Educator autumn 2018

Educator AUTUMN 2018

ISSUE 97 $5. 50

Australian

Fresh starts

Three new educators set out in their new jobs

Digital world

Podcasts build students’ skills

Early childhood

New report calls for longer-term funding

Closing the knowledge gap

Embedding Indigenous histories and cultures into learning

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makes a difference

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Public education needs fair funding

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Educator AU T U M N 2 018

CONTENTS

Australian

Our cover: Full and fair funding of public education in line with the agreed resourcing standard must be our nation’s goal.

Read more on page 8.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIMON O’DWYER

08

Full and fair funding of public education must be our nation’s goal.

04

FYI • New head of Education • • • • •

24

We’re following three teachers in 2018 — two beginners and a new principal — who will share their experiences during the school year.

32

Student podcasts help to support learning and build confidence in technical and communication skills.

International How to teach global citizens New maths and English tool to support teachers Children’s word of the year for 2017 Stemming the tide: girls and STEM Change the Rules – new union movement focuses on fairness

07

The education election The Turnbull government’s plan fails children and parents.

14

State of our Schools survey Schools are battling major gaps in funding and resources.

16

Goals not scores must be heart of educational reform

18

Quality and inequality A new report on the quality of early childhood education adds weight to the case for more and longer-term funding.

20

Closing the gap in our knowledge

Teachers in all subjects are expected to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures into all learning areas.

Professor Larissa Behrendt, a Eualeyai and Kamillaroi woman, gives an overview of the basics.

30

Making a world of difference As Fred van Leeuwen ends his founding role at the helm of Educational International, his summary of past achievements provides inspiration for the struggles to come.

Regulars

Public education deserves recognition and full funding not simplistic accountability measures and quick-fix solutions.

07 From the president 35 My best app 36 Books 38 Recess

A summary of the AEU financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2017 is available at www.aeufederal.org.au/ about/organisation

www.aeufederal.org.au AU STRA L IA N ED U CATO R 97 AUTU M N 2 0 1 8 3

NEWS

Education issues making news locally and globally

fyi

EVENTS 8 March

International Women’s Day

17 May

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

12 June

World Day Against Child Labour

Bringing the world to class

H

elping students to become globally competent is “serious and rigorous” work, according to Harvard University professor Fernando Reimers, who specialises in global education policies.

“We’re not going to educate global citizens by organising a food festival in a school once a year. That’s nice, but it’s not the way we teach physics or trigonometry or literature or history,” he says.

Teaching for global competence in a rapidly changing world is a new publication that discusses practical ways to embed global competence into existing curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Issued by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Center for Global Education at Asia Society, the publication identifies four features of globally competent youth. They: • investigate the world beyond their immediate environment by examining issues of local, global, and cultural significance;

4 AU T UM N 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI AN E D U CATOR 97

• recognise, understand, and appreciate the perspectives and world views of others; • communicate ideas with diverse audiences by engaging in open, appropriate, and effective interactions across cultures; • take action for collective wellbeing and sustainable development both locally and globally.

You can find the publication on the Asia Society website (tinyurl.com/y7o2njhr).

We’re not going to educate global citizens by organising a food festival in a school once a year.

New head for Education International American David Edwards has been chosen to succeed Education International’s general secretary Fred van Leeuwen, who had held the role since the organisation was founded 25 years ago.

AEU is a member of Education International (EI), the global union federation with more than 32 million members in some 400 organisations. AEU federal secretary Susan Hopgood is president of EI. Edwards had held the position of deputy general secretary since 2011, leading EI’s work in education policy, employment, research and communication.

Prior to joining EI, Edwards was associate director of governance and policy and head of international relations at the National Education Association of the United States. He began his career as a public high school foreign language teacher and holds a PhD in International Education Policy.

See a profile of Fred van Leeuwen on page 30.

NEWS

How to track maths and English progress The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has released a new maths and English tool to support teachers.

The National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions provide a way of identifying each student’s progress in literacy and numeracy development, says ACARA CEO Robert Randall.

The learning progressions will also help teachers to see the next stage of literacy development for each student, no matter what stage of development they are at.

One of the benefits of the learning progressions is that they allow teachers to identify a student’s growth in literacy and numeracy, says Randall.

“The student making pencil marks and the student writing his or her own name at the beginning of the year may both be able to produce short pieces of writing by the middle of the year. The teacher can see that both these students have shown growth, but at different rates, along the same path of learning.”

The learning progressions were trialled for three months last year by a group of volunteer teachers.

About 600 teachers at 160 schools from across Australia trialled the learning progressions last year, providing their feedback to allow modifications to the final version.

The National Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions are available in the Resources section of the Australian Curriculum website (tinyurl.com/ycpbuvse).

Children choose equality Oxford University Press Australia and New Zealand named ‘equality’ as the children’s word of the year for 2017.

The word was chosen following a national writing competition for primary school students. A judging panel, consisting of academics and experts in children’s English language,

evaluated competition entries based on a word’s popularity, use of the word in context, and frequency.

Equality was used in the entries to refer to a wide range of subjects, including race, gender, marriage, sport, pay, disability rights and even sibling equality, according to Oxford University Press.

“Alarming” decline: girls and STEM New research has identified ways to halt the continuing decline in girls taking science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne and Deakin University found the number of girls choosing STEM subjects is decreasing at an “alarming” rate.

“Not only are girls not taking these subjects at school (and therefore not choosing a career in STEM areas) they are not receiving a balanced education,” according to Wendy Lewis, chair of the Invergowrie Foundation, which funded the research.

“It has been estimated that 75 per cent of the fastest-growing occupations, including those in the creative industries and humanities, will require STEM-related skills and knowledge.

Critical thinking and problem-solving, analytic capabilities, curiosity and imagination have all been identified as critical ‘survival skills’ in the workplace of the future,” Lewis says.

“If girls and women are not encouraged to engage with STEM they will be at

greater risk of becoming excluded from a substantial part of the workforce of the future.”

The report identifies four ideas that may help, including focusing on early years and primary education to address unconscious biases; working on coordinated approaches to pedagogy and curriculum; developing partnerships between schools, industries and local communities; and the provision of quality career advice.

You can find the report on the Invergowrie Foundation’s website (tinyurl.com/y7e7jaeg).

AU STRA L IA N ED U CATO R 97 AUTU M N 2 01 8 5

NEWS

Education issues making news locally and globally

fyi Righting the rules of prosperity The united fight to fix Australia’s broken industrial relations system and counter unprecedented income inequality has a new focus.

W

hen three-million Australians live below the poverty line, four out of 10 workers have no secure employment and the richest 1 per cent of Australians own more than the poorest 70 per cent, it’s time to Change the Rules.

That’s the title of the union movement’s new campaign to overhaul Australia’s industrial and economic system to bring fairness back to work and life.

The rules that made Australia fair are broken, says Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Sally McManus.

“Our rights have been eroded over the past 30 years and we need to act now to preserve the rights the union movement has fought for,” she says.

“Inequality is at a 70-year high, the basic rights of working people are under attack and the entire industrial relations system is broken.”

Australia has always prided itself on being the land of the fair go. A century ago it led the world in workers’ rights.

The eight-hour working day and statutory holiday leave were born here, and, 110 years ago, it became one of the first nations to set a minimum wage.

But the right to share in our prosperity has been seriously eroded.

Although company profits continue to rise, and we enter the 27th year 6 AUT U MN 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI AN E DUCATOR 9 7

of uninterrupted growth, wage growth is at an all-time low. The connection to increased casualisation, contracting out and past declines in private sector union membership is not coincidental.

Meanwhile, the Turnbull government continues to propose big-business tax cuts while defending penalty rate cuts for the quarter of all employees who work weekends or public holidays.

Educators have long been a huge source of strength... and will always have a big role to play in any union-wide campaign.

Bearing the weight Educators have seen the effects of these trends in their classrooms, and many have borne the weight themselves. Casualisation is at crisis levels in our TAFE system. Contract employment is unacceptably high in many of our schools and preschools.

Performance-related pay remains on the Conservative agenda.

Primary schools have seen growing numbers of students in poverty, while secondary and TAFE students in their first jobs are exploited by fast food multinationals and retailers. School leavers face an unemployment rate of more than 10 per cent.

“Educators have long been a huge source of strength for the movement and will always have a big role to play in any union-wide campaign,” says McManus. “You know the value of standing together and fighting for better pay and conditions, [and] you have also seen the rise of short-term contracts and casual work first-hand.

“This is also about your students.

Unless we change the rules, they will be forever in insecure work and have lower living standards than we do,” she says.

Central to the campaign is a call for a living wage, not a minimum wage.

Australia is beginning to see an army of United States-style working poor – people in full-time work, often holding down several jobs, but still struggling to pay bills and put food on the table.

As well as changing the rules to give working people better and stronger rights at work, ensuring everyone pays their fair share of tax will be one of the campaign’s key goals.

Find out more at australianunions.org.au/ change_the_rules

FROM THE PRESIDENT

The Turnbull government’s education plan fails children and parents.

The education election

E

ducation and public schools funding, in particular, will be central to the next federal election campaign following the extraordinary betrayal by the Turnbull government in cutting schools funding.

The federal government’s astonishing disregard for education has seen funding to schools slashed by billions of dollars, early childhood education in a precarious position with budgets guaranteed only 12 months in advance, and the vocational training sector under threat with the TAFE system devastated by poor government decisions.

This attack on the education and futures of our children has left educators, parents and communities furious and ready to fight for a fairer deal.

