracted over 100 personal and sector submissions, a far higher number than similar reviews conducted in more populous states.

Dr Carmen Lawrence and the public education review panel present key findings of Facing the Facts: A review of Public Education in Western Australia.

He also said Lindsay Hale, an experienced public servant and former principal, had been engaged to develop practical improvements and work across the sector to bring them into being.

In the business section of State Council, the need to amend districts in line with proposed state electoral boundary revisions was discussed in depth, along with proposals to change union rules to allow the election of State Council delegates for a two-year period rather than 12 months.

Updates were given on both the schools and TAFE General Agreement bargaining processes, where to next after the Voice referendum, early childhood education developments and a range of issues including school leaders and work health and safety.

Delegates were advised that the Growth Team signed up 472 financial members and 604 student members between January and September 2023.

State Council also saw the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Scholarship awarded to Susanne Bowles, and the Lynette Virgona Scholarship presented to Andrea Mackenzie.

A delegate speaks to a motion.

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November State Council Conference

An honour for Pat

By Matt Jarman President

Delegates at November 2023 State Council Conference voted unanimously to bestow SSTUWA life membership upon former president and long-time member, Pat Byrne. The following is Matt Jarman’s report to delegates.

State Council, I ask for your support in this conferral for life membership to be bestowed on Patricia Byrne, or Pat as we all know her.

Pat left a presidential legacy that has stabilised and strengthened our union. Pat led the SSTUWA through the extraordinary and unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic whilst reinforcing the status of the SSTUWA as a powerful public sector union in Western Australia among the community and importantly in the eyes of government.

I have witnessed the cross-government support for the SSTUWA and for Pat .

Pat’s leadership, in my view, is what was needed for the time.

Pat has dedicated herself to the SSTUWA since first joining in 1969.

Through the late 1980s and into the 1990s she held various positions within the SSTUWA following her successful career as one of the few English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers in the public system at that time. It is no coincidence that soon after ESL teachers became eligible for permanency for the first time.

review diminished as the proposals were watered down, leaving Pat and others in leadership positions with an ever more challenging fight on behalf of public schools and the wider public sector. In her time as national president Pat commissioned advertising and other action, making her unpopular with the conservative media and government of the day, something I am sure she would consider a proud achievement.

Pat returned from Melbourne in 2014 to become SSTUWA president and begin what eventually would become a three-term presidency. Her period as AEU president resulted in life membership to the AEU. Changes in the community expectations of schools, the rise of a problematic autonomy model, machinery of government budget cuts and more have all been navigated by Pat through the industrial instruments to support members and the needs of public education, as is the remit of the president’s role in our organisation.

It is my position that no one else could have not only managed this, but at the same time improved the financial position of the SSTUWA. These feats are in themselves justification for a life membership.

Then there was a global pandemic; an

unprecedented health risk to all Western Australians compounded by a belligerent government who refused to shut schools no matter the implication. Pat led from the front and it was her moral compass, ability to see the issue through all the white noise and make strategic decisions that more often than not had implications for other unions, the government and the worried community.

It was a demonstration of the resilience that was at the heart of Pat’s achievements. I witnessed how she found the core of the problem, considered all angles, simplified the matters for others and then made an informed, decisive decision. It is one of her leadership traits.

Despite the disappointment of extreme governments being elected at federal level and the anti-TAFE and state school governance of the Barnett years, Pat never resiled from the fight, consistently setting the example to get back up and carry on the struggle. The same qualities saw the union steered through issues that at times deeply concerned and sometimes divided our membership.

In 2023 we acknowledge 125 years of the SSTUWA. Over that time presidents have commonly left the SSTUWA in a better place, arguably few better than that achieved

by Patricia Byrne. Comrades, I seek your endorsement for Pat’s life membership.

Pat was quickly regarded as a potential president during this period by the Executive of the day. This came to fruition with Pat succeeding Brian Lindberg.

Unfortunately for the SSTUWA, the AEU also demanded her leadership, cutting short her initial stint as president of the SSTUWA to become AEU president in 2003.

This period of national presidency was critical to the stability and future direction of the AEU given the challenges of school federal funding that were emerging under the increasingly conservative drive to fund private schools at the expense of the public system.

This was a sign of things to come as the initial optimism around the Gonski 8

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December 2023

From left: Graeme Repper, Trevor Vaughan, Brian Lindberg, Edd Black, Pat Byrne, Ed Harken, Anne Gisborne, Mike Keely, Shirley Savell and David Balfour

No wonder leadership applications are declining

From the Senior Vice President

By Natalie Blewitt Senior Vice President

Principals and school leaders are overwhelmingly reporting they are burnt out from workload, and more than half said in the SSTUWA State of our Schools Survey that they had concerns about their personal health and wellbeing.

In terms of workload, about 95 per cent of school leaders said it was high or very high. Forty per cent of school leaders reported working over 40 hours a week, 37 per cent reported working over 50 hours a week and almost 16 per cent reported working more than 60 hours a week. And for school principals who participated in our survey, 39 per cent reported working more than 50 hours per week with 20 per cent indicating they were working more than 60 hours per week.

When asked about staffing, almost 58 per cent of school leaders said their school was inadequately staffed. The teacher shortage, as we all know, is impacting everyone; 44 per cent of our school leader respondents reported having to teach more hours than timetabled in the classroom due to shortages, while 58 per cent of principals reported having to teach regularly in classrooms.

It’s no wonder then that people are no longer applying in competitive numbers for principal positions because the extra workload is huge and the compensation is inadequate.

Let’s focus on salaries for just a moment.

At admin level 3.1 the current salary is $125,850. If salaries had kept up with Perth CPI, in 2023, an admin level 3.1 salary

should be $135,418. That means that our school leaders and principals on admin level 3.1 are $13,595 worse off.

As we head up the admin incremental salary scale, those principals who are at level 6.1, had their salaries kept up with Perth CPI, would be almost $20,000 better off compared with their 2017 salary.

Quite simply, the state government wages policy, capping public sector worker wages, has to go.

Throughout 2023, school leader and principal members have actively engaged in a variety of events and meetings including the reducing workload and red tape consultation meeting (with the report seemingly lost in red tape), the new WHS legislation training event for school leaders, the Pathways to Secondary School Success consultation meeting, the School Leader Committee and Reference Group meetings and various other ETC events held throughout the year.

I would like to thank all members who have attended these events, sharing their perspectives, ideas, knowledge, experience and solutions in order to help shape the direction for public education.

As mentioned during State Council, negotiation meetings with the department have commenced.

In conjunction with other Log of Claim items that pertain to all employees covered by the Agreement, there are several claims designed for leaders.

Some of these claims include an increase in the number of collegiate principals,

access to part-time work for principals, professional learning, level 3 principal

admin time and the reinstatement of the Level 3 Classroom Teacher time to name but a few.

Central to this Log of Claims are a bid to address class sizes across both primary and secondary schools and the need for urgent action to address issues of recruitment and retention, red tape, workload and violence in schools.

Our Log of Claims is about collaboration, not a division between school leaders, principals and teachers.

We should be working together as one

system, not as individual silos fighting to

outpace each other with slick advertising campaigns or business plans.

Schools are not businesses and principals are not CEOs. Schools are places of

learning, and if we are truly working

towards achieving the United Nations

Sustainable Development Goals, SDG #4, our public education system should be

working to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

It is time to face the facts and implement measures now in order to move forward,

collectively and together, to ensure public education for the public good.

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December 2023

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From the Vice President

Teacher registration changes

By Sharmila Nagar Vice President

Last year, the SSTUWA wrote to the Teacher Registration Board of WA (TRBWA) outlining several member concerns regarding workload implications around providing new copies of documents already previously provided to the TRBWA with regards to renewal of registration.

The SSTUWA recommended that only new or altered documents be required for the purposes of renewing registrations.

In their response, TRBWA confirmed that qualifications, English language proficiency and professional standards documents that had previously been provided to the TRBWA as part of the initial application were not required to be provided as part of the renewal applications.

In respect of the fit and proper requirement, to assist in determining whether applicants are fit and proper to be registered as teachers, currently identity documents are required to facilitate criminal history checks under the Teacher Registration Act 2012.

The number and type of such documents required for renewal of registration is a function of TRBWA’s contractual agreement with the Australian Criminal Investigation Commission (ACIC), which is responsible for undertaking criminal history checks.

Since 2017, four forms of current identification documents are required to be presented, a measure introduced by ACIC to reduce identity theft in Australia.

As renewal of Full Registration tends to happen every five years, many applicants will find that most, if not all, of the identification documentation provided at the time of their last renewal would have expired by their renewal date. For example, a driver’s licence or Working with Children Check.

In 2022 a review was conducted of the Teacher Registration Act 2012, with several consultation meetings held or which SSTUWA were a part of.

While we don’t agree with all the changes, and as discussed in our meetings, it is important that our members are aware of the changes.

Information from the TRBWA website:

Why are changes needed?

The Review of the Act was undertaken to consider the operation and effectiveness of the TRBWA. The review identified some changes needed to the current legislation to achieve the following: •

•

•

•

Strengthen the powers of the TRBWA to respond to matters of child safety involving teachers, consistent with recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Ensure an effective registration system that allows teachers to move between registration categories and improve fairness for teachers returning after an absence.

