SUPPLEMENT TO THE AEU NEWS • AUGUST 2014 AEU head office 112 Trenerry Crescent, Abbotsford 3067 Tel : 03 9417 2822 Fax : 1300 658 078 Web : www.aeuvic.asn.au SECONDARY SECTOR NEWSLETTER W E’RE mid-way through Term 3 and our Put Education 1st campaign is in full swing. Our action plan to give every child every chance focuses on five main areas: reducing class sizes; providing a curriculum that meets students’ individual needs, talents and interests; more support for all kids; building and maintaining classrooms; and ongoing support and development for staff. We need to make sure that resourcing public education is a central issue for all parties at the election in November. To this end, we are campaigning on key issues that will address the damage to the system by years of neglect and cuts. The most recent Productivity Commis- sion analysis shows that Victoria is the lowest spending state on public education per student, spending $1,881 less than the national average and $1,777 less than NSW. We know the difference that kind of investment could make in our schools and so it’s vital that we continue to push for a shift in the current political debate on state education. Both parties seem focused solely on announcements around dollars for new buildings, rather than the desperately needed resources and support that would make a real difference to our students. The Napthine Government’s cuts to public schools of more than $600 million have had a devastating impact on students and school communities across the state. The critical areas cut — including literacy and numeracy programs, Reading Recovery, VCAL co-ordinators, regional support for schools, Koori specialists, support for disad- vantaged students (Education Maintenance Allowance), School Start Bonus, and Apprentice Trade Bonus — have impacted negatively on our students and our capacity to provide assistance and support to those kids who need it most. The building and maintenance announcements in the context of the upcoming State election are welcome. However, the Coalition has largely focused on individual schools in marginal seats. We need all parties to commit to a bipartisan approach to funding maintenance, rebuilds and new builds based on need, not where a school is located and whether it is situated in a marginal seat. Additional investment in education also can’t be limited to bricks and mortar. Cash for buildings does not recognise the need for investment inside the classroom. We must see significant commitment to additional funding for classroom programs and support that would really meet the needs of every student in this state. We also need investment in professional develop- ment and resources for school leaders, teachers and ES staff. The recent introduction of the new perfor- mance and development guidelines is another example of the Napthine Government’s failure to commit the necessary resources and profes- sional development support that should be central to any new initiative requiring significant change. To simply provide a framework, and not the time and resources, to an already high- achieving workforce working hard to cover the gaps left from the myriad cuts listed above is short-sighted and will not leave them in good stead come election day. Now, more than ever, we need to focus on being active in the lead up to the election. We need you to keep having those important conversations about what our schools need with your colleagues and your school community. And please make sure you sign up to our campaigns and keep the pressure on your local members of Parliament to Put Education 1 st at the election in November. � www.puteducation1st.com.au Cash for buildings NOT ENOUGH Investment in school education needs to be across the board, not limited to bricks and mortar, writes AEU branch president Meredith Peace. REDUCING CLASS SIZES 1 in upper primary and secondary years, to give all kids the individual attention they need PROVIDING A CURRICULUM 2 that meets students' individual needs, talents and interests MORE SUPPORT FOR ALL KIDS 3 ensuring that all kids get the support they need to thrive, at all levels of learning and development BUILDING AND MAINTAINING CLASSROOMS 4 because all students deserve to be educated in up-to-date facilities, regardless of their school's location ONGOING SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT 5 making our school communities stronger through adequate support and development for our school leaders and staff OUR ACTION PLAN TO GIVE EVERY CHILD EVERY CHANCE:
Transcript
SUPPLEMENT TO THE AEU NEWS • AUGUST 2014
A E U h e a d o f f i c e 1 1 2 T r e n e r r y C r e s c e n t , A b b o t s f o r d 3 0 6 7 T e l : 0 3 9 4 1 7 2 8 2 2 F a x : 1 3 0 0 6 5 8 0 7 8 W e b : w w w . a e u v i c . a s n . a u
SECONDARY SECTORNEWSLETTER
WE’RE mid-way through Term 3 and our Put Education 1st campaign is in full swing.