As the Turnbull government limps towards the end of its term, with an election due late 2018 or early 2019, we are calling on educators, parents and the broader community to join us once again in making sure that public education, and school funding in particular, is a top priority for political parties.

This campaign will be a significant point in Australia’s history, focusing on the proper funding of education as never before.

We’ll be out talking to parents and communities, particularly in marginal seats, about the need to restore the $1.87 billion cut from schools’ budgets by the Turnbull government. We know the strong ‘I give a Gonski’ supporter base

This attack on the education and futures of our children has left educators, parents and communities furious and ready to fight for a fairer deal.

we’ve built up will come with us into this next phase of the campaign to fight for fair funding for our schools.

Most public schools underfunded The federal government announced its new education agenda last year, including their plan to cut public school funding.

As a result, 87 per cent of public schools will be below the schooling resource standard by 2023 while 65 per cent of private schools will be above it (SRS). It’s simply unacceptable.

The SRS is an estimate of the amount of public funding that a school requires to meet the needs of its students. It represents the minimum cost of educating a child. Why should our schools, public schools, be below this minimum benchmark?

The Labor Party has agreed to restore the funding cut by the Turnbull government and we want the Turnbull government to wake up and understand the

harm it is causing with its funding cuts.

We know that education and schools funding are deeply and widely felt issues. Recent state election campaigns have already heavily featured these issues as voters have taken education to the polls as one of their key issues.

Prime minister Turnbull and education minister Simon Birmingham have pulled a con job on the Australian public with their ‘needs-based funding’ model and education ‘strategy’.

Unfortunately, there’s plenty of evidence that we have a prime minister who’s for private schools, not for public schools.

We’re calling on the federal government to:

✔immediately reverse its $1.9 billion cut to public schools for 2018 and 2019

✔make sure that all schools

are funded to 100 per cent of the SRS by 2023

✔establish a capital works

fund to upgrade classrooms and facilities, and

✔provide more support for

students with disabilities.

The federal government has an obligation to work with state and territory governments to ensure that all schools receive their full SRS entitlement. This entitlement means giving each school what it needs to support every student.

Correna Haythorpe AEU FEDERAL PRESIDENT AU STRA L IA N ED U CATO R 97 AUTU M N 2 0 011 8 7

AG E N DA

Making education the priority Full and fair funding of public education in line with the agreed resourcing standard must be our nation’s goal.

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AG E N DA Left: Education in action: students at Paralowie School in South Australia, and Colac Primary and Mahogany Rise Primary in Victoria.

T

he Turnbull government’s plan to abandon ‘needsbased’ funding of schools is building as a key issue in the next federal election.

Following a decade of crucial education funding reform, ‘needsbased’ funding was broadly accepted by all political parties as the minimum level of funding required for our schools. A schools resourcing standard was developed that would direct funding to schools according to their needs (see breakout box).

In May 2017, however, the Turnbull government announced a new education agenda that has cut $1.87 billion from public schools in 2018 and 2019.

Its ongoing funding plan will see 87 per cent of public schools receive less than their full Schooling Resource Standard entitlement by 2023.

By contrast, 65 per cent of private schools will be funded above their entitlement by 2023.

The Turnbull government’s proposed funding plan will undermine public education and set in motion significant and ongoing cuts to public schools funding.

$1.9 billion cut to public education The original Gonski plan, developed by the Gillard government and set down in signed agreements with five state and territory governments, would have seen needs-based funding for schools increase significantly over a six-year period.

The aim was to ensure that all schools received 100 per cent of their Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) entitlement. The SRS is an estimate of the amount of public funding a

school requires to meet the needs of its students.

But this goal has been abandoned by the Turnbull government.

Commonwealth funding has been slashed for the final two years (2018 and 2019) of that six-year period with the government setting arbitrary funding levels that ignore the SRS formula.

Public schools will receive just 20 per cent of their SRS entitlement by 2023 while private schools will receive 80 per cent in the same period.

Even after state and territory education funding is considered, 87 per cent of public schools will be funded below their entitlement by 2023. Sixty-five per cent of private schools will be funded above their entitlement by 2023.

In total, the Turnbull government has cut more than $2.1 billion from schools, according to the Parliamentary Budget Office.

Public schools are worst affected with a cut of almost $1.9 billion.

These cuts will have a devastating impact across the country.

In short The Turnbull government cuts will affect and negatively impact on:

✗ ✗

class sizes

employment of specialist teachers in areas such as literacy and numeracy

✗

training and support of teachers

✗

providing intensive support for students who are in danger of falling behind

✗

teacher collaboration and student planning

✗

employment of more specialist staff such as speech pathologists and student support staff

Even after state and territory education funding is considered, 87 per cent of public schools will be funded below their entitlement by 2023.

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AG E N DA

Under a needs-based system the highest amounts of funding are delivered to the schools where student need is highest.

A public school that has a large number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, for example, would receive more funding than a school of a similar size with fewer students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

With needs-based funding, principals and teachers have the time and the resources to plan and implement teaching and learning strategies that meet the specific needs of students at their school.

In an AEU survey, 90 per cent of principals said that receiving additional needs-based funding made a significant difference to the quality of education delivered at their schools.

90 per cent of principals said that receiving additional needs-based funding made a significant difference to the quality of education delivered at their schools.

The bottom line The AEU calls on the Federal government to commit to:

Fairer funding now The Turnbull government should immediately reverse its $1.9 billion cut to public schools for 2018 and 2019.

All schools properly resourced Agreements should be struck between the Commonwealth and the states and territories to ensure public schools in every state and territory are funded to 100 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) by 2023.

The 20 per cent cap on the Commonwealth share of the SRS should be removed from the Australian Education Amendment Act.

Upgrade classrooms and facilities

More support for students with disability

A capital fund should be established for public schools to help meet rising enrolment growth and ensure all students are educated in classrooms and learning spaces where their needs can be met. That fund, recommended by the Gonski Review, should be $300 million in 2018 and increase each year in line with enrolment growth and rising costs.

The Turnbull government’s cuts to disability funding in five states and territories should be reversed.

The National School Resourcing Board should immediately review the three levels of funding for students with disability to better align them with the actual costs of delivering highquality education.

Properly delivering on needs-based funding in this way will ensure that every child will be given the opportunity to learn.

Through access to high-quality education, every child will be supported to become confident, creative participants in society.

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AG E N DA

As public school teachers, principals and support staff, we are committed to meeting the needs of every child and passionate about seeing them succeed. This is what it takes.

Making education count

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ducation policy must focus on nine key areas to ensure that children’s rights to free and fair access to education are protected.

Quality teaching and learning Teachers, principals and support staff are the most important resources in our public schools. To deliver quality teaching and learning, they must be properly trained and supported.

Quality teaching and learning depends on factors such as: • Attracting and retaining fully qualified teachers, principals, specialist and support staff • Developing and delivering a rich, relevant, student-centred curriculum • Supporting ongoing, relevant professional development for all staff • Supporting teacher involvement and control over student assessment • Facilitating appropriate staffing levels, including specialist staff and support staff, as well as access to technical support • Providing targeted support for students with additional needs, including students in low socioeconomic areas, regional and remote schools, and communities where students’ first language is other than English.

Investing in educational leadership Leaders in education have a key role in engaging, motivating and collaborating with teaching staff, students and the broader community. Strong educational leadership for our schools is critically important.

If we recognise the extent of what educational leaders do and support them to do it, this leads to a

Case study

Tackling disadvantage with individual support NOT EVERY CLASS at Paralowie School is a small one – the school can’t afford that. But in those classes where numbers are lower, the results speak for themselves.

Principal Peter McKay says students thrive on the extra attention from their teachers. In particular, it has meant significant growth in reading and writing. Having extra time to spend one-on-one with each student can make a big difference.

“Where we’re able to keep the class size at about 22, we see better growth than in classes of up to 30 on average.

We’d like to keep every class small but we’re not currently able to,” he says.

Considered one of the most disadvantaged schools in South Australia, Paralowie is in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. Almost 40 per cent of its 1,400 students come from non-English speaking backgrounds.

There are high numbers of students with disabilities or learning difficulties, and many parents are dealing with unemployment or low incomes.

learning plans and extra literacy programs.

The school has also invested heavily in programs for its Reception and junior primary students. “If we can put the right foundations in place in those early years, then that will lead to more success as the students move through the middle years and into the senior years,” McKay says.

Increased funding has also allowed the school to provide more programs and facilities for older students. For example, Year 12 completion rates have improved from 38 per cent to more than 90 per cent in recent years, by providing VET pathways and job programs to ensure every student can leave the school with a purpose.

All the extra resources and support for students have seen reading and writing results improve. What’s more, the benefits spread beyond literacy – students who received extra support were also more engaged and successful in other subjects, Peter says.

Extra schools funding has helped to provide programs that support these students and set them on a path to a better school experience.

Despite the obvious and documented success of the additional programs and smaller class sizes, Paralowie is due to lose $1.2 million in funding under the Turnbull Government’s new plan.

The funds have paid for more education support staff to provide support in classrooms, individual

Above: Almost 40 per cent of students from Paralowie School come from non-English speaking backgrounds.

AU STRA L IA N ED U CATO R 97 AUTUM N 2 01 8 1 1

AG E N DA

Class size and teacher quality – demonstrates that students from smaller classes achieve better results in literacy and numeracy than students from larger classes.

strengthening of professional culture, facilitation of high-quality teaching and learning, and improved student achievement.

Early intervention programs and specialist staff School programs that identify and support students who need extra help are a critical element in a successful education strategy. Unsupported, children experiencing disadvantage can become increasingly disconnected from education, and this can lead to poorer educational outcomes and fewer adult pathways and opportunities.