Allow WA to participate to a greater degree in the Australian Teacher Workforce Data Strategy, providing a clearer picture of the national teacher workforce.

Promote a skilled teaching workforce.

Changes to Non-Practising Registration

From 19 December 2023, teachers holding 10

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Non-Practising Registration will be required to change their category of registration before they commence teaching.

Teachers holding Non-Practising Registration will no longer be able to teach from 19 December 2023, aligning this category with other states and territories, reducing confusion for teachers, employers and other stakeholders. Teachers holding NonPractising Registration will still appear on the Register of Teachers, but they will not be permitted to teach as a registered teacher in any WA school or early childhood service.

For the group of teachers holding NonPractising Registration who have advised us they are currently teaching (and have an expiry date on their current registration on or after 19 December 2023), we are implementing streamlined transfers of registration category to support their continued ability to contribute to the teaching profession. This group of teachers will be transferred to the appropriate sub-category of Provisional Registration (Returning Teacher or Graduate Teacher) on 19 December 2023. This change will happen automatically and these teachers do not need to take any action.

A small number of teachers holding Non-Practising Registration, who are not currently teaching, will need to take action if they would like to return to teaching after the changes take effect. We have been contacting all teachers who hold Non-Practising Registration, who haven’t notified us that they are currently teaching and do not have an expiry date on their registration, to advise them of their options prior to the changes coming into effect.

If you are impacted by this change, you may be eligible to change to a different category of registration, to enable you to have the ability to teach after the changes take effect.

Communications were sent directly to teachers holding Non-Practising Registration in September to outline the implications of the changes, and what this means for them.

If you hold Non-Practising Registration and you haven’t received your first email from us, please contact us on 9223 9100 or via email at info@trb.education. wa.edu.au.

For more details visit www.trb.wa.gov.au/About-Us/Act-Changes.

Issues

More than a recruitment campaign needed to fix teacher shortages The Australian Education Union has welcomed the recruitment campaign launched by the Prime Minister in late October, but said a far greater investment in the teaching profession and public schools was needed to end chronic shortages and ensure teachers have the time and support to meet the needs of every child.

AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said: “Teaching is the greatest profession of all and positive recruitment campaigns are an important part of making teaching more attractive to the high achieving young people we urgently need to become teachers.”

“But nobody should think this is the answer to a recruitment and retention crisis that has been decades in the making,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“Nine out of 10 public school principals across the nation reported teacher shortages this year, almost double the number in 2020. The Albanese Government’s own figures show demand

for secondary teachers will exceed the supply of new graduates by 4,100 between 2021 and 2025.

all students. By contrast, 98 per cent of private schools are funded at or above the SRS,” she said.

“The number one issue driving teachers from the profession is unsustainable workloads. Only 13 per cent of public school teachers say their workload is manageable, and one in five leave within three years of entering the profession.

“The Prime Minister needs to do much more than launch advertisements.

He needs to honour the government’s commitment to end the underfunding of public schools.

“Research released by the AEU...show teachers work ‘extraordinarily long hours’ compared to other professions and get paid far less.”

Ms Haythorpe said Australia also had an ageing workforce and a steep decline in the number of people completing teaching degrees.

“On top of this, only 1.3 per cent of public schools are resourced at 100 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS), which is the minimum level governments agreed a decade ago was necessary to meet the needs of

“Investing in teachers and public schools is the only way to ensure we can recruit and retain the teachers we need. Full funding will give teachers more time and support to meet the diverse and complex needs of their students. It will also give them the confidence they can make a real difference without burning out.

“Public school principals and teachers are doing an amazing job, but they are being asked to do too much with too little. The Albanese Government must sign funding agreements with state and territory governments within the next 12 months that put an end to the underfunding of public schools by 2028.”

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December 2023

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New educators

Reflecting on

2023

By Chloe Hosking Growth Team officer

You’re nearly there!

Whether this has been your first year of teaching or your fifth, reaching this point in the school year is a massive achievement.

As we head to the summer holidays, and after hurdling the final barrier of endof-year reporting, it’s time to stop and reflect.

Reflecting on our practice is how we grow and improve as teachers. It allows us to adapt to changing circumstances over time and bring the best version of ourselves to the classroom.

There’s a range of ways, both formal and informal, to engage in ongoing selfreflection, from having a think over the day while you drive home to using the online self-reflection tool provided by AITSL. But here, at the end of another school year, take a moment to look back on all that’s happened over the past four terms.

How have your relationships with your students, colleagues and school community changed and grown

over the school year? What about your confidence? Your ideas about good teaching, or what constitutes a good lesson?

For many teachers, let alone beginning teachers, 2023 has been one of the most challenging years of their career.

What struggles have you overcome to make it to the end of this school year?

Finally, as a new educator, you have a unique perspective on teaching and public education. Every year, teachers in their first five years of teaching nominate to become part of the SSTUWA’s New Educator Committee. The committee is made up of up to 15 members in their first five years of teaching.

Now is a good time to think about whether you would like to be part of the New Educator Committee for 2024.

The committee meets once per term, for one hour, and members are able to either attend in person at the SSTUWA premises in West Perth, or join in online.

You will be a voice for new educators, helping to advise the SSTUWA on issues important to early-career teachers.

Many of our New Educator Committee members also choose to help organise social and networking events for other new educators and chime in with advice and support on our social media.

Nominations open early next year.

If you would like to be notified once nominations are open, or to find out more, contact the Growth Team at neweducator@sstuwa.org.au

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December 2023

International education

Inspiration from the past and hope for the future Education International’s 30th anniversary

By Fred van Leeuwen

The creation of Education International (EI) in 1993 was a critical advance for global education trade unionism. It put together democratic, international trade union and professional associations and ended long-standing divisions and rivalries. It also united all education sectors. The new organisation became the undisputed global voice of education workers and the teaching profession.

However, in celebrating its 30th anniversary, we should also recall the deep international roots of organised teachers. Many teacher organisations from the 21st, 20th and 19th centuries – and even earlier – are no longer, but traces of their DNA remain in EI.

Public education

In the 19th and first decades of the 20th century, teachers came together, with some exceptions, in professional associations rather than in labour unions.

Trade unions were seen as organisations for manual workers and, indeed, blue collar labourers were the essence of the trade union base. Even if teachers rarely formed trade unions, their professional associations were strong advocates for public education and for equal opportunities for all children.

Trade unions supported public education as a way to liberate the working class or, at least, to give the children of workers opportunities for employment, development of life skills and participation in civic life. Public education was, first and foremost, an equality measure. It fostered equality for girls and boys, for students with disabilities and for different religious and ethnic groups.

Public education also enabled migrant children to adapt to their new countries.

For centuries, private education was available for those who had the means to pay for it. The trade union drive for access to quality public education came from workers wanting their children to have the same chance as those living in more privileged neighbourhoods. In other words, public education was part of the class struggle. Some education philosophers like John Dewey were socialists and advocates of profound social change. They saw education as a means to transform society.

The largest international trade union organisation from 1901 to 1945 composed of independent trade union national centres was the International Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU).

Education discussions in the IFTU mostly focused on trade union education as well as apprenticeship and vocational education, but in 1931, at its congress in Stockholm, they discussed “general education” and agreed to submit to the Berlin Congress in 1933 a program of principles for general school education.

They called upon the international teachers federation [International Trade Secretariat of Teachers (ITST)/ Secrétariat Professionnel International de l’Enseignement (SPIE)] to take the lead during the two-year process of developing the program. Although the language is from a different time, the principles are similar to those of EI and its member organisations today.

Among those principles were: •

“The International Federation of Trade Unions emphatically proclaims that the emancipation of the workers, the object for which it strives, should be intellectual as well as material.”

•

“The object of education is to develop the whole personality of the child with a view to its harmonious incorporation into the community, to enable it to develop physically, intellectually and morally and to secure its active and conscious cooperation in the advancement of civilisation.”

•

“In the present order of society, divided as this is into antagonistic social classes, development of the social mind or social feeling can only take place if it combines a sense of the reality of these class divisions with the conception of a future classless society as the ideal towards which human effort must strive.”

The evolution of international trade union organisations and the creation of EI

The ITST/SPIE was an international trade secretariat (ITS), a trade union organisation that was linked with other sectors and the global organisation of democratic national centres, at that time, the IFTU. Continued on page 14.

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International education Continued from page 13.

The Communist-dominated World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), created in 1945, did not have independent sectoral structures associated with it.

The next international trade secretariat in education was the International Federation of Free Teachers’ Unions (IFFTU) established in 1951. It was close to other ITSs and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) The other major independent international teachers’ organisation was the World Confederation of Organisations of the Teaching Profession (WCOTP), established in 1952 with the merger of three international teacher organisations.

When WCOTP and IFFTU merged in 1993, EI became the ITS in the education sector.

(In 2002, the term ITS was replaced with global union federation – GUF.) At global level, there is also the World Federation of Teachers’ Unions (FISE) of the WFTU, founded in 1946. It lost most of its largest member organisations when the Soviet Bloc fell apart.

The other international, part of EI as of 2007 (although its European members joined earlier) was the World Confederation of Teachers (WCT). It originated in 1963 and became the WCT in 1973. Its roots were in the Christian international trade union movement.

