From the President
We need to build on election wins By Pat Byrne President
Having won a significant victory in the recent state election the McGowan Government has considerable political capital. It is to be hoped that it uses that capital to do what Labor governments most definitely should do – protect public education and ensure it thrives. This, undoubtedly, has been one of the strangest election campaigns in Western Australia’s history. Areas which are traditionally the most important in state elections, including education, have been forced into the shadows by the focus on COVID-19. That is understandable. The Labor government, led by Mr McGowan did a fine job in handling the pandemic response – not withstanding that we had differences on the reopening of schools. A combination of the Liberal party surrendering the election nearly three weeks from polling day, combined with early voting, resulted in a paucity of big ticket policy announcements from both parties from that time on. It is pleasing that in an unusually low-key campaign the SSTUWA was able to secure some significant gains for our members and for the public education sector, both schools and TAFE.
ensure TAFE was front and centre of the McGowan Government’s first term, especially in the COVID recovery planning. From the President
The expansion of fee reductionsA and Tounder protect this They state $1,000 annual increase currentpublic askseducation are specific andin detailed. will (continued from page 5) salary capital caps will leave those freezes, in addition to considerable to be tackled again during general andeducators ensure it isneed properly funded in real The reversing of the damage done to TAFE earning over $60,000 worse off in real agreement negotiations. investment, are most welcome. terms will require us to continue what by previous governments – state and terms. On $60,000 the yearly increase To fight get these met, westate need your federal – is of crucial importance not only would be 1.6 per cent. has On $110,000 it is been a long –asks at both and However, despite some significant steps support more than ever. Please, get for COVID recovery, but also beyond. 0.91 per cent. federal levels. A properly funded system organised in your workplace. If you don’t forward, including significant investment Promised infrastructure spending is In even these most simple salary thehave a formed branch, get to it. of If you have willterms, enable resolution of many the in school and TAFE infrastructure, there welcome, as are the fee cuts. However, caps are demonstrably unfair. It defies colleagues wavering about joining the issues facing public schools, including the logic to cite education at all levels as fee cuts alone will not address the needs to be a realisation that it is people union, ask them for their support. You can being crucial to recovery plans and then shortage of lecturers, teaching spaces, IT provision of genuine salary increases. find out more about getting organised at who educate students. at the same time make the position of a infrastructure and support, libraries and sstuwa.org.au/GO21 teacher or lecturer unviable in terms of the professional development needed to Labor has won a significant victory. Smart buildings are of no use the living costs. salaryifversus Strong voices, united in their desire to teach innew the new era we all face. History in Australia support shows each other us and that public education, staff within them don’t have theAllbest school leaders are even worse off! Across both the TAFE and school sectors have success, never been more important. memories of that and whatWhether resources, the best qualifications and the issue of public service pay caps is your work in schools or TAFEs, your The union’s plans for both schools and prompted it, can fade all too soon. absolutely crucial. The maintenance professional training; the of support commitment is crucial to our success. TAFEthey can be found at government wages policy at $1,000 per puttingourkidsfirst.com.au and we need need in areas like IT, libraries and above The issues importance to Western When you cast your vote, weigh the annum is an insult to those public sector your backing to see those plans enacted of core all,workers in managing parties’ commitments; put public who keep the workload. state running year with proper resourcingAustralians, to the minimum with education right at the education first. after year. standard required by each school.
top, remain. Labor should remember WA needs more teachers, more lecturers *Source: Government of Western Labor’s own figures (as projected in the This is not a short-term process. It will that and give our public education system and more support staff. They need to be Australia. 2020. “Western Australia State state budget forward estimates*) set the not end when you cast your vote on 13 investment it deserves Budget 2020-21: Budget Paper No. 3 properly paid, not behindMarch year(orafter expected CPI as 1.75 perfalling cent in 2021/22 as many willthe do, insupport the weeks and Economic And Fiscal and 2022/23 and 2 per cent in 2023/24. before that day). That isas whyitthe SSTUWA’s on embarks its next fourOutlook”. yearsPerth. of year because of government salary caps. government. All of this requires a level of recurrent
Schooling Resource Standard
in WA public schools: 2017 formula v 2021 formula
The SSTUWA asked for extra mental health services, including 100 more school psychologists. A pledge has been made to deliver 100 extra FTEs over the term of the new government.
2017 formula
2021 formula
89.63% state gov contribution +15.37% federal gov contribution
75% +20%
105%
The SSTUWA asked for an expansion of Alternative Learning Settings (ALS), including at least one ALS in each education region. The Labor party has promised to expand the ALS program into every education region in the state. The SSTUWA’s TAFE Works campaign ahead of the 2017 state election helped
funding that meets the minimums mandated in the Schooling Resource Standard.
+4%
of SRS additional items (paid by state gov)
109%
of SRS
95% +0%
95%
state gov contribution federal gov contribution of SRS (additional items are now included in the 75% state gov contribution) of SRS
This 14 per cent difference in SRS equates to a cumulative funding gap of $2,091,829,518 from 2020-2023 (Rorris 2020). 6
Western Teacher
February 2021
Western Teacher March 2021
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