However, with adequate resources to fund and provide early intervention programs, schools can ensure that all students have access to high-quality education.

Early intervention initiatives can be delivered by teachers combined with specialist staff such as speech pathologists, counsellors, family liaison officers, social workers and interpreters. In general classes, students can be supported by smaller class sizes, and safe and culturally appropriate spaces in which to work.

Early career teacher mentoring and support Teacher graduates have undertaken many practicums and are ready to deliver high-quality teaching in the classroom, but gaining experience takes time. Ongoing professional development that’s fully funded is an essential part of this process and this starts with proper induction and formal mentoring.

Mentoring allows experienced teachers to share their knowledge and skills. Mentors also help new teachers 1 2 AUT U MN 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI AN E D U CATOR 97

WHAT IS THE SCHOOLING RESOURCE STANDARD? The Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) is an estimate of the amount of public funding a school needs to meet the needs of its students.

There are two main elements:

BASE FUNDING

for each primary and secondary student

ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS or ‘LOADINGS’

to help schools whose students have higher needs The loadings deliver extra funding for schools based on the number of Indigenous students, the number of students who have a disability or are from a non-English speaking background and the number who live in low socioeconomic areas. There are also loadings for small schools and schools in regional and remote areas.

The base amount is currently set at $10,953 for each primary student and $13,764 for each secondary student.

Right now:

almost all public schools across the country

are funded BELOW the standard and

about 30% of private schools

are funded ABOVE it

develop their curriculum and deepen their pedagogical understanding of the work.

Smaller class sizes Smaller class sizes offer benefits both in and beyond the classroom. Students thrive when their teachers have the capacity to meet their individual learning needs. Smaller class sizes enable teachers to provide individual attention for every child, particularly those who need more help.

Giving young children this attention has a hugely positive effect on learning outcomes. The most well-known study on class room size in primary schools – Reward or punishment? Class size and teacher quality – demonstrates that students from smaller classes achieve better results in literacy and numeracy than students from larger classes.

These benefits were particularly pronounced for students in lower socioeconomic groups.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students Providing proper funding and resources is critical to closing achievement gaps for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. We need to ensure that equal access and targeted programs are provided to underpin early invention. Then schools can implement strategies to improve attendance and student engagement in learning programs Additional staff, including teachers, support staff and specialists are needed. There is also a compelling need to ensure that the community and parents are involved and that there’s respect for culture. To close achievement gaps, governments must close resource gaps.

AG E N DA Below: Under the Turnbull government’s new plan, Victoria's Mahogany Rise Primary School will miss out on $400,000 in funding.

Students with disabilities Schools are required to ensure that students with disability can access and participate in education on the same basis as other students.

But schools can struggle to find the resources required. Meanwhile there’s a decline in government funding allocated to provide support for students with disabilities as the number of eligible students increases.

The Turnbull Government’s cuts to disability funding in five states and territories must be reversed. In addition, the disability loading must be reviewed to determine the real costs of ensuring all students with disability can access a high-quality education.

Rural, regional and remote Smaller school sizes and geographical isolation can make resourcing more difficult, whether it’s to recruit classroom teachers or access specialist staff for literacy and numeracy support, or to gain technical support and up to date technology. And not meeting these challenges affect students’ results.

Teachers in country schools have spoken of the huge improvements to students’ literacy and numeracy as a result of extra funding for specialist staff delivering targeted programs.

Investing in the attraction and retention of staff has also produced strong benefits for schools because it allows them to offer a broad and inclusive curriculum for their students.

All schools need strong educational leadership, and this is particularly important for rural, regional and remote schools as leaders develop the critical connections between the local community and the school The proof is there: full funding of our schools is transformative. l

Case study

Funds support programs to lift literacy IT MAY BE a small school, but Mahogany Rise Primary in the Melbourne suburb of Frankston North is drawing on the latest literacy research for an innovative program that’s delivering big results.

The school has been using speech pathologists to help train teachers to improve students’ oral language skills. And that, in turn, has brought significant improvements in literacy, numeracy and other areas.

Oral language is a key to helping students both read and write, says principal John Culley.

“If students don’t understand what’s being communicated, we have to teach them to be able to decode what’s being said so they can understand. And, if they can’t express their own views, they lose out big time. Therefore, we’re trying to shore them up in that way as well,” he says.

The program has been in place for about seven years, providing plenty of data to prove its value.

“We can see the students’ growth over time because we’ve been testing them from Prep all the way through to Year 6. The data has been very positive, and it encourages us that we’re on the right track. We know the students’ expressive and receptive language skills have improved significantly and that is then linked into their reading and writing and approach to numeracy,” says Culley.

“Interestingly, as soon as we take our foot away from the pedal, the results drop. So, we know it must be continued all the way through primary school.

We’re now trying to expand it into our secondary college, which is quite close by,” says Culley.

The program has also helped teachers to understand their students better and it’s had a big effect on the way they teach, he says.

Extra Gonski funding has helped to support the program. The funding has also provided other support that’s designed to remove barriers to learning. The school co-ordinates a range of services including a youth worker, a family engagement worker, an occupational therapist, two psychologists, a paediatrician and a lawyer to support families with complex needs.

The focus on student well-being and engagement is building greater engagement of students and the parent with the school and creating a strong community.

Under the Turnbull government’s new funding plan, Mahogany Rise Primary School will miss out on $400,000 of funding it expected to receive over the next two years.

AU STRA L IA N ED U CATO R 97 AUTUM N 2 01 8 1 3

S C H O O L S S U RV E Y

Schools are battling major funding gaps and resource issues, according to the latest AEU survey of thousands of principals and teachers.

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they have insufficient resources of principals report of principals to meet the needssayof students they’ve had to useproblems funds is their school with behavioural of teachers reported from other areas to support under-resourced having to use their own money students with disabilities to buy supplies and equipment for their classroom

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they’veof h p from other they have insu S C H O O L S S U RV E students Y to meet the n with behavi

92% 94% 75% 15% 78% 75% 16% 47%

3 me

39% of teachers say they are mentors for early career teachers

9

but only

of teachers report of teachers reported they don’t have enough of teachers who are

having to use ownofmoney timetheir outside classes about leaving the to buy thinking supplies and equipment for lesson planning profession say it’s because theirpaid classroom arefor given release time ofto anprovide unmanageable workload this support

are gi of t p having toto use to buy suppl for the

of principals say

they have insufficient resources to meet the needs of students of teachers who are with behavioural problems thinking abouthave leaving the of primary schools classes profession say30 it’sstudents because with more than anschools unmanageable workload of of high have classes with more than 30 students

78% 94%

of hig with think profe of an u

of principals say

of teachers reported they have insufficient resources having their money to meetto theuse needs ofown students towith buy behavioural supplies and equipment problems for their classroom

75% 94%

Source: AEU State of Our Schools Survey 2017 of teachers who are

thinking about leaving the profession say it’s because of teachers reported of an unmanageable workload having to use their own money to buy supplies and equipment for their classroom

75% of teachers who are

thinking about leaving the profession say it’s because of an unmanageable workload

15

AG E N DA

Public education deserves recognition and full funding not simplistic accountability measures and quick-fix solutions.

Goals not scores must be heart of educational reform

R

eforms to Australia’s education system need to be guided by an ambitious and rich set of education goals that recognise the central role of public education in nation building. In its submission to the Commonwealth Government’s Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools, the AEU says reforms must go beyond simply improving standardised test scores.

To support its submission, the AEU completed a study in September and October 2017 exploring the experiences and perspectives of 4,069 teachers and principals.

The AEU believes significant input from the educators involved in daily student learning is vital to formulation of effective educational policies and a high quality public education system.

It’s a view that is reiterated by the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

The AEU submission identifies a range of core issues central to improving the capacity and social outcomes of Australia’s education system, including:

> Quality teaching The system must focus on providing fully qualified teachers with systemic support, continuous professional development and control over their own profession. It also requires student-centred teaching and sustainable workloads. > Quality learning Achieving this requires an engaging and inclusive curriculum; targeted support for additional needs students; professional control over student assessment; student centred learning; teaching- and learning-based 1 6 AUT U MN 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI AN E DUCATOR 9 7

> Initial teacher education Teacher training should be transitioned to a two-year post-graduate qualification such as an undergraduate degree combined with a two-year teaching masters. Total enrolments in teaching courses should be capped, with minimum entry standards and a strengthened practicum component. > Effective systemic direction

and support Strong system-wide support is required by schools, school leaders, teachers and educational support staff. Education employers should be responsible for the provision of high-quality professional learning and state and territory registration bodies. They should also provide a substantial and qualified non-school based teaching force to support schools through a head office and associated regional structure. leadership; needs-based funding; and fully resourced schools.

> Safe and inclusive schools A system-wide approach is required to ensure inclusive schools.

Comprehensive strategies and staffing are needed for improved student and teacher wellbeing, together with the development of structured connections with community agencies and programs. > Workforce planning The educational workforce must be diverse and reflective of the community. This requires systemic workforce planning, secure employment, appropriate attraction and retention strategies, and minimum employee qualification standards.

Equity and resourcing The AEU’s submission emphasises that these facets of a quality education system are intimately linked to the basic principles of system equity and resourcing. It noted that policies designed to achieve educational excellence will not succeed unless backed by appropriate resources, with international studies showing school system quality improves with the equity within that system.

Needs-based funding is vital, as is an inclusive curriculum catering to the needs of all students. The submission highlighted, however, the current unequal access for many Indigenous, regional and rural students to a highquality curriculum. It also calls for a rethink on the significant funding cuts facing students with a disability.