All of the major international organisations had consultative status at the United Nations (UN), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The democratic internationals were able to cooperate in the UN system before EI was formed. They shared the same fundamental principles on education. For example, although the effort to adopt the ILO/UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of teachers in 1966 was led by a leader from the National Education Association (NEA), a WCOTP organisation, there was good cooperation by the international secretariats and national member organisations.

That recommendation reflected policies of the democratic internationals and of their predecessor organisations. The recommendation remains a reference point for education policy.

•

The history of WCOTP, IFFTU and the WCT, but also of other organisations as well as informal international groupings, have contributed to the evolution of EI. The accumulation of histories continues to shape the present and future of EI.

•

As sectoral issues are addressed, unions from those sectors join and become active. That is not only true for higher education and early childhood education, but also for education support personnel.

•

The reach and impact of EI is strengthened by the involvement of member organisations. EI is its members, not just its secretariat.

This is true whether it is campaigns like ones on education for all during the Millennium Development Goals process, Unite for Quality Education for a stand-alone sustainable development goal or education funding (Go Public! Fund Education) as the key to the transformation of education. Member organisation involvement also explains the success of the annual International Summit on the Teaching Profession, organised with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

•

EI was founded around principles of democracy and human rights, especially trade union rights. In recent years, history has required EI to do more to support embattled member organisations. Again, we must and will adapt to that challenge with an even greater mobilisation at national level to support those who suffer from repression.

A similar recommendation concerning the status of higher-education teaching personnel was adopted by the UNESCO in 1997. An international university association, International Conference of University Teachers’ Organizations (ICUTO), with leadership of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), along with EI defended trade union positions on that recommendation.

Subsequent to the adoption of the standard, the university association dissolved. Its members joined EI. The recommendations do not cover early childhood education; however, many of the same principles informed the development in 2013 of ILO Policy Guidelines on the Promotion of Decent Work for Early Childhood Education Personnel. EI made an important contribution to the guidelines and served on the group of experts that developed them, along with several member organisations.

These examples and others show several important characteristics of EI:

Moving forward

The creation of EI 30 years ago did not, on its own, reduce challenges, but it places education unions in a stronger position to engage and to fight. EI is recognised as the voice of organised workers in our sectors. EI, with the active participation of member organisations, is an important player in global education policy.

EI will stay on the frontlines defending human and trade union rights. It will support member organisations that are in perilous situations. It will continue to campaign and educate for democracy and oppose arbitrary rule.

Education International Asia-Pacific Regional Committee at their meeting in October, including EI president Susan Hopgood and AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe.

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Over 30 years, mobilisation of trade unions to defend the profession of teaching and develop and use EI’s professional standards, research and

International education priorities to strengthen trade unions has also become fundamental to EI culture.

That does not give us the power to undo, on our own, misguided “reforms” that undermine quality education and the teaching profession. It does not give us the ability to stop the haemorrhaging of the teaching profession, which is producing an unprecedented teacher shortage.

However, we continue to be faithful to universal, free, public education to increase opportunity and social justice.

We seek, as in the past, to develop critical thinking and free discussion so that young people can break down barriers and co-exist in our communities and so that democracy has a chance.

Since the 25th anniversary of EI, radical changes beyond our control have taken place. They have changed neither our values nor our determination. They have, rather, built support for good jobs, good public services and decent societies.

The Covid pandemic generated a wave of support for workers in public services and vital private services. Words flowed fast and furiously, but, at the end of the month, it became even more difficult to make ends meet.

In education, the use of distance learning generated an appreciation of the need for social relationships if education is to take place. However, at the same time, those whose mission in life is to cut budgets are still exploring the idea of children interacting with screens rather than with other human beings.

When the next generation looks back at these times, they will see that EI insisted on putting professional teachers at the centre of education. It acted to ensure that they were at the education policy

Fred van Leeuwen addresses SSTUWA State Council Conference about On Education & Democracy: 25 Lessons from the Teaching Profession, November 2019. table and were not crowded out by vendors selling their wares.

One can hope that a generation from

EI defined a better future for children and teachers, defended wellbeing in the school community, provided an alternative to the corporate vision of education and laid the foundation for deep changes in education.

the beginning of a deep transformation of

EI, with its member organisations, also developed allies, including parents, who wanted their children to count rather than be counted. The 1933 program for general education of the ITST/SPIE and the IFTU, says:

want to stay in an exciting, valued and

“In all stages there should be a drastic reform of the examination system, examinations being used only to provide rational guidance for the different forms of intelligence. Over-pressure for the sake of examinations would thus disappear.”

International and co-author of On

It is a simple and sensible statement.

Either people were smarter then or the multinational standardised testing industry was weaker.

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now, the 30th anniversary of EI will mark education to restore the joy of learning to students.

Talented young people will seek careers in education. Experienced teachers will rewarding profession. If history is a lesson for today, all is possible.

Fred van Leeuwen is the general secretary emeritus of Education Education & Democracy: 25 Lessons From The Teaching Profession. This article was first published on the EI website and is reproduced here with permission.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of the AEU or SSTUWA.

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Western Teacher

December 2023

15

Climate action

Your union, the climate crisis and you

Australian unions have had a long history of supporting environmental issues.

Back in the 1970s, the NSW Builders Labourers Federation carried out the first ever “green bans,” with members refusing to contribute labour to the development of parkland, low-income housing and heritage buildings.

Their actions supported the existing campaigns of local residents’ groups and were highly effective in protecting these socially and environmentally important sites.

These green bans were the first time the word green had been used to refer to environmental action.

At the time of the bans, German politician Petra Kelly visited New South Wales and was impressed with the effectiveness of the movement. She brought back the idea of green bans, and the terminology of green to refer to environmentalism, and formed the world’s first Greens Party – the German Green Party.

The green bans, which ran for just a few years, have had a lasting impact on both a national and international level.

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The SSTUWA is committed to becoming a more sustainable union in all areas of operation. For example, Western Teacher is printed on recyclable paper, with a compostable wrapper, and printed by a local company to reduce transportation emissions.

The group plans and implements top-down and bottom-up actions to further the principles of education for sustainability within TAFEs and Department of Education schools, and acts as a conduit between the SSTUWA and TAFEs, schools and networks.

Plus, if you’d rather read online, you can opt out of receiving a printed copy by scanning the QR code on the right.

If you are interested in being part of the Climate Action Working Group, we’d love to have you join us. To express interest in joining the group, email snagar@sstuwa.org.au for more information.

Many of our other publications, such as Know Your Rights sheets and membership cards, have been moved online and onto the SSTUWA app.

Hybrid vehicles and solar panels help keep our operational emissions low. And by the end of 2023, your union will have fully divested from all direct fossil fuel investments.

Is taking action on the climate crisis important to you? The Climate Action Working Group is made up of a number of engaged SSTUWA members who are passionate about taking action on the climate emergency.

The group meets termly, in person and via Zoom, to discuss operational, industrial and curriculum aspects of climate action.

To learn more about the work your union is undertaking to address the climate emergency, visit our climate action hub at sstuwa.org.au/climate

Get the Western Teacher digital edition

Climate action

Western Teacher goes green Have you noticed a difference to the packaging of your Western Teacher magazine?

Introducing biobased, biodegradable and home-compostable bio-film – a greener alternative to petroleum-based mail wrap, supplied by local Perth company, Vanguard Media Group.

The SSTUWA has switched over to using this bio-film when posting out your physical copy of the magazine, and we’re one of the first in the state to do so. We even helped trial the new product when it was in its testing stage, prior to market introduction.

It’s no secret that as a society, we need to curb our current plastic production to improve the fragile state of our environment, which is why we’ve adopted this new, more environmentally friendly mail-wrapping solution.

Biodegradable plastics – particularly those that are biobased and compostable like the new mail wrap – are a vital tool with a key role to play in addressing plastic pollution.

Derived from natural resources, such as sugarcane, cassava and corn, the biofilm is compostable into biomass, carbon dioxide and water.

Here are some reasons why biobased and biodegradable options are an ideal choice for mail-wrapping: •

•

•

They are made from renewable biomass sources, not fossil fuels like some other biodegradable or oxodegradable plastics, thus reducing carbon output.

Biobased and biodegradable mailwrapping mixes are compostable and home-compostable – a legitimate and encouraged recycling solution.

They will also biodegrade in landfill, curbing the accumulation of nonbiodegradable plastic waste and breaking down into organic matter.

•

It stimulates demand for an industrial composting facility, a solution for a greener future.

Home compostable

The Western Teacher bio-film wrap is home-compostable.

There’s plenty of information online about how to kick-start your home composting system, but here are some basics to get started: 1.

Choose a shady site outside so worms and microbes have the best chance of survival.

2.

If possible, choose a spot close to the kitchen for convenient disposal of scraps.

3.

Dig the bin into the ground at least 10cm to deter unwanted pests.

4.

Add a layer of twigs, egg cartons and/or dry leaves to assist with aeration.

5.

Add activators such as comfrey and yarrow, animal manures (not pet poo), compost from an old heap, or blood and bone.

6.

Lightly spray with water.

Make sure two thirds of the contents are kitchen scrap to one third carbon ingredients. The more diverse the better.

When your bin is one third full, turn your compost and repeat every couple of weeks for aeration.

Avoid recycling

Biodegradable and biobased plastics should not be disposed of through traditional recycling means as their chemical composition and degradation properties differ to conventional plastics.