Our action plan to give every child every chance focuses on five main areas: reducing class sizes; providing a curriculum that meets students’ individual needs, talents and interests; more support for all kids; building and maintaining classrooms; and ongoing support and development for staff.
We need to make sure that resourcing public education is a central issue for all parties at the election in November. To this end, we are campaigning on key issues that will address the damage to the system by years of neglect and cuts.
The most recent Productivity Commis-sion analysis shows that Victoria is the lowest spending state on public education per student, spending $1,881 less than the national average and $1,777 less than NSW.
We know the difference that kind of investment could make in our schools and so it’s vital that we continue to push for a shift in the current political debate on state education. Both parties seem focused solely on announcements around dollars for new buildings, rather than the desperately needed resources and support that would make a real difference to our students.
The Napthine Government’s cuts to public schools of more than $600 million have had a devastating impact on students and school communities across the state.
The critical areas cut — including literacy and numeracy programs, Reading Recovery, VCAL co-ordinators, regional support for schools, Koori specialists, support for disad-vantaged students (Education Maintenance Allowance), School Start Bonus, and Apprentice
Trade Bonus — have impacted negatively on our students and our capacity to provide assistance and support to those kids who need it most.
The building and maintenance announcements in the context of the upcoming State election are welcome. However, the Coalition has largely focused on individual schools in marginal seats. We need all parties to commit to a bipartisan approach to funding maintenance, rebuilds and new builds based on need, not where a school is located and whether it is
situated in a marginal seat.Additional investment in education also can’t
be limited to bricks and mortar. Cash for buildings does not recognise the need for investment inside the classroom. We must see significant commitment to additional funding for classroom programs and support that would really meet the needs of every student in this state.
We also need investment in professional develop-ment and resources for school leaders, teachers and
ES staff. The recent introduction of the new perfor-
mance and development guidelines is another example of the Napthine Government’s failure to commit the necessary resources and profes-sional development support that should be central to any new initiative requiring significant change.
To simply provide a framework, and not the time and resources, to an already high-achieving workforce working hard to cover the gaps left from the myriad cuts listed above is short-sighted and will not leave them in good stead come election day.
Now, more than ever, we need to focus on being active in the lead up to the election. We need you to keep having those important conversations about what our schools need with your colleagues and your school community.
And please make sure you sign up to our campaigns and keep the pressure on your local members of Parliament to Put Education 1st at the election in November. �
www.puteducation1st.com.au
Cash for buildings NOT ENOUGHInvestment in school education needs to be across the board, not limited to bricks and mortar, writes AEU branch president Meredith Peace.
REDUCING CLASS SIZES1in upper primary and secondary years, to give all kids the individual attention they need
PROVIDING A CURRICULUM2that meets students' individual needs, talents and interests
MORE SUPPORT FOR ALL KIDS3ensuring that all kids get the support they need to thrive, at all levels of learning and development
BUILDING AND MAINTAINING CLASSROOMS
4
because all students deserve to be educated in up-to-date facilities, regardless of their school's location
ONGOING SUPPORT ANDDEVELOPMENT
5
making our school communities stronger through adequate support and development for our school leaders and staff
Retirement Victoria is the AEU’s preferred provider of financial and retirement planning services to members.
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AEU PREFERRED PROVIDERS
APPOINTMENTS (03) 9820 8088Retirement Victoria is the AEU’s preferred provider of financial and retirement planning services to members.
Retirement Victoria Pty Ltd (ABN 11 132 109 114) is a corporate authorised representative of Millennium3 Financial Services Pty Ltd AFSL 244252
THE VALUE OF A PERSONAL APPOINTMENTClients referred to Retirement Victoria recently mentioned how worthwhile a personal appointment had been compared to their attendance at a seminar run by a large financial institution. The seminar was general in nature with an overwhelming stream of information delivered by way of a power point presentation. It was slick and glossy but could not focus on personal needs and circumstances. By contrast, at the end of a one-hour appointment we had designed a tailored financial model that addressed super, social security and related taxation issues. The diagram on the whiteboard provided a visual model of a strategy that would satisfy our clients’ retirement needs. It was a positive, productive outcome followed up later with a detailed financial plan. Seminars have their place, we have run them successfully for years, but a personal appointment with an experienced RV adviser is a great way to prepare for retirement.