AG E N DA

Alleviating excessive workloads for principals and teachers is also a key reform required to improve student outcomes, as is improved access to professional development. This would allow principals to focus on educational leadership and would improve teachers’ efficacy. The submission also makes the case for smaller class sizes to allow differentiated teaching, tiered interventions and greater student support.

System-wide reforms Improvements in Australia’s school system require changes at a system level, rather than by isolating individual schools and teachers, the AEU noted. The submission highlights the importance of integrated strategies – rather than fragmented approaches – in achieving effective educational reform.

The AEU says support for school autonomy is underpinned by a belief that competition improves overall quality. In Australia, the introduction of competition-based elements such as the My School website and publication of NAPLAN results has in fact coincided

The AEU believes significant input from the educators involved in daily student learning is vital to formulation of effective educational policies and a high quality public education system.

with a decline in international performance and equity levels.

Encouragement of competition between teachers via performancebased pay schemes is also detrimental to collaboration within and between schools and has a range of negative effects, the submission notes.

Simplistic accountability frameworks pitting schools against each other create divisions between schools and maintain social inequalities, the AEU says. The submission contrasts the Australian model and its emphasis on NAPLAN results with the successful Finnish education system, which does not use high-stakes testing until the end of students’ secondary education.

A desire for ‘silver-bullet’ solutions to educational issues de-skills and de-professionalises teachers and stifles their ability to use the full complement of their professional skills, according to the AEU. It is also increasing the scope for a bigger private sector role in education through provision of standardised testing infrastructure and off-the-shelf pedagogies. l

Great schools build pathways for Indigenous community engagement

Register Now – Communities First Workshop Principals Australia Institute (PAI) is committed to help improve the educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Our Communities First Workshop has been designed to build whole-school capacity in engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to improve student outcomes. Designed for school leaders, teachers, staff and other members of the whole-school community, this half-day workshop will help you plan for developing partnerships effectively in your local school setting.

Presented by an experienced school leader, it will help achieve positive engagement for principals and their schools. To find out more, visit our website pai.edu.au or contact us on 08 8394 2100.

PAI Communities First Ad 215 x 147 mm.indd 1

AU ST R A L I A N E D U C ATO R 97 AUTUM N 2 01 8 17 9/01/2018 3:07:46 PM

E A R LY C H I L D H O O D

A new report on the quality of early childhood education adds weight to the case for more and longer-term funding.

By K AT E O ’ H A L LO R A N

Quality and inequality

M

any early childhood education services are falling short of expected standards, and disadvantaged children, such as those from lower socioeconomic families, are less likely to have access to high-quality services, according to a new report by the Mitchell Institute.

The institute, at Victoria University in Melbourne, analysed each of the standards in the National Quality Framework, which was established in 2012 to improve education and care in long day care, preschool/kindergarten and outside school hours care services.

In the resulting report, Quality is Key in Early Childhood Education in Australia, the institute says quality area one ‘educational program and practice’, the area most strongly associated with effective education, is also the area with “the highest proportion of services not meeting the minimum benchmark”.

Furthermore, on average, it is the services in the most disadvantaged areas that are least likely to exceed expected standards.

This highlights a fundamental flaw in the early childhood education system and policy, says report co-author Dr Dan Cloney, a research fellow at the Australian Council for Educational Research.

“If you live in a less affluent neighbourhood, or come from a less affluent background, then you are more likely to get access to lower-quality services,” says Cloney.

“If you buy into the quality agenda being about reducing inequality and gaps, then the current system isn’t necessarily set up to achieve that.”

The flaws with existing policy are numerous, but one key problem is that

1 8 AUT U MN 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI AN E DUCATOR 9 7

the Turnbull government ­– as with the Abbott government before it – has failed to fund the Universal Access to Early Childhood Education program for the long term. Instead, it has provided just 12 months of funding at a time.

AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe says continual uncertainty over funding means that centres are unable to plan for the long term and see through quality improvement.

“A year-by-year allocation creates a lot of uncertainty for people, for both parents and staff working in early childhood education centres,” says Haythorpe. “It decreases their capacity to undertake long-term planning and make long-term decisions.

“It’s incredibly disrespectful of the government to treat the early childhood education sector this way.

Early childhood education provides the

foundation for everything for our kids, and yet every year we have to campaign for this funding.”

Targeted help The report’s findings demonstrate that staff working in disadvantaged communities need help to achieve quality expectations, says Haythorpe.

“We know that it’s much more difficult for education staff working in disadvantaged communities to access high-quality professional development.

“One of the issues raised by AEU members about the quality standards was the need for ongoing professional development so people can understand what is required and implement it in their teaching and working.”

Cloney agrees, arguing that the disproportionate difficulties faced by centres and staff in disadvantaged areas

E A R LY C H I L D H O O D

If you live in a less affluent neighbourhood, or come from a less affluent background, then you are more likely to get access to lower-quality services.

Dr Dan Cloney Australian Council for Educational Research

means that, in addition to permanent funding, government policy should provide targeted help to disadvantaged communities.

“If quality of early education programs was a random phenomenon then, with funding, you’d expect the biggest impact on kids with the most vulnerable backgrounds because they have the most to gain,” he says. “But in Australia right now, quality isn’t a random phenomenon. It’s strongly related to community resources and family socioeconomic status.”

With early childhood education, as opposed to secondary school, families go to centres in their neighbourhood and don’t travel long distances, says Cloney.

“Intuitively we know where the centres are that need the most support.” These centres should therefore be supported to “attract and retain the best educators, as well as additional resources”.

“I think we all accept that producing higher-quality learning environments costs more than providing lower-quality environments.

“Unless there’s a policy to more heavily subsidise, or provide more support, to children from vulnerable backgrounds, we are pricing out the most vulnerable children.”

As a pertinent example, Cloney says Indigenous communities are increasingly drawing attention to the barrier of a fee-for-service model where preschool and pre-primary programs are charging fees to families on top of what is available through government funding for the Universal Access program.

“There’s a trend towards these community kindergartens saying, ‘We understand it’s important that children get more than 15 hours' education a week’, so they operate 20 or 30 hours.

But because there’s a shortfall, they charge a fee.

“For a family from a very vulnerable background, that’s the difference between going and not going.”

Lagging behind Contributing to this issue is the fact that Australia lags well behind other OECD countries in its investment in two years of pre-primary education (for example, a year of education for three-year-olds, and a year for four-year-olds).

Australia spends just 0.2 per cent of GDP on pre-primary educational institutions, says Cloney, and early childhood education is “disproportionately privately funded compared to most OECD countries”.

It is likely that many children from disadvantaged families are priced out of access to a second year of pre-primary education – despite research clearly showing the benefits of two years of education as opposed to one.

Cloney says that, at a minimum, he would like to see early childhood education attract the same funding as primary education.

“There is a very good reason why we could and should spend much more money on early learning, to create a system that is high-impact and reduces inequality.”

Haythorpe adds that research clearly outlines the benefits of early access to quality education for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“It’s incredibly important that the most vulnerable children are in early childhood education settings. If we don’t intervene early with those children, it creates significant difficulties when they get to school.” l Kate O’Halloran is a freelance writer.

AU ST R A L I A N E D U C ATO R 97 AUTUM N 2 01 8 19

INDIGENOUS

Teachers in all subjects are expected to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures into all learning areas. It’s a cross-curriculum priority in the Australian Curriculum, and it’s a key principle and practice in the Early Years Learning Framework. Professor Larissa Behrendt, a Eualeyai and Kamillaroi woman, gives an overview of the basics.

Closing the gap in our knowledge

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Vibrant cultures and languages More than 500 different Aboriginal nations existed at the time the British colonised Australia, and experts estimate that about 250 broad language groups (some incorporating more than one nation) were in use at the time the Sydney Cove colony was established. There remains great diversity in cultures and languages, explained to a large extent by the vastly 20 AU T UM N 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI AN E D U CATOR 97

Children playing at Galiwin ku, the main township on Elcho Island in the Northern Territory.

different environments and climates across Australia.

There is no such thing as a single Aboriginal culture or language.

Australians speak more than 400 languages and, of these, 145 are Indigenous languages. At least 110 of these 145 are listed as critically endangered. This alarming figure has led to the creation of language centres around the country to document, save and promote language in communities.

One of the 10 myths that I debunk in my book is that Indigenous people in urban areas have lost their culture.

In fact, even in heavily populated cities, Indigenous people retain strong memories and oral histories of their stories, history and culture. In Sydney, for example, rock paintings are plentiful around the harbour and the local community remembers where the important sites for birthing, burial and other traditions are. In addition,

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GLENN CAMPBELL (FAIRFAX SYNDICATION)

ost of us never learnt anything at school about the history, traditions, struggles and triumphs of the diverse peoples that make up our country’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

I wrote Indigenous Australia for Dummies because I came across many teachers who expressed a genuine desire to know more about First Australians, but who felt self-conscious about their own lack of education.

I often witnessed that their fear of teaching “the wrong thing” translated into a reality of saying and teaching… well, nothing at all.

Reconciliation is possible, and it can be achieved through inspiring genuine understanding and respect.

Every single educator, whether you’re working with young children or Year 12s, can make a difference on this front.

It falls to all of us to educate ourselves proactively. To dive in and be inspired, informed and enriched, so that we can break the cycle and convey something more to the next generation than we received in our own schooling – that’s how we change history.

Here is an excerpt from Indigenous Australia for Dummies to get you started.