Mixing them can disrupt the recycling process of traditional plastics.

FOGO is a no-go

Also avoid placing the wrap in your council food organics and garden organics (FOGO) bin. Council FOGO disposal systems do not currently recognise compostable plastics, other than authorised compostable bags, so the wrap may disrupt their systems.

If you don’t have a home compost system, pop the wrap in your landfill bin.

Because it is made of biomaterial, it will decompose into biomass, carbon dioxide and water.

Western Teacher

December 2023

17

Climate action

How teachers are navigating climate change education Climate change education is increasingly seen as an essential part of schooling.

how they include climate change in their teaching.

The main international test of 15-yearolds’ progress (which Australia participates in) has just announced the next round of testing will include environmental knowledge alongside English, maths and science literacy.

We found teachers are becoming the bearers of bad news in the classroom as young people learn about the climate crisis, and they need better training and more support.

Australia’s national curriculum (updated last year under the Morrison Government) barely mentions climate change. But as a signatory to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreement, we have committed to develop climate change education policies.

Regardless of what policies or curricula say, our climate is changing. As scientists keep reminding us, urgent action is required.

In our new research, we interviewed nine primary and high school teachers about

By Dr Kim Beasy, Dr Chloe Lucas and Professor Gretta Pecl

scientific facts of climate change, often felt less equipped to respond to student enquiries about social and emotional dimensions of climate change. This included feelings of sadness or feeling unsupported by older generations.

What can the world do?

I wouldn’t say I’m a scientist

Teachers emphasised the importance of moving between the local and global, and individual and societal scales of climate problems and solutions. They described this as a way to support constructive conversations and positive feelings.

This means teachers of non-science subjects may feel out of their depth trying to teach it. A number of teachers expressed a lack of confidence speaking in depth about climate change. As one told us:

As one teacher told us:

Climate change is a complex social, political, economic and environmental problem. But it is often presented as an issue that requires scientific interpretation and technological solutions.

“I am definitely not weak, but I wouldn’t say I’m like a scientist.”

But teachers who felt confident with the

“Instead of the children feeling like they have the weight of what can they do as individuals, which we’ve discussed […] we’re going to talk about ‘what can the world do?’ As a global citizen, what can everybody do? And working together as a bigger part of the whole, so they’re not feeling that weight on their own shoulders as much, but more what the world is doing [through] solutions-based technology.”

Teachers spoke of the importance of pre-designed learning units, the role of community experts and videos and podcasts to engage students and support teachers. As one teacher explained the value of a guest speaker: “I think the kids after a while get a little bit, ‘You’re [a teacher] just a piece of the furniture,’ and they don’t always switch on and listen to you.”

I try and speak hopefully

Teachers also talked about the challenge of finding materials that present the “right amount of information that will prompt action as opposed to feeling sad.”

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Climate action

Teachers said they had to be very tuned in to the mood of the class.

If they’re starting to ask questions that potentially sound worried or concerned, that’s usually an indicator that you might need to soften what you’ve delivered.

Teachers in our study were doing their very best to maintain a hopeful and positive message for students, but this often conflicted with their own feelings. As one teacher told us: “Personally, what I have to do is to try and make sure that I speak hopefully, even though it is not hopeful in my opinion […] I try and use language that will encourage students to feel empowered and want to make a change and fight for action […] as opposed to just knowing for the sake of knowing and then feeling sad about it.”

Another teacher spoke of the need to be sensitive when talking about looming environmental disasters: “I tend to be very gentle and very careful or I’m very focused on hope.”

What is needed?

Teachers need professional development

to support their understandings of different aspects of climate change, from the scientific to the economic and social.

Uncertainty over how to talk to children about climate change in a way that is honest but remains hopeful rather than overwhelming is an ongoing challenge for teachers and parents alike.

Students need opportunities to talk about the future in ways that empower them to ask questions and get involved. This can be done via programs such as Curious Climate Schools (curiousclimate.org.au/ schools), a free resource which we have developed for schools in Tasmania.

Specific professional learning is also needed to ensure teachers are able to support themselves and their students in grappling with the emotions that can surface when learning about climate change.

In schools, we need teaching about climate change to be integrated across science and humanities subjects.

Climate change needs to be better represented across the curriculum so that teachers have more opportunities to include it in their very busy timetables.

Finally, we need innovation from policy

makers and school leadership so crucial

climate change education is consistently available for all students.

Dr Kim Beasy is a lecturer in curriculum and pedagogy at the University of

Tasmania. Dr Chloe Lucas is a lecturer and research fellow at the School

of Geography, Planning, and Spatial

Sciences at the University of Tasmania.

Gretta Pecl is a professor, ARC Future Fellow and director of the Centre for

Marine Socioecology at the University of Tasmania. Dr Gabi Mocatta, Dr Rachel Kelly, Charlotte Jones and Deniz Yildiz from Curious Climate contributed to the research on which this article is

based. This article was first published

on The Conversation website and has

been reproduced here with permission.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not

necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of the AEU or SSTUWA.

Western Teacher

December 2023

19

Professional

Learning and leading for change

By Natalie Swinbourn Coordinator, Schools Organiser Team

In June this year I joined 275 young leaders from Commonwealth countries in Banff, Canada for a life-changing experience.

We were there for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conference, a global development program for emerging leaders. It aimed to explore engaging leadership for inclusive change with the goal of making the world a better place.

For me, that means endeavouring to ensure the betterment of public education is at the forefront of everything we do here at the SSTUWA. The conference spanned over two weeks and following the opening sessions with inspirational keynote speakers such as Bruce Mau and Princess Anne, I joined a study group that discovered more about the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC). The other participants travelled in similar groups touring other regions such as Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and even the Yukon. These study tours provided us the opportunity to learn through our experiences which was a key theme of the conference.

Stolen Generation. There were still some residential schools remaining as late as 1996.) This campaign to redevelop was complex due to the generational trauma that the site represented for many of the Indigenous community members.

joining our nations together as one. This view was very supportive of our view as a union that we are stronger together, working collaboratively with all key stakeholders.

During the conference I met a variety of people, including the first female pilot in the air force in Botswana who is paving the way for women in her country and a 28-year-old British diplomat travelling around the world, who was much braver than me.

Sophie’s work has led to the site being converted into a hotel/casino, and it is now used to create an income stream for the local Indigenous community, reaping some rewards from the mistakes of the past. Our group likened this to the “phoenix rising out of the ashes”, a truly beautiful and fulfilling experience.

From there our group travelled to Vancouver and saw firsthand the severity of the homeless situation. The streets were lined with homeless people, which was a confronting situation for some of us. Drug abuse is an ongoing issue in these communities and is something the government is trying to find workable solutions for.

In BC, we met with local Indigenous communities and their leaders. One of them was Chief Sophie, a community leader who campaigned for her local residential school not to be demolished, but instead redeveloped. (The Canadian residential schools’ model was similar to the Australian missions that existed during the period referred to as the

Later in our trip, we met with the Lt Governor of British Columbia, the Honourable Janet Austin, in BC’s capital city, Victoria. She had very strong opinions on women in leadership and how the crown works within the Commonwealth. She was down to earth but driven and focused on championing the Commonwealth and its positives of

While in Vancouver, as a team building exercise, we attended Plenty of Plates – a group that provides meals for the homeless. We spent the evening making and serving a three-course meal for those in need. After the confronting day of visiting the homeless communities, it was rewarding to be able to provide some comfort to those most in need and

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Professional

witness their gratitude and share in some of their stories.

To finish the conference, all the study groups reconvened in Montreal to present reports to the delegation about what we saw and learnt.

The trip was thought provoking and made me reflect upon the work that we carry out here at the SSTUWA. One of the key messages that I bought back with me are people are key – you as our members are the key to a successful and productive union that supports the improvement of our public education system. We need to work on empowering members and having pride in the work we do and its importance to the state of education in WA. This flows onto things like training, building branches and following up constantly with you, our members.

Leadership does not always have to be from the front. Good leaders are humble and happy to share in the journey with

others who have strengths to support the collective vision. A good leader is a person who has the vision to make the world a better place, by using their passion to guide their people on a journey of growth and self-discovery. We need to encourage people to take things on, without being threatened by the strength of others.

public education system in WA.

As leaders we can often think that our job is to hold others accountable, but the first person we need to hold accountable is ourselves. I hope to be able to assist the SSTUWA to share in developing our leaders in the union space as well as supporting the department to develop good leaders in our public education system.

This was a massive experience, with an intense timeline that will shape the way I grow as an active unionist into the future. I want to thank my colleagues, the SSTUWA Executive and the senior officers for their support in facilitating my participation in the conference. I have been encouraged and motivated to apply what I learnt and saw back here in WA. This opportunity has inspired me to trust in myself and those who trust in my abilities to lead others.

I look forward to continuing to explore this in my role as the coordinator of the schools organising team as we continue to lead and support the most important aspects of our work, you, our members.

Passion for what you do and where you want to take people is key to success.

Having genuine care and concern for your community is essential to being able to lead change for the betterment of your industry. It is our job to maintain our passion for a successful and sustainable

Our job as a union is to envision how things can be better, and then work out how to get there, making sure that our decision makers (at State Council Conference and District Councils) are truly representative of our membership.

Solidarity needs work every day.