Deadline on consultation fast approachingLocal consultation is the best way to participate in your school’s decision-making processes, so make sure you meet the September 1 deadline, writes Erin Aulich.
SEPTEMBER 1 is the deadline for reporting on the agreed consultative arrangements in your
school. Good consultation is the cornerstone of a
healthy workplace. It enables informed discussion
and input into the decisions that affect you every day. Having good representative consultative processes in place is particularly important with regard to long-term planning decisions.
Consultation between the school principal, sub-branch representatives and staff on long-term planning, including workforce planning, is central to ensuring effective implementation of the conditions and entitle-ments contained in the agreement (VGSA 2013). But it is only effective when there are clear, agreed processes in place through which consultation can occur.
Decisions around long-term planning must be communicated to all staff by the end of November. If the sub-branch disagrees with any of these decisions they have five working days to inform the principal of their disagreement and must attempt to reach a local resolution. If the matters remain in dispute, the sub-branch can vote to lodge a grievance and refer the matter to the AEU centrally.
This is why consultation is so important. The grievance process is there to ensure a facilitated outcome is reached where the parties cannot reach agreement over a matter in the long-term planning arrangements.
The AEU sees consultation at the local level as the best way to participate in the decision-making
process. The grievance process is there to help after lengths to resolve locally are exhausted.
That means that having input into what your consultative committee composition looks like, and the matters to be discussed, is the most important first step in the process. And the September 1 deadline is approaching fast.
Make sure you meet as a sub-branch to discuss your current arrangements and form a view as to whether you believe any changes would be beneficial, then put
this position to your principal. It’s important you discuss and reach agreement
on the composition, what you will discuss and how often you will meet. Sub-branch members should meet and review:
• How existing arrangements are working• What can be improved• Whether the process is operating in accord-
ance with the agreement.The union sub-branch, principal and staff need to agree on:
• The consultative structure• Operational procedures and arrangements• Arrangements that allow for representatives to
canvass views. Contact the MSU on (03) 9417 2822 for further advice. �
ON August 1, ES Month was launched at the AEU Joint council, acknowledging the work
our ES representatives do every day.This year’s theme is Recognition and
Respect. Send us your pictures showing how
your school is celebrating ES Month on Twitter @AEUVictoria using the hashtag #ESmonth2014 or post them to the AEU Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/aeuvic. �
ES MONTH
� Good consultation is the cornerstone of a healthy
workplace.�
Fixing the rates of fixed-term employmentErin Aulich vice president, secondary
More teachers than ever on contractThe AEU’s survey of beginning teachers sparked media attention across the state, writes Erin Aulich.
THE AEU recently released its annual survey of beginning teachers, which revealed that 65%
of respondents were on fixed contracts — almost 10% more than last year.
The survey also showed that new teachers’ work is negatively affected by the need to constantly reapply for their jobs, as well as the personal impact for many of the difficulties in obtaining a mortgage or car loan.
Only half of those in their first five years of teaching saw themselves staying in the role for more than a decade, many citing job insecurity as the factor driving them out of the profession.
This sparked a great deal of media coverage on the issue of fixed-term employ-ment for teachers, with articles in The Age and the Herald Sun, along with radio inter-views, including on 3AW and ABC 774.
The roll-out of region-specific data across the state has also attracted media in regional
centres, highlighting exactly why many beginning teachers don’t see themselves teaching in the long term.
The AEU is calling on the major political parties to value the teaching profession and commit to reducing the number of teachers employed on contract.
Contract teachers “should not be treated with such disregard given the important work they do,” Meredith Peace told the media.
“Our schools are forced to offer contract positions because the State Government does not provide enough funding certainty for principals to make long-term, informed decisions.
“Victorian students are currently funded $1,881 less than the national average and this is impacting on the decisions principals are making in relation to employment of staff and programs and support for students.