INDIGENOUS

Most people generally find the term ‘native’ offensive. And although Aboriginal and Torres Strait people may call each other blackfellas, it’s generally not a term used by whitefellas.

of Australia. Although ‘correct English’ would have you believe otherwise, when describing an individual, saying ‘She is an Aboriginal’ instead of ‘She is an Aborigine’ is more acceptable.

The term Indigenous is commonly used to encompass both Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders.

However, some people prefer to be referred to by their tribe or nation name, or by an Aboriginal word, given that there’s no such thing as a single, homogenous ‘Indigenous’ identity.

Some might refer to themselves using words from specific Aboriginal languages. These aren’t always tribe names but words that translate to terms like we people, such as Koorie, used in Victoria. If in doubt about how to refer to your local community or how to introduce a guest speaker in your classroom, it’s best to ask them how they would like to be introduced.

Note: Most people generally find the term ‘native’ offensive. And although Aboriginal and Torres Strait people may call each other blackfellas, it’s generally not a term used by whitefellas.

Whose land am I on?

they still have the same values that are a strong part of Indigenous cultures – respect for country, respect for the wisdom of Elders and a belief in the concepts of reciprocity and interconnectedness.

What’s in a name?

Torres Strait Islanders come from the Torres Strait to the north of Cape York, and the term Aboriginal applies to Indigenous people from all other parts

Professor Larissa Behrendt author of Indigenous Australia for Dummies

Often, a traditional owner of the area isn’t present at an event to deliver the welcome to country. This means that a welcome to country can’t be given because only the traditional owner can give that. Instead, an acknowledgement of country is given. This is a way of showing respect for the traditional owners and their relationship to the land.

One way to find out the traditional owners of a particular place is to check the Aboriginal Australia map published by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). To purchase a copy, visit aiatsis.gov.au.

AU ST R A L I A N E D U C ATO R 97 AUTUMN 2 01 8 21

INDIGENOUS

Ignoring prior ownership: no treaties Why were no treaties made between the British and the Aboriginal people?

The British engaged in treaties with Indigenous people in other parts of the world – the United States, Canada and New Zealand – but no attempt was made to come to any formal agreement with Aboriginal people when their lands were being colonised, with the exception of John Batman at Port Phillip Bay. Given that much evidence exists that colonists conceded that Aboriginal people had an attachment to their land and should rightly retain some interest in it, the question is baffling. One plausible explanation as to why no treaties were struck in Australia is that they weren’t needed to secure territory. Consent was never part of the culture of dealing with Aboriginal people in the colony.

Reconciliation is possible, and it can be achieved through inspiring genuine understanding and respect. Every single educator, whether you’re working with young children or Year 12s, can make a difference on this front.

The Freedom Ride In February 1965, a group of University of Sydney students – who had formed a body called Student Action for Aborigines (SAFA) – organised a bus tour of western and coastal towns in New South Wales. Their goals on the trip were to: • Draw public attention to the poor state of Aboriginal health, housing and education • Point out and hopefully lessen the social divisions in the towns and highlight the discrimination against Aboriginal people • Encourage and support Aboriginal people themselves to protest and fight against discrimination.

In 2011, 30 high school students retraced the original route of the Freedom Ride to celebrate its importance and impact.

22 AUT U MN 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI AN E D U CATOR 97

The referendum On 2 March 1967, Prime Minister Harold Holt introduced legislation for a referendum to be held on 27 May covering two main issues: ‘Should Indigenous people be counted in the Australian census?' and, ‘Should the Commonwealth government be given the power to make laws for Indigenous people?’

The actual referendum question asked was: Do you approve the proposed law for the alteration of the Constitution entitled ‘An Act to alter the Constitution so as to omit certain words relating to the people of the Aboriginal race in any State so that Aboriginals are to be counted in reckoning the population’?

Both the government and the opposition parties supported the referendum question. In fact, neither party even put a case for a no vote. Of the total population eligible to vote in the referendum, 90.77 per cent voted for the proposed changes.

The right to vote A common misconception is that the referendum gave Indigenous people the right to vote. This isn’t true. The right of Indigenous people to vote in federal elections had been secured by changes to the Commonwealth Electoral Act in 1962.

Land rights and Mabo

Professor Larissa Behrendt author of Indigenous Australia for Dummies

In 1982, Torres Strait Islanders led by Eddie ‘Koiki’ Mabo from the Murray Islands began proceedings in the High Court for a declaration stating that their traditional rights to land, seabeds and reefs hadn’t been extinguished. A decade later, the High Court found, by a majority, that the Torres Strait Islanders who had

INDIGENOUS Children at Tingalpa State School.

brought the case did, in fact, hold native title to their islands.

The Mabo case found that Australia wasn’t unoccupied on settlement and that the Indigenous inhabitants had, and continue to have, legal rights to their traditional lands unless they have been validly extinguished by the government. The case concluded that native title existed where Indigenous people could show a continual attachment to their land and that no action had been taken by governments that extinguished their rights.

Importantly, the case also overturned the doctrine of terra nullius.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRAD COOPER (NEWSPIX)

The Stolen Generation On 11 May 1995, federal AttorneyGeneral Michael Lavarch issued the terms of reference to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission to undertake what would become the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families.

The inquiry held hearings around Australia between December 1995 and October 1996, and received 777 submissions, of which 69 per cent were from Indigenous people. The report estimated that between 10 per

cent and 33 per cent of Indigenous children were removed from their families between 1910 and 1970.

Children suffered many abuses in the institutions and workplaces they were sent to and sometimes in the families they were adopted into.

Although many Australians knew of the practice of removing Indigenous children from their families, they were often unaware of just how widespread the practice was or of how much Indigenous children who were removed suffered, until the release of the Bringing Them Home report.

The day on which the report was tabled in federal parliament, May 26, has been commemorated as National Sorry Day since 1998.

Constitutional recognition In 2011, the Abbott government announced a process to work towards possible recognition of Aboriginal people in the constitution.

An organisation, Recognise, was established to raise awareness of the issue in the Australian community and the Referendum Council was established in 2015 to ensure that an Indigenous voice was included in the consultations. On May 26,

2017, a statement was delivered by 250 Indigenous delegates gathered at the 2017 First Nations National Constitutional Convention. Its vision was to reject symbolic recognition in the Constitution but instead to have a ‘national voice’ enshrined in the Constitution. It also proposed the establishment of a Makarrata Commission to explore the possibility of a treaty between Indigenous people and other Australians. The statement was followed by the final report of the Referendum Council on June 30, with the key recommendation related to the national voice. It noted that the proposed body should take its structure from legislation. Debate continues about what such a national voice might look like and what its powers might be.

Education as a step up the ladder Indigenous people with higher levels of schooling are more likely to be in full-time employment than those with lower levels of attainment. Indigenous people who have completed Year 12 are more likely to have very good health, and lower levels of psychological stress.

Completing Year 12 means a person is less likely to smoke and consume large amounts of alcohol. They’re also less likely to have a range of diseases than Indigenous people who leave school before Year 10. Education is key to better opportunities for Australia’s Indigenous peoples. l Author, broadcaster and academic Larissa Behrendt is Professor of Indigenous Research and Director of Research at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at the University of Technology, Sydney. Indigenous Australia for Dummies can be ordered at au.wiley.com.

This is an edited extract of a story first published in AEUnews, the AEU Victorian branch magazine.

AU ST R A L I A N E D U C ATO R 97 AUTUM N 2 01 8 23

N E W STA RT S

Fresh starts are exciting, challenging and a time for learning.

Australian Educator is following three teachers in 2018 — two beginners and a new principal — who will share their experiences during the school year.

BY N I C B A R N A R D A N D M A R G A R E T PATO N

Starting their journeys The former self-described ‘Coles checkout chick’ changed careers and is now blazing a trail in her leadership position.

Next level leadership Jennie-Marie Gorman

24 AUT U MN 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI A N E D U CATOR 97

Sheidow Park is known for its nature education – it has several trails on-site – and its close community links. The local cricket team plays there, and the state government has given the school a grant to build a nature play and training trail for school and community use.

Gorman was previously assistant principal at Darlington Primary, 10 minutes away, where she ran the intensive English language program for new arrivals and was sometimes acting deputy principal.

She admits to feeling “equally sick and excited at the same time” on

My brain was going a million miles an hour. What do I need to do? What do I need to learn?

Jennie-Marie Gorman Principal

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER FISHER

EVERY NEW PRINCIPAL needs to be able to deal with awkward conversations with parents, which shouldn’t be a problem for Jennie-Marie Gorman.

“I used to work at Coles as a checkout chick,” she says. “I was still at Coles as a supervisor when I was relief teaching, and children from my class and their parents would come in and ask, ‘What are you doing here?’”

Fast-forward 17 years and Gorman is taking over as principal this term at Sheidow Park School, in southern Adelaide. The primary school has almost doubled in size in recent years, partly due to the addition of a Steiner stream.

PA RT 1 — N E W E D U C ATO R S

getting the principal’s position.

“My brain was going a million miles an hour. What do I need to do? What do I need to learn?”

She credits her former principal, Kathryn Entwistle (now at the state education department), with strongly encouraging her to apply.

“She’d been at Darlington for four years and she did a lot of mentoring, coaching and supporting, and gave me skills that made me think I could go to the next level. She was also a very good role model.”

Gorman had wanted to teach since she left school, but it was only after the birth of her two daughters that she went to university. After years as a relief teacher and on contract, she landed a permanent job in 2008.

“You see how things are done and how you’d like to do them differently,” she says of her move into leadership.