Western Teacher

December 2023

21

Indigenous focus

“That is the language they understand”: Why Indigenous students need bilingual teaching at school

By Rikke Louise Bundgaard-Nielsen, Brett Baker, Hilda Ngalmi and Yizhou Wang

According to the federal government’s 2023 Closing the Gap report, 34.3 per cent of Indigenous preschoolers were starting school developmentally on track, compared to almost 55 per cent of nonIndigenous Australian students as of 2021.

But are these reports asking the right questions? Many Indigenous children who do not speak English at home struggle with English at school. This suggests some poor education outcomes may arise from cross-language difficulties.

About 68 per cent of Indigenous people aged 20–24 years had attained Year 12 or equivalent as of 2021, with a target of 96 per cent by 2031.

Our new study investigated children speaking Kriol.

Speaking about the Closing the Gap report, Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney noted her disappointment about the results.

“The gap is not closing fast enough. I know many people are frustrated by the lack of progress,” she said.

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This is the largest Indigenous language after English in Australia. Kriol-speaking children make up the largest group of Indigenous kids with English as a second language.

What is Kriol?

Kriol is the result of contact in the 19th century between speakers of Indigenous

languages and English, and many Kriol words come from English.

Kriol has been called “broken English”. But Kriol is neither “broken”, nor English. It is a separate language with its own grammar and vocabulary.

Recognition of the language barrier experienced by Kriol-speaking children has been delayed by two unfortunate assumptions. One is that Kriol is a dialect of Australian English or Aboriginal English, not a separate language.

The other assumption is Kriol is “highly variable” and speakers use many versions of Kriol – including some that are very similar to English. As a consequence, it has been assumed Kriol-speaking

Indigenous focus

children won’t struggle to learn in English when they get to school.

Our research

and the correct shape of words in Kriol, which are important pre-literacy skills.

This showed they are ready to learn to read, just not in English.

We spoke to 13 children between four and seven. The children were all students at Wugularr School (also called Beswick) in the Northern Territory. The community language in Wugularr is Kriol, but a range of traditional languages are also spoken.

This also demonstrated very substantial linguistic differences between English and Kriol. This means Kriol-speaking children are not speakers of English, and that they do not effortlessly “slide” into a version of Kriol that is “close enough” to pass for English as a consequence of formal schooling in English.

Our research investigated children’s use of Kriol for the first time.

Less than one per cent of the population in Wugularr only speak English at home.

Children first learn English when they start preschool.

Our findings

We used two game-like activities to test children’s knowledge of Kriol words and sounds.

In one activity we showed the children a picture of a familiar object (such as a door or an apple) accompanied by a recording in Kriol asking, “what’s this?”.

The kids then spoke the word.

In the other game, we played recordings of Kriol words - some produced the right way, and some produced with an error.

For example, “diger” for “tiger” and “abble” for “apple”. We then used a recorded Kriol prompt asking if the lady in the recording said the word the right or wrong way. (The students found this really hilarious – an adult making so many mistakes!)

These activities showed students had a good knowledge of the sounds of Kriol

The need for bilingual education

Our research shows Kriol-speaking children face similar difficulties when they start school as children from other nonEnglish speaking backgrounds.

In an ideal setting, students would be given a bilingual education. This means Indigenous children would be able to use their First Language knowledge and cultural knowledge as a foundation for learning.

Teaching assistant and linguist Hilda Ngalmi is a Wubuy/Nunggubuyu woman from Numbulwar, where Kriol is widely spoken. She collaborated with us on the research. As she explains: “When I teach kids, I have to explain to them in Kriol first. Because that is the language they understand.”

The need for bilingual education for children who speak traditional Indigenous languages has been debated for decades in Australia. Support has waxed and waned and today only a small

number schools offer a genuine bilingual education.

However, where it does happen, it is having positive results.

For example, Yirrkala School in

Northeastern Arnhem Land teaches

students “both ways” in local language Yolngu Matha and English. In 2020,

eight students became the first in their community to graduate Year 12, with university entry-level scores.

Not making the most of children’s

first language competence creates

additional learning barriers for Indigenous children. If we really want to “close the gap”, our education system needs to

support students to learn in a bilingual environment.

Rikke Louise Bundgaard-Nielsen is a teaching associate at the University of Melbourne. Brett Baker is an

associate professor in linguistics at the University of Melbourne. Hilda Ngalmi

is an Indigenous teacher and linguist,

Indigenous Knowledge. Yizhou Wang is

a teaching associate at the University of

Melbourne. This article was first published on The Conversation website and has

been reproduced here with permission.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not

necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of the SSTUWA or AEU. Western Teacher

December 2023

23

Seen around

Seen around the SSTUWA The 2023 Women’s Conference was held recently at the SSTUWA. This conference provided an opportunity for women educators to share, connect, learn and be inspired by each other.

The two keynote speakers were founder of Mahboba’s Promise Mahboba Rawi OAM, and mother and AFL coach Michelle Cowan.

This year’s 40 year membership celebration was held recently at the

SSTUWA. The night was a brilliant recognition of members who have been strong unionists with the SSTUWA for over 40 years.

President Matt Jarman addressed the 14 members and highlighted events that occurred in the year 1983 when these members first joined.

November State Council Conference was held on 10-11 November at the Parmelia Hilton and saw around 150 delegates

Women’s Conference: Deborah Edwards, Maryann Agnello, Sarah Ghossein and Carmel Agnello.

Women’s Conference: Marion Bunce and Shelly Brown.

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December 2023

and guests in attendance. The event began with a Public Sector Alliance meeting at the Perth Town Hall which saw Premier Roger Cook address hundreds of unionists.

Later in the day, Pat Byrne was sworn in as a life member which sparked a standing ovation from the audience.

The Hon. Simone McGurk MLA, Minister for Training; Water and Youth was one of the keynote speakers.

Women’s Conference: Michelle Cowan delivers an inspiring keynote address.

40 years: Members and senior officers at this year’s 40 year member celebration.

Seen around

40 years: Christine Leonard with SSTUWA President Matt Jarman.

40 years: Lynette Chapman receives her certificate.

State Council: Michelle Kingsbury speaks to the delegation.

State Council: The Hon. Simone McGurk MLA, SSTUWA’s newest life member and former president Pat Byrne, former president Anne Gisborne and general secretary Mary Franklyn.

State Council: Delegates Jodie Thompson, Danielle Boyd and Perin Faulkner.

40 years: Gary Davies with Matt Jarman.

State Council: Kai Griffiths asks questions of the Public Education Review panel.

Western Teacher

December 2023

25

National education and union news

National education and union news Funding gap grows as public schools ignored A new report calls for an end to the school funding crisis that has left public schools in every state and the NT underfunded while private schools are overfunded by hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

The report by education economist Adam Rorris found: •

Public schools will remain underfunded by between $6.2 billion and $6.5 billion a year unless the Commonwealth and state and territory governments significantly lift their investment in new funding agreements due next year.

•

Private schools will be overfunded by almost $3 billion in the next five years. At an aggregate level, private schools receive more than their public funding entitlement in every state and territory except the NT.

•

The richest schools in the nation are among the ones that will be the most overfunded by the federal government in the next five years including Haileybury in Melbourne ($19.1 million), Trinity Grammar in Sydney ($14 million) Ivanhoe Grammar in Melbourne ($11.5 million), Newington College in Sydney ($11.2 million), Brisbane Grammar ($11 million), Loreto Kirribilli in Sydney ($10 million), Hale School in Perth ($9.3 million) and Pembroke School in South Australia ($8.8 million).

The report calls for all public schools to be funded by 2028 to the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) which is the minimum level governments agreed more than a 26

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December 2023

decade ago was required to meet the needs of students.

“Public school systems have been working from a position of extreme underfunding for more than two decades.

What is urgently needed is a commitment from governments to end the funding crisis and move Australian public schools to the point where they have the resources needed so they can realistically deliver on the goals for schooling as expected by the Australian community,” the report concludes.

AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said the report exposed the shocking inequity of school funding with only 1.3 per cent of public schools resourced to the SRS compared to 98 per cent of private schools.

“If governments can afford to overfund private schools by hundreds of millions each year, they can afford to fund every public school to their own minimum standard,” she said.

“Full funding of public schools is the only way to ensure every child gets every opportunity to succeed. That investment will give teachers more time and support to meet the diverse and complex needs of their students. It will also give them the confidence that they can make a real difference without burning out with unsustainable workloads.

“Public school principals and teachers are doing an amazing job, but they are being asked to do too much with too little. The Albanese Government must honour its commitment to full funding and sign bilateral agreements with state and territory governments next year that put an end to the underfunding of public schools by 2028.

“Only public schools in the ACT are resourced at 100 per cent of the SRS and only the NSW Government has pledged to fully fund public schools within the next five year bilateral agreement with the Albanese Government.

“The Rorris report makes clear there are few countries in the developed world that have a more inequitable distribution of resources to schools than Australia.

“Closing the resources gap is an essential part of closing the achievement gaps between children from different backgrounds and it is public schools who educate the vast majority of children with higher needs.

“Full funding will help attract and retain teachers at a time of a critical shortage. It will also have huge benefits for the nation with a recent report concluding that the economic payoff of fully funding public schools would be two to four times the annual cost.”