“A strong commitment from the major parties to reduce contract employment would signal to our teachers that they value the work teachers do every day,” Peace said. �
ON July 31, the AEU met with the DEECD to discuss the provision of contract employment data as part of a commitment under Victorian Government
Schools Agreement (VGSA 2013) to monitor rates of fixed-term employment.We were provided with FTE ongoing and fixed-term data for each school and
the total numbers of staff on leave for each school.According to Clause 21.2(d) of the agreement, “the standard mode of
employment in the Teaching Service is ongoing. However, some fixed-term or casual employment will continue to be necessary.”The only valid reasons for teachers and ES to be employed fixed term are listed below:
• Replacement for a short-term absence (12 months leave or less) other than a parental absence
• Replacement for a seven-year parental absence vacancy• Linked to Student Support Funding (SSP) in which case the fixed period
must be for seven years• Potentially in excess• Tied to specific funding (and advertised for the duration of the funding)• Because a fully qualified teacher is unavailable — the fixed period can be
for up to five years.
All positions of more than six weeks duration (30 days) must be advertised and discussed by the consultative committee. Casual staff can only be employed for vacancies of 30 days or less.
Under Clause 21.2(e) of the VGSA 2013, the employer will implement proactive processes to ensure that fixed-term vacancies satisfy the criteria set out in sub clause (d). We are discussing with the Department the process for monitoring contracts in schools, including ways to ensure that any contract offered is compliant with the agreement. Now that we have been able to access the data, we can work to reduce fixed-term rates. �
Contract rates provided by DEECD:
• Primary 22.5%• Secondary 12.7%• Primary/Secondary 16.6%• Special 32%
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Cool AustraliaCool Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that provides curriculum-linked free resources for
teachers and students.Its vision is for every Australian student to leave school with a clear understanding of our
natural world, how it supports our existence and the responsibility we share to ensure it is valued and invested in.
Cool Australia creates original units of work and learning activities that can be quickly down-loaded from its website and taken straight into the classroom.
Learning activities are year-level specific, from prep to Year 10 and linked to Australian Curriculum standards.
For older students, there are inquiry-based learning activities that seek to broaden and deepen their understanding of how our world works. For younger students, topics are explored through literacy, numeracy, social awareness, creativity and imagination.
A new section on the Cool Australia website is titled Cool Burnings. This section has some great activities linking climate change, sustainability and connection to land.
Find out more at coolaustralia.org. �
Educating for a sustainable future
THE hearing for the AEU’s laptop case in the Federal Court concluded at the end of July
with closing submissions from the union and the Department.
The court heard evidence from numerous AEU members who clearly articulated that access to a laptop was essential for undertaking their duties and that any personal benefit was incidental.
The Department argued that teachers and principals receive significant personal benefit from being allowed to access a device, including the flexibility to work from home! The AEU argued that when members work at home it is for the benefit of the employer.
The Department also claimed that the licence agreement was part of a salary packaging arrange-ment, a point denied by our member witnesses and the union’s legal team.
The decision in December 2012 by then-Minister for the Teaching Profession Peter Hall to sign a new ministerial order authorising salary deductions as part of the laptop licence agreement will be a key feature of the judgement expected to be handed down by Justice Bromberg before the end of the year.
The AEU argued that any deductions made since the Fair Work Act came into effect in July 2009 were unauthorised and not permitted by federal law.
Thank you to the 11 teachers and principals, as well as former AEU branch secretary Brian
Henderson and former principal class organiser Bob Parr, who gave evidence on behalf of the union. AEU members can be proud of their efforts and assistance in helping us make the case that salary deductions should not have been made by the Department.
The AEU is seeking a finding that the Department contravened the Fair Work Act and the Victorian Government Schools Agreement (VGSA) and that an injunction be put in place to stop the department making deductions for computers provided by the
Department under the Notebook Package. In addition, the union is seeking an order that
the Department repay to each Victorian teacher and principal who has received a Notebook Package all deductions made from the their salary between July 1, 2009 (the date of commencement of the Fair Work Act) and the date of the court order, together with interest; and an order that the Department pay penalties to the AEU for contravening the Act.
We anticipate that Justice Bromberg will deliver his decision before the end of the year. �
Laptops case awaits ruling AEU members made a strong case for why laptops are essential tools of the trade as part of the recent Federal Court hearing, writes Justin Mullaly.
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