“You take the best bits of all the people you work with and put them together into how you want to do the job.”

Her other inspiration has come from the AEU. An early graduate of the Women In Leadership Development program, she chose then-state president Correna Haythorpe as her mentor. Sitting on the AEU’s South Australian executive helped Gorman “see the big picture”.

“Part of my AEU involvement has been learning about things I never knew about,” she says. “I have a better understanding of preschool education, high school and TAFE.” That wider perspective has taught her “not to get hung up on the small stuff” and translates to her leadership style: “I trust the people around me and expect them to do their jobs competently. I don’t micromanage.”

She says her immediate challenges at Sheidow Park, beyond getting to know the staff and school community, are ensuring consistency in pedagogy and managing growth. Sixteen Year 7s left in December and 70 new students were expected this year.

“This school has a great vibe. A really positive, friendly atmosphere,” she says. “As you grow, you can lose the intimacy. While getting bigger, we need to keep the things the teachers and parents like about the school.”

NEW PRINCIPAL

i

Jennie-Marie Gorman Sheidow Park School, Adelaide, SA Previously assistant principal at Darlington Primary

Jennie-Marie Gorman is the principal of Sheidow Park School in South Australia, which is known for its nature education.

AU ST R A L I A N E D U C ATO R 97 AU T U M N 201 8 2 5

N E W E D U C ATO R S

From uni to remote teaching Jesse Weston

AFTER EIGHT YEARS as a youth worker in foster care, Jesse Weston, 27, has stepped into the world of primary teaching in remote Western Australia.

When Australian Educator spoke to him, he was collecting resources in readiness for teaching the year 4 class at Baynton West Primary in Karratha, a long 16-hour drive from his Perth home. And, he’d never set foot in the town until two weeks before starting the job. Nor had he done any practicums in rural or regional Australia – it wasn’t a requirement of his Bachelor of Primary Education degree he had completed on campus at Murdoch University.

“On the final day of term three this year, it just happened to be my birthday and I decided to have all my portfolio documents done, my prac 26 AU T UM N 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI AN E D U CATOR 97

My biggest hopes are to expand my skillset as a teacher and also make some lifelong friends.

Jesse Weston Baynton West Primary

was done and dusted and effectively so was my degree. I woke up on the Monday and thought, ‘what now?’,” says Weston.

“I started applying for just about every job I looked at, sent my resume to about 40 different schools and from that I had some rejections, call-ups for interviews and was put in a pool where they weren’t quite sure they’d need me.

The first interview was with Baynton West Primary School by phone and I got the job.”

Weston has secured a temporary contract for the 2018 school year. The school has 800 students, about 130 of whom identify as Indigenous. As a remote teacher, Weston receives subsidised housing, relocation costs, a whitegoods package, a rural-remote teaching cash bonus and, “because I’ll be above the 26th parallel, I get an air-conditioning subsidy”. The education department will also fund a flight home each year.

“It really seemed to be the right fit. The biggest selling point is the ???????????? programs they’d incorporated and how well they look after their new teachers. The school is only four years old and is expanding rapidly. They’ve had many graduate teachers and the principal is widely known for upskilling the graduates then letting them go to where they’re suited elsewhere. For me there’s no smarter way,” he says.

Weston has been reading up on the curriculum to guide him on the resources he’ll need.

“The plan is to just set up some classroom rules and strategies. The big issue is to build relationships with students to understand them better,” he adds.

What might help is his part-time work in Perth for the last year as an

PHOTOGRAPHY MEAGAN LONERGAN

Jesse Weston has switched from youth work in Perth to teaching in remote Karratha in WA.

PA RT 1 — N E W E D U C ATO R S

MC for a comedy show. His youth work saw him attend camps and become a house parent for children aged 7 to 14 in out-of-home care.

“They were children recognised as having high needs, either disabilities or in behaviours. One day, I realised I was working with them two days a week trying to make a difference to their lives, but they were having different workers each week.

Their biggest consistency was with their teacher.

“I decided I wanted to be the biggest support – a teacher. Being a primary school teacher gives me a bit more influence as you have them for 40 weeks. It’s high intensity. You can make a difference in that time.”

Weston hopes to achieve worklife balance by finding hobbies and travelling to places such as Exmouth

Jesse Weston is hoping to maintain a work-life balance by exploring parts of remote WA, including the Pilbara.

NEW TEACHER Jesse Weston Baynton West Primary, Karratha, WA Previously a youth worker in foster care

i

and the greater Pilbara region.

“I’m excited to begin a more active lifestyle, I’ve heard there’s a mountain bike club and the town has a big culture of swimming, fishing, snorkelling and spear fishing so I’m looking forward to doing those.

“My biggest hopes are to expand my skillset as a teacher and also make some lifelong friends. I really want to ingrain myself in the community and culture.”

AU ST R A L I A N E D U C ATO R 97 AU T U M N 201 8 27

N E W STA RT S

New teacher Kate Smith has taken on the challenge to lead Victoria’s Epping Secondary College’s stage production.

caption

“In drama, we’re learning to work with each other artistically with empathy and consideration. I start each class with a fresh slate so students can build and explore through performance work in a safe and nurturing environment.”

She admits she didn’t think teaching would be “so complicated”.

“The hardest thing is wondering if you’re doing the right thing for every child – their welfare and behaviour needs. You’re making moment-tomoment decisions and you want what’s best for them, for the group and for yourself. I think, am I being too lenient, too strict? Should I be doing more?”

But she’s finding strength in her peers. “My desk is in a room with year coordinators, so I have these very seasoned, experienced teachers who have become confidantes, friends and accidental mentors.”

Natural fit

Kate Smith

KATE SMITH describes her first year of teaching as “grace by fire”.

After 18 months of study to graduate for a Master of Teaching at the University of Melbourne in mid-2017, Smith, 37, did some casual primary and high school teaching.

She then secured a fill-in maternity leave contract at Epping Secondary College in Melbourne from term three to teach drama and English to years 8, 9 and 10.

“The university course had some great ideas and concepts of education, but it’s being in the classroom 28 AU T UM N 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI AN E D U CATOR 97

and gaining experience that’s the groundwork,” she says.

“The bells sounding and hundreds of kids moving through a campus, creating differentiated teaching [paths for different students]... all that can be chaotic. You have to constantly prioritise and reprioritise throughout the day.”

She says she has found teaching intense and amazingly challenging.

“It’s much more emotional than what I anticipated. Especially in the drama room with year 8 kids. All this social stuff from their groups and classes pops up, and their hormones are off the chart.

NEW TEACHER

i

Kate Smith Epping Secondary College, Melbourne, VIC Previously a performance artist, talent scout, TV casting agent, singer-songwriter

PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPLIED

Empowering performance

Smith arrives at school before 8am and leaves around 5pm. She usually works during recess and lunch, and tries not to take work home – an ambitious aim, given that she’s

PA RT 1 — N E W E D U C ATO R S

In drama, we’re learning to work with each other artistically with empathy and consideration. I start each class with a fresh slate…

Kate Smith Epping Secondary College

in charge of the school’s biannual stage production.

“I’m writing and collaborating with other art staff to build a performance that works with the strengths of the students’ ethnic and cultural diversity,” she says. “My aim is to get as many students as possible on stage to experience what it’s like to perform.

We have a big band and a massive chorale ensemble.”

She’s a natural fit for the role, having worked in Melbourne, Sydney and the

United Kingdom as a performance artist, talent scout, TV casting agent and singer-songwriter in a band.

For her Bachelor of Arts, she delved into women’s studies and sociology.

She also has a postgraduate degree in performing arts.

After a stint in corporate entertainment, she got back into agency work for mainstream theatre.

She loved working with the young people she was getting to the point of audition, but it required being stuck in

an office. “I was desperate to get into teaching where I could help students facilitate their ‘voice’, adding to the rich fabric of storytelling and theatre making in Melbourne and beyond,” says Smith.

In five years’ time, she hopes to have worked in a range of schools, paralleling the multifaceted career she had before teaching. l Nic Barnard and Margaret Paton are both freelance writers.

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AU ST R A L I A N E D U C ATO R 97 AU T U M N 201 8 29 10/01/2018 3:44:20 PM

WO R L D V I E W

As Fred van Leeuwen ends his founding role at the helm of Education International, his summary of past achievements provides inspiration for the struggles to come.

BY NIC BARNARD

Making a world of difference

A

fter 25 years as general secretary of Education International, Fred van Leeuwen is arguably the most qualified person to speak about the status of teachers around the world.

As he steps down this month from the role he has held since EI’s formation in 1993, he says: “Nobody today with any sense could dare to advocate that teaching is not a profession, [or] that teachers don’t need to be highly educated, or that they are not key to the delivery of quality education.

“Twenty-five years ago, these things were actually being whispered in international circles. I believe EI has changed that narrative. We’ve brought teachers back to the centre of the education debate.”

Van Leeuwen, who has been leading international teacher bodies for almost 40 years, can claim a fair share of the credit.

EI has 400 member organisations in 177 nations and territories, making it the global voice of 32.5 million education professionals.

A crucial point in its history came in 2014 when the United Nations launched its second wave of development targets, the Sustainable Development Goals. There were serious discussions that education might not merit its own goal, but EI launched its biggest global campaign, Unite for Quality Education.

“The education goal, sustainable goal number four, exists because of the pressure we were able to mount.

We mobilised our membership,” says van Leeuwen.

“What was very gratifying was that we also got the UN to accept the view that primary and secondary education 3 0 AUT U MN 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI AN E DUCATOR 9 7

Victories remembered

Education International general secretary Fred van Leeuwen.

should be free. This was an important principle for the UN to adopt, when we have market forces establishing low-fee, for-profit schools.”