National education and union news

Premier faces public workforce on pay Over 400 union members from the WA public sector workforce heard from and posed questions of Premier Roger Cook on Friday 10 November on WA’s State Wages Policy and the pay cap at a mass meeting at Perth Town Hall. Owen Whittle, UnionsWA secretary, said: “No one can remember the last time a premier addressed and responded to questions from public sector unionists at a mass meeting.”

struggling to cope with rising costs of living in the face of poor, capped pay outcomes.

“All working people have skin in the game on this issue.

“Improving public sector pay will help those working in the for-profit and notfor-profit sectors to get better pay.

“For WA’s public sector workforce, it gives hope that we’re under new management that listens,” he said.

“First, we need to defeat WA’s public sector pay cap which is rigged against working people in much the same way that federal industrial relations laws are rigged in favour of employers.

“Public sector workers spoke to the premier directly and told their stories of

“In the face of this decline, a joint Public Sector Alliance claim of seven per cent

and five per cent is needed to ensure that those we trust to deliver key services in our community receive the investment and recognition for the important role they play in our community.”

Cheryl Hamill, Health Services Union WA president said: “The public relies on a capable and well-resourced public sector to keep services running and our community safe.”

“We’ve seen what happens with excessive reliance on consultants and contractors,” she said.

“The WA public sector needs to recruit and retain quality, independent public sector workers.”

Safe Work Australia’s recommendation will save lives, says ACTU The ACTU welcomes the report released

by Safe Work Australia recommending a complete prohibition on the use of engineered stone in Australia.

The report followed broad consultation with business groups, engineered stone manufacturers and fabricators, unions and health experts. It also included detailed economic evaluation and an analysis of evidence from the best available science when developing its recommendation.

Safe Work Australia endorsed the medical and scientific evidence that lung diseases caused by engineered stone dust take less time to develop, are more severe and become worse quickly.

Given that scientific evidence found that even engineered stone with lower silica content posed unmanageable risks to the health and safety of workers, Safe Work Australia recommended a blanket ban of the product.

ACTU Assistant Secretary Liam O’Brien

The report noted that engineered stone dust is very fine – nano scale – meaning it penetrates deep into the lungs of workers, with the dust containing resins, metals, pigments, and other forms of silica dust. Thus, even when workers cut and fabricate low-silica stone products, the very fine dust particles of silica that enter the lungs of workers cause diseases including silicosis.

“Silicosis and silica-related diseases pose

•

Option 1: Prohibition on the use of all engineered stone.

•

Option 2: Prohibition on the use of engineered stone containing 40 per cent or more crystalline silica.

Current laws have not protected workers – one in four engineered stone workers have contracted silicosis under the current framework. The report made clear that the costs to the community from the continued use of engineered stone far outweighed any benefits, and that the only way to protect future workers was to prohibit the use of engineered stone entirely.

Option 3: As per option 2, with an accompanying licensing scheme for persons conducting a business or undertaking working with engineered stone containing less than 40 per cent crystalline silica.

The ACTU Executive has joined the CFMEU in outlining the union movement’s intention to ban this deadly product, commonly used for kitchen and bathroom benchtops, if state governments had not acted by July next year.

There were three options considered by Safe Work Australia:

•

said the recommendation by Safe Work Australia would save lives and urged all governments to introduce it at the earliest opportunity.

an unacceptable health risk to workers.

This report shows that there is no type of

engineered stone that is safe for workers,” he said.

“No worker in Australia should have to

plan their funeral and farewell their loved ones, all because of a lung disease they got from working with this deadly stone.

“The report made clear that there is no other option than an outright ban on

engineered stone. Keeping this deadly product legal means more workers getting health problems and more workers dying.

“We welcome the decision earlier this year of WHS ministers to introduce

stronger silica rules covering all work.

However, this report makes clear that to

truly protect the health and wellbeing of

workers, we must ban this deadly fashion product once and for all.”

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Education and Training Centre

Education & Training Centre January 2024 professional learning opportunities Join us at the Education and Training Centre in January to start the year off taking care of yourself. All events offered over the week of 15-20 January will have a focus on you.

Building Better Boundaries (K-TAFE) Monday 15 January 2024

Brain-based Strategies for Effective Teaching and Learning (K-12) 9am – 12.30pm

Tuesday 16 January 2024

9am - 4pm

Did you end the year feeling exhausted and overwhelmed?

Maybe you felt resentful about the amount of time you spent at work or working at home? That’s a pretty good sign that you need to strengthen your boundaries. This session will introduce you to the importance of deliberate wellbeing habits including having firm professional boundaries. Start 2024 with clear intentions and strategies to protect your precious energy.

Start the year doing education differently. Try the daily dozen for wellbeing, teaching and learning.

Practical Mindfulness: Peace in a Frantic World (K-TAFE)

Writing Competitive Job Applications for Teaching Positions (K-12)

Wednesday 17 January 2024

Thursday 18 January 2024

9am – 12.30pm

Start your year off knowing how to reduce stress in your daily life. Did you know that in just 12 minutes per day you can reduce your stress levels and increase your focus and performance?

During this workshop you will learn some simple, practical tips and tools to incorporate mindfulness into your busy day. Learn how to calm your racing mind using guided meditations (still and movement). Karen will also provide information about the latest neuroscience – the benefits and positive brain change.

Covering 12 brain-based holistic topics to help you teach the whole child using more engaging, empowering, enjoyable and effective learning strategies. This full-day event will be presented by one of Australia’s leading educational neuroscience specialist teachers, social emotional learning consultant and TEDx speaker, Tammy-Anne Caldwell.

9am - 12.30pm

Start the year off with a revamp of your current CV. In this half day event you will gain an understanding of the current requirements for demonstrating competitiveness when applying to specific schools via a covering letter and curriculum vitae/resume. You will explore the importance of reflecting individual school context when demonstrating skills and experience in relation to the three domains of teaching.

Karen is an accredited Oxford University mindfulness trainer, Smiling Mind teacher educator, and University of Notre Dame wellbeing lecturer.

Applying for Level 3 Classroom Teacher: Stage One (K-12) Friday 20 January 2024

9am - 12.30pm

Start the year off with that career move you always wanted.

Application for Level 3 Classroom Teacher status is open to permanent or fixed-term teachers. Applicants must be employees of the department at the time of lodging the application. If you are in this position and thinking about applying for Level 3 in 2024, then take advantage of some expert guidance to assist you through the process. This course is designed to support participants through stage one of the application process.

Level 3 Classroom Teacher Stage Two course is also available through the SSTUWA and is offered in Term 3.

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Register today: sstuwa.org.au/training

Education and Training Centre

Term 1 events 2024

Education Specific Work Health and Safety Courses If you are a newly elected health and safety representative (HSR) in your school, you are eligible to attend a five-day introductory course here at the SSTUWA. The Education and Training Centre is pleased to partner with Unity Training to conduct the Education Specific Five-Day Introductory Courses for Health and Safety Representatives commencing in Term 1 2024.

This five-day course is a statutory requirement for elected HSRs. It provides HSRs within the Education Department with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively perform their functions in protecting and promoting the work health and safety of those they represent. This newly developed course has been created based on the new WHS Act 2020 and will provide updated information regarding new definitions related to the legislation and the expanded duties of parties including their functions and powers.

The course is open to members and non-members of the SSTUWA and to all Department of Education staff.

Term 1 HSR events

Education Specific Five-Day Introductory Courses: • •

Monday – Friday, 19 - 23 February Monday - Friday, 18 - 22 March

Delegate training courses Schools and TAFE – Term 1

Union Representative Training Level One: Schools Wednesday - Thursday, 27 - 28 March

Union Representative Training Growth Coaching: Schools and TAFE Monday - Tuesday, 25 - 26 March

Union Representative Training Level Two: Schools Thursday - Friday, 7 - 8 March

TAFE Agreement and Campaign Training for Union Representatives and Committee Members Thursday - Friday, 21 - 22 March Western Teacher

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Member Benefits

Member benefits Accountants and Financial Advisers Aston Accountants

10% discount on personal income tax returns for members. sstuwa.org.au/aston

Industry Fund Services

Specialist financial products for union members. sstuwa.org.au/ifs

LIFE Financial Planners

$1,200 off your statement of advice fee plus a free financial health check for members. sstuwa.org.au/lifefinancial

AutoBahn

Mechanical and electrical services.

Members receive $20 off any service or 5% off any repair. sstuwa.org.au/autobahn

Bayswater Mazda

Exclusive offer including fuel card, servicing and more. sstuwa.org.au/bayswatermazda

Bob Jane T-Marts

National fleet pricing on a range of products and services. sstuwa.org.au/bobjane

easifleet

$110 tax returns for members. sstuwa.org.au/teachertax

$250 Magic Hand Carwash voucher with any easifleet procured novated lease. sstuwa.org.au/easifleet

TIPS Financial Services

Europcar

Teacher Tax

$1,100 discount on your TIPS Transition to Retirement strategy or Retirement plan. Exclusive to members. sstuwa.org.au/tipsfs

Banking ME Bank

Special offers throughout the year for members. A bank built by, and for, union members. sstuwa.org.au/mebank

Mortgages, Money and Me

Complimentary advice, property reports, finance tools and more for SSTUWA members. sstuwa.org.au/mmme

OFX Money Transfers

When it matters, OFX it. Save with the experts in international money transfers. sstuwa.org.au/ofx

Teachers Mutual Bank

Banking exclusively for the education community. sstuwa.org.au/tmbank

Allwest Fleet

Vehicle salary packaging – save time, money and tax. Receive a $300 gift card with your new car. sstuwa.org.au/allwestfleet

Western Teacher

10% discount on vehicle hire in Australia. sstuwa.org.au/europcar

Fleet Network

Package your next car and save on tax.

Bonus gift with vehicle delivery. sstuwa.org.au/fleetnetwork

Motor Market by Union Shopper

You choose the car, then we find you the lowest price. sstuwa.org.au/motormarket

Western Motor Vehicle Consultants

We’ll find a car you’ll love. Save time and money when sourcing your next vehicle. sstuwa.org.au/westernmotors

Computers Altronics

Build it yourself electronics centre. VIP trade discount in store and online. sstuwa.org.au/altronics

Apple on Campus

Cars

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Massive discounts on products and services for SSTUWA members

December 2023

For details visit: sstuwa.org.au/apple

Dell

Save up to 5% off selected items. sstuwa.org.au/dell

HP Computers

Huge savings for members on laptops, accessories, printers and more. sstuwa.org.au/hp

PLE Computers

Save on your IT with access to the PLE Computers academic portal. sstuwa.org.au/ple

The Good Guys Commercial

Online access to live discounted pricing on The Good Guys’ range. sstuwa.org.au/thegoodguys

Educational Resources Classroom Management

A Thinking and Caring Approach. By Barrie Bennett and Peter Smilanich. sstuwa.org.au/classroommgmt

Effective Group Work

Beyond Cooperative Learning. By Barrie Bennett. sstuwa.org.au/effectivegroupwork

Graphic Intelligence

Possibilities for Assessment and Instruction. By Barrie Bennett. sstuwa.org.au/graphicintelligence

Instructional Intelligence

Building Instructional Expertise for the Classroom. An SSTUWA project in collaboration with Barrie Bennett. sstuwa.org.au/instructionalintelligence

Teacher Superstore

5-10% discount, in store and online. sstuwa.org.au/teachersuperstore

Entertainment Movie tickets

Discounts on physical tickets (greater savings) and instant digital tickets. sstuwa.org.au/movietickets

Outback Splash

Featuring both water and year-round attractions. Discounted tickets for members. sstuwa.org.au/outbacksplash

Rockface

Indoor rock climbing in Balcatta. $15 all day climbing pass with harness hire. sstuwa.org.au/rockface

Member Benefits

*Terms & conditions apply.

Please visit our website for full details.

For more information visit sstuwa.org.au/benefits and the benefits tab of the SSTUWA App Food and Wine

Insurance and Legal

Access wholesale prices with a complimentary day pass. sstuwa.org.au/campbells

For details visit: sstuwa.org.au/journeycover

Campbells

Cellar d’Or

Best value winery tour in the Margaret River Region. 10% discount for members. sstuwa.org.au/cellardor

Taste Bud Tours

Swan Valley “Speed Grazing” – 20% discount. Good Food, Wine & Cider (am) or Good Food, Wine & Beer (pm). sstuwa.org.au/tastebudtours

Health and Well-being Goodlife Health Clubs

20% discount on platinum 12 month memberships. Includes access to all Goodlife Health Clubs in WA. sstuwa.org.au/goodlife

St John

First aid saves lives. Discounted first aid courses and kits for members. sstuwa.org.au/stjohn

WA Opticians

20% discount on spectacle frames and lenses. Perth and East Perth. sstuwa.org.au/waopticians

Housing Houspect

Journey Cover insurance SSTUWA Legal Services

Access to quality legal services for both work-related and personal matters. sstuwa.org.au/legal

Teachers Health Fund

Join the thousands of teachers who have already made the switch. sstuwa.org.au/teachershealth

Teachers Health – Travel

Travel and Accommodation Accor Hotels Great savings for teachers at Accor Hotels in the Asia Pacific region. sstuwa.org.au/accorhotels

Choice Hotels Choice Hotels welcomes SSTUWA members with exclusive rates at locations in Australia and NZ. sstuwa.org.au/choicehotels

For details visit: sstuwa.org.au/travelinsurance

Experience Oz

Wills for members

across Oz + NZ.

Members can access a complimentary simple will, where appropriate. For more information or details about a complex will, visit: sstuwa.org.au/wills

Shopping Dot Mall

BBQs, heaters and backyard kitchens.

5% discount for members. sstuwa.org.au/dotmall

Electrical buying

Let Union Shopper find the best deal on your electrical purchases. sstuwa.org.au/electricalbuying

isubscribe

Save 10% on over 3,000 experiences sstuwa.org.au/experienceoz

Inn the Tuarts Guest Lodge Forest retreat, 4-star, with indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and BBQ. Adults (12 years+) only. Five minutes to Busselton. Studios and rooms. 22.5% off rack rate or best available rate. sstuwa.org.au/innthetuarts

Jarrah Grove Forest Retreat Luxurious, self-contained accommodation in Margaret River.

Buy, build and invest with confidence. $50 discount on building inspections. sstuwa.org.au/houspect

Up to an extra 10% off any print and digital magazine subscription; over 4,000 titles. sstuwa.org.au/isubscribe

Discounted rates for members.

Johns Building Supplies

Jackson’s Drawing Supplies

10% discount on houseboat holidays.

Trade prices on paint and painters’ hardware. Builders prices on all other hardware lines. sstuwa.org.au/jbs

SkylightsWA

Specialising in skylights and roof ventilation, servicing all regions of WA. 7% discount off selected products. sstuwa.org.au/skylightswa

Wattyl

15% off Wattyl paints, stains and accessories at Wattyl Paint Centres in WA. sstuwa.org.au/wattyl

10% discount in Jackson’s 12 shops and online. sstuwa.org.au/jacksons

Petals Flowers & Gifts

20% off flowers and gifts. World-wide delivery available. sstuwa.org.au/petals

Teacher Superstore

5-10% discount, in store and online. sstuwa.org.au/teachersuperstore

The Good Guys Commercial

Online access to live discounted pricing on The Good Guys’ full range. sstuwa.org.au/thegoodguys

sstuwa.org.au/jarrahgrove

Mandurah Houseboats sstuwa.org.au/houseboats

Metro Hotel Perth City 15% discount on the best available rate. Located in East Perth near the WACA and Gloucester Park. sstuwa.org.au/metroperth

Rottnest ferry tickets Save up to $15 on Rottnest ferry tickets with WestClub. sstuwa.org.au/rottnest

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Classifieds

Classifieds Block for sale: Jurien Bay

700sqm fully serviced, ready to build on, one block back from beach. Close to schools, town centre, marina and recreational water activities. Perfect holiday, retiree or sea-change locale. $108,000 (negotiable).

Peter: 0437 377 361 | westside@tower.net.au

Augusta

3x1 spacious holiday rental. One double, one queen, five singles. 200m from the river and town. Magnificent river views.

One large living area, three sided veranda and BBQ. Provide own linen and towels. $150 per night plus $50 cleaning fee. gregrowl@iinet.net.au

Dunsborough (Quindalup)

Large 4x2 holiday home on Geographe Bay Rd. Swimming beach 30m away.

Free use of private boat mooring. Room to park boats with boat ramp a minute away. Slow combustion wood heater and reverse-cycle air-con. Available all year except for leavers’ vacation. No pets.

0419 943 203 a_r_moore@bigpond.com

Dwellingup

Après Huit and Dwell Cottage provide luxury self-contained accommodation set in beautifully landscaped gardens. Can be rented separately or together. Après Huit: 2x2, main house. Dwell Cottage: 1x1, furnished in a French theme.

Robert: 0419 954 079 dwellcottage.com.au

Dwellingup

In need of a tree change? Time out to reconnect with nature? Time for a vacation in Dwellingup’s Jarrah forest, 90 minutes from Perth. Chuditch Holiday Home is perfect for couples, groups and families. It’s centrally located and sleeps up to eight people.

Shani: 0402 615 235 shanivore@hotmail.com

Floreat

Studio B&B. New, stylish single room.

Fridge, kitchenette, TV, aircon in lovely peaceful Floreat house and garden. Linen, tea/coffee, continental/cooked breakfast ingredients supplied. Suit mature person wishing to enjoy quiet accommodation.

Close to city, buses, shops, hospitals and beaches. $85 per night, min two nights.

Weekly and monthly rates available.

SMS: 0422 333 057

Frankland River

Escape to the country. Imagine waking up to uninterrupted views of paddocks and trees with peace, quiet and tranquility.

Choose a 3 bedroom house or a cosy cabin set on picturesque 83 acres. A great place to relax and unwind. franklandriver.com.au Jade: 0430 450 093 | Sam: 0413 160 093

Fremantle

Short term accommodation in central Fremantle. Recently refurbished with all conveniences for modern living.

Townhouse has three queen-sized bedrooms plus provision for two singles.

Enjoy time in the rear garden, complete with BBQ. Secure parking for two cars, access controlled by electric gates.

9430 4458 | 0407 083 174 info@westerley.com.au

Fremantle

Staycation? Attending a function?

Cosmopolitan getaway? Fremantle is the place. Cafes, restaurants and breweries.