It was also important that the campaign brought national unions into international campaigns and began to give individual educators a voice in global debate. EI reached a new phase in its internationalism.

There is, of course, still much to do.

“We need to strengthen the profession, particularly at a time when the market is trying to deprofessionalise us and introduce scripted teaching,” says van Leeuwen.

But he remains optimistic: “There’s an awareness developing among the public that standardised testing isn’t improving the quality of education.

On the contrary, it’s decreasing the quality… This is another example where we’re winning the debate.”

Looking back, van Leeuwen’s memories are a characteristic mix of the organisational and the personal. His first thoughts jump to the 2011 formation of the International Summit on the Teaching Profession, an annual meeting of education ministers and unions from the Program for International Student Assessment’s 25 highest-performing education systems.

“It sounds terribly bureaucratic, but that was absolutely a victory,” he says, while lamenting that Australian ministers have never attended.

Beyond that, his thoughts go to the teachers EI has helped release from prison, and even saved from the death penalty; the schools it built in tsunamiravaged Indonesia and Sri Lanka; and the survivors’ relatives supported after the Beslan massacre in 2004.

“For many member organisations in the global south, we are the only lifeline to the international community. The only channel they have.”

From northern Africa in the Arab Spring to Cambodia and Indonesia, teacher unions have played a role in fighting for human rights, democracy and free education – in “keeping their governments honest”, he says. It was EI that brought Israeli and Palestinian teacher unions together for the first time.

Now, after 25 years of constant travel, it’s time for van Leeuwen to stop.

“I’m 67 and I thought, ‘Enough is enough. I don’t want this organisation to be led by a senior citizen.’ Young blood is required.”

With his vast network of contacts, he remains available for advice and support, and he’s planning to write a history of EI. “While I can still remember it.” l Nic Barnard is a freelance writer.

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TO O L K I T

Student podcasts help to support learning and build confidence in technical and communication skills.

BY C Y N T H I A K A R E N A

Digital storytelling

A

t Berwick Lodge Primary School in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, students are avid podcast listeners and they make their own, which are broadcast each week on a community radio station.

“Creating audio for an audience allows students to build or paint a picture of what they are saying in their head,” says Robert Kelly, the school’s digital technology teacher.

“They learn that good speaking and listening skills are required to make a successful podcast, and they learn to control their vocal resonance and tone when speaking into the microphones.

“Making the podcasts also helps students reinforce what they’ve

been learning in the curriculum by encouraging them to speak about it.

Recounting verbally is a great way to make something stick in the memory.”

The school’s senior students write and record a 60-minute podcast, The Student Hour, covering topics including news, current events and book reviews.

They’re produced in the school’s broadcast studio on an iMac computer using Pro Tools, before being sent to Casey Radio 97.7FM, where Kelly is a producer.

“Audio is a great medium for students to play with, especially if you’re teaching students who are predominantly auditory learners,” says Kelly, who notes that time is always a challenge when producing a quality podcast.

Developing skills Podcasts differ from traditional radio programs, because they’re created as digital sound files, then typically uploaded to a website or app, often as part of a series.

At Burwood Girls High School in Sydney, Year 10 commerce students make podcasts on political issues, exploring them from a range of viewpoints. It’s a group activity, requiring high levels of collaboration.

It also develops skills in research, scriptwriting and using technology, says Julia Alvarado, head teacher of secondary studies in the human society and its environment faculty.

“It allows for the development of communication skills – in particular, a

A community radio station features podcasts made by students at Berwick Lodge Primary in Victoria.

3 2 AUT U MN 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI AN E DUCATOR 9 7

TO O L K I T

Resources The value of using podcasts in class tinyurl.com/kvzbgmp How to create a student science podcast tinyurl.com/ycetknw5

Students at Greystanes High School in Sydney preparing and creating their podcasts.

“Making the podcasts also helps students reinforce what they’ve been learning in the curriculum by encouraging them to speak about it.”

more conversational tone,” she says.

“It also allows for the assessment of speaking skills without the pressure of standing in front of a class giving a speech.”

Students use the school’s recording studio or record on their phones, then edit using Adobe Premiere. It can be quite a complex program for students who haven’t used it before, so Alvarado recommends iMovie or Audacity as alternatives.

“Students submit assessments in the form of a podcast so they can listen to their own creations and ideas and, for ESL learners, refine their speaking and pronunciation skills.”

Creating a podcast is as simple as pushing the record function on a phone or tablet, then uploading the file into Google Classroom for marking.

Some of their challenges for students involve writing transcripts.

Matas says when they try to “wing it” they can go off topic. She also encourages them to listen to their podcast to make necessary adjustments during the process.

It’s a new frontier for students and schools, because few subjects in the curriculum require the technical and production skills needed to create a podcast, says Cameron Malcher, communications officer at the NSW Teachers Federation, an experienced podcast producer and a former curriculum advisor. “For most subjects, it’s the research and content side of podcasting that fits in with the curriculum,” he says. l Cynthia Karena is a freelance writer.

Listen and learn

Helping ESL learners

Robert Kelly Berwick Lodge Primary School, VIC

Year 10 students in Hayley Matas’ English class at Greystanes High School, in Sydney, are listening to Serial, a hugely popular 23-episode investigative journalism podcast about a murder in the United States.

“Sometimes students would rather listen to a podcast and discuss it, instead of writing an essay or doing analytical written work,” says Matas. But they also make their own podcasts.

Cameron Malcher recommends having two teachers to help students make podcasts. “One can focus on the technical side and the other can focus on content and research,” he says.

Julia Alvarado suggests students become familiar with a range of podcasts before they start. “I used The Conversation (for political issues), Freaknomics Radio (for socioeconomic issues) and one aimed at high school students called 411 Teen.”

AU STRA L IA N ED U CATO R 97 AUTUMN 2 01 8 33

ROSEMARY RICHARDS SCHOLARSHIP 2018 Women members of the AEU and its branches and associated bodies are encouraged to apply for the 2018 Rosemary Richards Scholarship.

Rosemary Richards was a proud feminist, unionist and educator. She was a respected leader, colleague and friend who played a crucial role in shaping the AEU as an organisation that reflects feminist principles. Sadly, Rosemary passed away in November, 2006 after a long battle with illness.

This scholarship, now in its twelfth year, recognises the significant contribution that Rosemary made to the AEU as an organisation and to all its members, women in particular.

Across the AEU, women’s employment rights and women’s union participation have been steadily advanced due to an active, committed and predominantly female membership, but challenges remain.

The scholarship is aimed at providing the opportunity to a woman member to increase her skills and experience in the union’s work at a state/territory/national or international level and, by extension, supporting the AEU’s women members. The proposal may include (but is not limited to): n The establishment of a work-shadowing arrangement or a mentoring arrangement; n Research or study experiences; n Formal and/or informal training and development opportunities (e.g. attendance at an appropriate conference); or n The design and implementation of a discrete project.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS FRIDAY 11 MAY 2018 3 4 AUT U MN 2 08 7 AUSTR ALI AN E D U CATOR 97

TIO IC A

The guidelines and nomination form can be obtained from Suzanne Lowndes at slowndes@aeufederal.org.au or (03) 9693 1800

AP PL

APPLYING FOR THE AWARD

NS

OP EN

The scholarship is valued at up to $10,000 per year.

For more information please see the guidelines.

TO O L K I T

SHARE YOUR SECRETS Which apps do you find useful in the classroom? Let us know at educator@hardiegrant.com

My best app Decide Now! (Android, free; iOS 99c; or for Windows, Decision Making Wheel, $1.99) DEB TREGILGAS

Special needs teacher John Pirie Secondary School, Port Pirie, SA Deb Tregilgas began her teaching career as a drama teacher 35 years ago. She’s since moved into media and computing, with the last six years in special needs at John Pirie Secondary School in rural South Australia, a couple of hours drive north of Adelaide.

Technology is very important for special needs students, says Tregilgas.

Decide Now! randomly chooses an answer from a spinning wheel, where you create the choices.

Tregilgas enters the names of her students: “I use it to choose, for example, the next student to give an oral presentation. It eliminates bias. Sometimes I ask students to push the button for the next person. It’s simple and it’s easy to use,” she says.

Tregilgas also enters other choices into the spinning wheel such as activities, tasks and games.

“I can also save any options I create.”

“They struggle with learning, and the use of technology improves that by keeping them engaged.”

Tregilgas sees the need for change as the only constant. “The quicker we understand and can apply the new learning the better.”

Emotion Detective

Starfall Free

(iOS; $2.99)

(Android, iOS; free)

Emotion Detective is designed for children on the autism spectrum disorder or any child having trouble reading emotions or relating to others. Emotion exercises explore a variety of emotions such as angry, happy, sad or surprised. It aims to teach children the perspectives of others, and improve their ability to read social situations and the emotions that come when interacting with others.

Starfall Free has educational games, books and songs designed to help struggling students to read. Each book focuses on a specific vowel.

“This is a nice little app to identify how a student is feeling, which gives me a better understanding of any potential behavioural issues,” says Tregilgas.

Joining up as a paid member unlocks additional content.

Tregilgas uses the app for reading and maths.

“It’s a good way for students to practise literacy and numeracy.

The use of phonics is useful for students with low reading skills. They love it,” she says.

The game has inbuilt tutorials that guide the teacher (or any adult) in their discussions with the child.

Other apps to explore...