Markets, beach, art galleries, museums, theatre, events, shopping, skate park, Ferris wheel, whale watching... What more could you want? Eco-Gallery Apartment is stylish, centrally located, sleeps three and has secure parking.

(08) 6323 2339 admin@smartstaywa.com.au

Kallaroo

Serenity Escape is a 2x1 apartment with full kitchen, offering comfort and convenience. 20 min walk to beach, 5 min drive to train station, walking distance to Whitfords Brewing Co, cinema and shops.

Toiletries, slippers and coffee machine provided. Min 2 nights. Sleeps 4, or 5 with mattress. No pets. $125/night for 3 people; $10/night per extra person.

Molly: 0428 166 559 mollysletters@gmail.com

Kalbarri

Clean, tidy, self-contained family-friendly 3x1 brick house at the top end of a quiet cul-de-sac. Sleeps 8: 2 x queen beds and 2 x bunk beds. Close to Blue Holes Beach, 15 min walk to town. kalbarriwa.net.au | 0435 845 504

Lancelin

Large 5x2 holiday home. Everything within walking distance, close to beaches and town centre. Sleeps 14. Large wrap around verandah with outdoor seating/eating and bbq. Heaps of parking for boats or quads. $45/night/person (min 6). Min 2 nights.

SMS: 0412 804 345

Margaret River

Two bedrooms, private, comfortable, fully equipped stone cottage with fireplace, located amongst the forest opposite Boranup National Park, 17km south of Margaret River on Caves Road. Close to beaches, wineries, caves and galleries. $150 per night for two people, or provide own linen and towels for $120 per night.

Russell: 0418 933 270

Nannup

Seraphim Retreat is a pet friendly 3x1 character farm cottage, five minutes from friendly Nannup. Set in acreage, with established gardens and stunning valley views. Air conditioned and wood heater. Horse riders can bring their horses to access our arena and trails. Teacher discount: $159 weekends, $149 midweek.

See website for details. seraphimretreatnannup.com SMS 0420 832 510

Safety Bay

Very clean and tidy, traditional style 3x1 duplex in Safety Bay. Fully furnished and equipped. One street from beach.

Presently a minimum stay requirement (this may change). cnjn@aapt.net.au

Trigg

Self contained accommodation. Kitchen, laundry, queen sized bed plus fold out double couch in lounge. Free WiFi and Netflix. Own entrance. Find us on Facebook.

Kerry: 0409 884 330 | FB: @justriggin 67justriggin@gmail.com

Email 50 words or fewer to editor@sstuwa.org.au along with your union membership number. Free for members.

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Classifieds Yallingup

Rammed earth cottage, 2x1, nestled amongst bushland. Well located, short walk to Studio Gallery Bistro, two-minute drive to Caves House. Beaches, galleries, wineries and restaurants close by. Sleeps six. No dogs. stayz.com.au (property 136151) Kirsty: 0419 927 660

Tranquillity Counselling, Psychotherapy and Career Development

I provide holistic, confidential practical counselling to help you deal with an array of issues, some being: general relationship, mental health, anger issues/management, anxiety, depression, self-harm, grief and trauma, addiction, abuse, palliative care.

Milica Robinson, MCnsig&Psychthpy, GradCertCareerDev, BEd. 0422 358 187

Retirement coach

Marriage celebrant

Experienced professional celebrant available, all areas. Formal or informal, large or small weddings. A Beautiful Ceremony will help you design an unforgettable and uniquely personal ceremony.

Mary: 0418 906 391 maryburke40@hotmail.com

Funeral celebrant

I am an experienced funeral celebrant. It will be my honour to assist you in the cocreation and presentation of a ceremony that serves to honour your loved one, by revealing their essence through a uniquely constructed and presented combination of spoken word, rituals, symbols, audio and visual displays.

0449 075 001 Kc.fcelebrant@gmail.com

Are you recently retired or retiring soon?

You probably have a financial plan in place but developing a plan for the non-financial side of retirement can be as important as preparing financially. I offer support and guidance for the transition from work to retirement, helping you to find purpose and meaning in retirement. Contact me to arrange an obligation free chat. retirementcoaching01@gmail.com

Learn to social dance

Marriage celebrant

First aid training for students

Marriage celebrant with 12 years of experience, working in the Peel, South West and Perth areas. Specialising in creating personalised ceremonies for couples at their chosen wedding location. I’d love to help you plan your special day!

Meridith: 0400 312 535 meri.lake4@gmail.com

Marriage celebrant

Heart Centered Ceremonies for couples wanting a personalised wedding. Lee will help you design your dream wedding – a memorable occasion. Mention this ad to receive a discount.

Lee: 0404 655 567 leehalligancelebrant.com.au

Learn jive, waltz, rumba, samba, tango and other dances for social events (ball, wedding, cruise, etc). A fun and easy course with quality instruction. Join with or without a partner. Melville (LeisureFit) Recreation Centre. Mondays 7.30-9pm. $118/8 weeks. Beginners’ course held every term. Term 1 2024 starts 5 February.

Stan: 9330 6737 | stan@stansdancing.com St John Ambulance WA offers free first aid training to all school aged students, ranging from Triple 000 Hero for Kindergarten students to Road Trauma First Aid for secondary school students.

Courses are curriculum mapped.

(08) 9334 1259 youth@stjohnambulance.com.au

Free dairy excursions

Brownes Dairy invites your classroom to join a free curriculum-linked tour of the dairy in Balcatta. Students from Kindergarten to Year 6 get a unique hands-on experience and see how our dairy operates and produces award

Classifieds

winning dairy products enjoyed in WA for 130 years. school.tours@brownesdairy.com.au

Road safety education for schools

RAC offers free curriculum aligned road safety workshops and online resources for primary schools (pre-primary to Year 6) and secondary schools (Years 10 to 12), covering a range of road safety topics designed to keep young people safe on and around the roads.

(08) 9436 4471 | rac.com.au/education communityeducation@rac.com.au

Actors reading to kids: it’s Storyville!

Storyville is a free literacy initiative run

by Australian performers through the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance.

The program harnesses the talent of performers to encourage children to read and specifically targets primary schools with socio-economic disadvantage or where for a majority of students English is a second language. diane.cameron@equityfoundation.org.au

MAWA

The Mathematical Association of Western Australia offers professional learning opportunities, conferences and consultancy services to teachers and schools and networks. MAWA members receive 10 per cent discount on MAWA shop resources. For more information: mawainc.org.au 9345 0388 | eo@mawainc.org.au

Macramé is the new yoga

I'm a teacher running small group macramé classes in a cosy home studio.

Join me and discover the power of mindfulness as you learn to engage your mind and your hands in a fun supportive environment. It's a powerful way to calm a busy mind. marcia@knotinlove.com.au

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Noticeboard

Noticeboard

Email to editor@sstuwa.org.au

Retired teachers

State Council Conference

Double celebration: We invite all RTA members to join us at the SSTUWA on Monday 11 December, 11am – 1pm, for a combined Christmas and union 125th anniversary celebration.

June 2024 State Council Conference will be held on 14-15 June. Items must be received by 19 April.

November 2024 State Council Conference will be held on 15-16 November. Items must be received by 20 September.

Please RSVP and provide any dietary requirements: (08) 9210 6035 | training@sstuwa.org.au Stay in touch: Join the RTA Facebook Group – search “Retired Teachers’ Association of the SSTUWA”.

Festive season office closure dates

Human Rights Day Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Human Rights Day is an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of human rights in re-building the world we want, the need for global solidarity, as well as our interconnectedness and shared humanity. For more visit: un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day

The SSTUWA office will close at 4.30pm on Friday 22 December and reopen at 8am on Monday 8 January 2024.

Have a happy, safe and enjoyable holiday season.

Are you moving or changing workplaces next year?

Ensure your SSTUWA membership details are upto-date, including your contact information and workplace details.

Update your details online at sstuwa.org.au/updatemydetails, via the SSTUWA app, or contact the Membership Team at membership@sstuwa.org.au or (08) 9210 6000.

SSTUWA committee meeting dates: Venue: SSTUWA office | Contact: (08) 9210 6000 or contact@sstuwa.org.au Teleconference facilities are available

New Educator Committee

LGBTIQ+ Committee

2024 dates TBC

2024 dates TBC

Time: 4.30pm

Women’s Committee Time: 4pm

2024 dates TBC

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Time: 3.30pm

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Committee Time: 4pm

2024 dates TBC

Early Childhood Educators’ Committee Time: 4pm

2024 dates TBC

Know Your Rights, tax statement, membership card and more Introducing the SSTUWA super app

Get the app

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35

Transition to Retirement Specialists Financial solutions and advice to help you transition

TTR and Tax b continue into 2024 & beyond!

Please see tipsfs.com.au

Are you reducing hours in 2024 or thinking of retiring?

Now is the time to plan ahead.

What you will need to consider ...

• • • •

Can I afford to drop a day?

How much will be enough to retire on?

How can I maximize my income & reduce tax?

When is it best to pay off my mortgage?

Helping WA Education Staff & their families for over 30 years.

Talk to your TIPS Financial & Lifestyle Specialists today.

Phone {08) 6465 5400

TIPS FINANCIAL SERVICES

Visit www.tipsfs.com.au

Yenbase Ply Ltd trading as TIPS Financial Services is an authorised representative of TIPS Polaris Ply Ltd, AFSL 542326

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