Deb’s tips

Governing Australia

I Love English

“Free apps are great, but sometimes it’s better to take the paid version and avoid the ads. There’s also likely to be extra content and a wider range of features available.”

(iOS, free)

(Windows, free)

With constitutional crises, plebiscites and political donations in the news, this is a good app for students to better understand how the government works. The app uses illustrations, animation, photos and videos to explore our system of government.

An app to learn English that includes both reading and listening practice.

It’s also useful for students who struggle with reading. Daily English text resources are combined with an audio record to hear correct pronunciations.

AU STRA L IA N ED U CATO R 97 AUTUMN 2 0 1 8 35

BOOKS

Teachers can actively counter the damaging formula approach to learning that dominates education systems and diminishes their profession, says professor and author Welby Ings.

B Y K R I STA M O G E N S E N

Positively disobedient

N

ew Zealand professor Welby Ings calls it ‘productive disobedience’: positive acts of professional behaviour that push back against an education system obsessed with tick-box reporting.

With his new book, Disobedient Teaching: Surviving and creating change in education, Ings, a professor at Auckland University of Technology’s School of Art and Design, wants teachers to know they have influence, they can effect change and they are not alone. After many years of primary, secondary and tertiary teaching, he believes constant performance assessment is making students risk-averse, compliant and dependent.

“Kids are learning from a very young age that school is about understanding the ‘formula’ and then performing to that. It’s not equipping our young people for life,” says Ings, who in 2001 was awarded the NZ prime minister’s inaugural Supreme Award for Tertiary Teaching Excellence.

He says that, while the education system is largely focused on rigid performance measurement, students are entering a work landscape that increasingly requires strong interpersonal soft skills and the ability to work innovatively and creatively in disrupted environments.

“We’re not providing young people with flexible environments where

they can experiment, fail and succeed, and recover.”

The focus on assessment is also contributing to anxiety and depression in students, he says.

“We’re seeing a huge growth in students’ anxiety that appears to be increasing as they progress through formal schooling. We’re seeing it spike in universities. It seems to be closely tied to this idea that success has to be an unrelenting, ongoing state.

“The notion of success we’ve incrementally built and built is a tyrannical thing, [and] it’s not true.”

Professional loneliness At least one third of teachers in NZ leave the profession within the first five years. Many feel a loss of vision and purpose, and an ill fit with its conventions and assessment culture, says Ings.

“They didn’t approach teaching as functionaries in a system. They were genuinely interested in working in a very interesting environment where they could stimulate learning in creative ways.”

Being able to stay in teaching, with enthusiasm, has a lot to do with avoiding professional loneliness, he says.

“The teachers who survive make sure they don’t get isolated. They are hugely connected online. If they can’t get the ideological support inside their

AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe

Australian Educator (ISSN: 0728-8387) is published for the Australian Education Union

by Hardie Grant Media.

The magazine is circulated to members of the AEU nationally.

AEU federal secretary Susan Hopgood AEU deputy federal secretary Pat Forward

3 6 AUT U MN 2 01 8 AUSTR ALI AN E DUCATOR 9 7

AEU and subscription enquiries to Australian Education Union Federal Office, PO Box 1158, South Melbourne, Victoria, 3205 Tel: (03) 9693 1800 Fax: (03) 9693 1805 Email: aeu@aeufederal.org.au facebook.com/AEUfederal @AEUfederal

Disobedient Teaching (Otago University Press, $31.99) is available at https://tasmania-40-south

Editor Susan Hopgood Publisher Fiona Hardie Managing editor Lucy Siebert Commissioning editor Tracey Evans

Design Dallas Budde & Keely Goodall Advertising manager Kerri Spillane Tel: (03) 8520 6444 Fax: (03) 8520 6422 Email: kerrispillane @hardiegrant.com

BOOKS

!

Let us know what you think Have you recently read a book that has inspired your teaching or your students? Tell us about it at educator@hardiegrant.com, on facebook.com/AEUfederal or on Twitter @AEUfederal

institutions, they are on blogs or they ‘cluster’ and get support in the wider environment.”

Owning creativity The idea of creativity needs to be redefined, with teaching recognised as inherently creative and innovative, says Ings.

“If you look at the way teachers negotiate conflict situations with kids, the way they find and recover the ‘light’ inside them, they are never running on a formula. They are constantly working without a road map and they are doing that because they are creative beings.

“But that creativity is invisible to them because we confuse creativity – which is productive disobedient thought – with the artistic.”

He urges teachers to keep on productively disobeying.

“You’re not wrong for pushing for a better way. You’re a highly educated professional, and you’re also a human being.”

In the end, it is a teacher’s connection with their students that matters.

“Students’ education is recovered not by policy, not by new criterion outcomes, but by the humanity and grace of a teacher who manages to make connection with the sense of value in a child. That is the single most important thing.” l Krista Mogensen is a freelance writer.

Editorial office Hardie Grant Media, Ground Level, Building 1 658 Church St, Richmond 3121 Tel: (03) 8520 6444 Email: educator@hardiegrant.com

You’re not wrong for pushing for a better way. You’re a highly educated professional, and you’re also a human being. What called you into teaching is your radar, not policy.

Reflection and refinement Welby Ings says he has used informal and formative assessment wherever possible to push back against the damaging effects of summative assessment.

With his school classes, he negotiated to keep formal assessment to a minimum, instead using feedback to help students grow their learning through the year.

“A few years ago, I was asked to teach a class in history, with students who had a very negative view of their ability. I told them there would be no exam and only one mark, at the end of the year.”

The students wrote a six-chapter book, the first chapter being called The History of You, in which they discussed what they thought history was. Each subsequent chapter was on a curriculum block of work, such as the origins of World War I. Ings told the students: “When you hand in each chapter, you’re going to get feedback, and you can go back and refine that chapter.” The mark was given when the final book came out.

“What we saw at the end was the expression of the better self, of the learned self, instead of the expression of the immediate performer.

“A regime of summative assessment doesn’t do that. It just asks for performance, result, next performance, next result. There is no reward for reflection and refinement.”

Welby Ings Professor and author

Subscriptions Telephone enquiries (03) 9693 1800 Within Australia: $22.00 (includes GST) for four issues Overseas: $37.50 (includes postage) Printer PMP Limited 42 Boorea Street Lidcombe NSW 2141

Make cheques payable to the Australian Education Union and post to: Tom Freeman Australian Education Union Federal Office PO Box 1158, South Melbourne, Victoria, 3205, Australia

Audited circulation: 129,935 (October 2015 – September 2016) Copyright rests with the writers, the AEU and Hardie Grant Media. No part of this pub­lication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the copyright holders. The opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily the official policy of the AEU. AU STRA L IA N ED U CATO R 97 AUTUM N 2 0 1 8 37

RECESS

After years of temporary contracts, a move to permanent for this primary teacher in South Australia is welcome.

Why do you teach?

We’d love to hear your best tips for engaging young minds. Email us at educator@hardiegrant.com if you have something to share.

You can provide a written piece or we’d be happy to interview you.

Security to stay Kara Voigt is grateful for the stability and security that permanent employment brings.

She’d been teaching for five years at Loxton Primary School as a temporary employee, waiting on tenterhooks each year to see whether she’d be employed again.

“It’d been very difficult at the end of the year, not knowing if I had a job the next year,” says Voigt, who grew up in Loxton, a country town in South Australia’s Riverland.

She did her practicum at the school; it was her first job out of university in 2013; and she didn’t want to leave.

Voigt would complete job applications for other schools, “just in case”, but then be worried if she received an offer.

“I’d think, do I take it and risk leaving a job that I love and I’m very comfortable with to go to another town,” she says.

It would mean leaving family and friends, and her partner would have to find another job in the new area.

Some years, she wouldn’t get word until December that her contract at Loxton Primary had been renewed, leaving little time to prepare for her new classes.

Voigt and her Loxton Primary School colleague Katie Wheeldon were both made permanent at the same time following a long campaign by the AEU for the Department for Education and Child Development to meet its own policy target of permanency for 87 per cent of all positions in SA schools.

Currently, the number of permanent employees in schools is about 72 per cent, the lowest rate ever. The union says that, in many cases, there is no logical reason for staff being denied job security.

Wheeldon had been employed for six years at the school on temporary contracts.

Both Wheeldon and Voigt received “significant” support for their application from local community groups. Some 200 locals, surprised that the pair were still on temporary contracts after being part of the community for so many years, signed a petition to support their case.

3 8 AU T UM N 2 0 1 8 AUSTR ALI AN E DUCATOR 9 7

Kara Voigt (right) has been made permanent, along with her colleague Katie Wheeldon.

I’ve worked hard for a very long time and, to be converted to permanency, I was very happy about it all.

Kara Voight Loxton Primary School, SA

For Voigt, the thought of even applying for a bank loan was a worry with only a 12-month contract to show. At 27, it made it difficult to plan for her future. She says it was a relief to finally be made permanent.

“I was ecstatic. I’ve worked hard for a very long time and, to be converted to permanency, I was very happy about it all,” she says.

Voigt is teaching Reception this year and says the enthusiasm of her students gets her up every day.

“There’s never a dull day. There’s always something they say or do that makes me laugh. I like that I might be helping to change their lives for the better and making a positive impact while they are at school.

And, she’s hit on a way to involve parents more. Voigt has started a Facebook group for parents and posts updates daily.

“It’s had really good feedback,” she says.

It’s also increased engagement with parents and students. “Parents’ lives are very busy so the reminders about their child’s school day on Facebook can help. Also, parents can ask more knowledgeable questions of their child about the day at school – they can delve a bit deeper,” says Voigt. l

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