/early_words_april_2011

E AR L Y

words Vol. 6 No. 1

In this edition •

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Have you got a new federal agreement?

Coorparoo Kindergarten celebrates 50 years Minister’s message to ACSEA ACSEA Individual Flexibility Arrangements

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Metropolitan ECE Meetings

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Kindergartens rebuild after flood and cyclone disasters

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KFS fails to make the cut Member Profile

April 2011

The newsletter for the Early Childhood Education sector

Is your kindergarten covered by a new federal agreement?

Kindergartens that were previously covered by the Early Childhood Education Award (ECEA) are now vulnerable to losing workplace and employee entitlements if they do not negotiate a replacement federal agreement.

LEFT: Members at Proserpine Public Kindergarten in Proserpine are covered by a new federal agreement

The recent expiry of the longstanding ECEA would automatically revert kindergartens back to an unreliable preserved state agreement which cannot guarantee the surety of employee entitlements.

To ensure all teachers and early childhood assistants continue to receive legally enforceable and up-to-date workplace conditions and wage entitlements, a new federal agreement needs to be negotiated for your kindergarten.

Members at Proserpine Public Kindergarten have secured their workplace conditions and entitlements through negotiating a new federal agreement.

Kindergarten director, Amy Carlson said it was important for her and her co-workers to ensure their workplace conditions remained protected after the recent expiry of the ECEA. “To protect our employees’ working rights and to retain all of our hardworking staff, I knew our kindergarten needed to be covered by a new agreement,” Amy said.

“It is important to make sure the working rights we have worked so hard to keep in our industry stay protected.”

What you should know about Federal Agreements What the former ECEA covered The ECEA granted conditions such as an Hours of Duty clause prescribing maximum hours of work; specifically (for teachers) a maximum of 27.5 hours of contact time and 10 hours of other early childhood duties. Further, members were covered by a clause that protected a number of conditions, including access to accrued Long Service Leave accruing at the rate of 1.3 weeks for each year of service.

It is significant that all kindergartens should continue to advocate for one set of appropriate work and wage entitlements through a new federal agreement.

Developing a new agreement

As Proserpine Kindergarten’s director for the past six years, Amy believes there are a number of advantages that come by covering staff with a new federal agreement.

Our union would provide necessary assistance to reach an agreement with your kindergarten committee. Our assistance will mean there is no cost - either in time or money - for your committee in negotiating an agreement.

“I believe the advantages of having an agreement to cover our kindergarten means that we have documentation in place to protect our working rights and the reassurance that we have something to fall back on if an issue ever arises,” Amy said.

Disadvantages without an agreement

“The best thing about being an ECE teacher is working with young children, so I want to know I have the best protections in place at my kindergarten for all staff so they can continue to do the job they love and know their conditions are protected.”

Now that the ECEA has ceased to exist members should document their wages and entitlements in a formal agreement approved by Fair Work Australia (FWA).

Without a new federal agreement, your kindergarten will default to an older state agreement covering the sector.

There is the real potential that members would be disadvantaged by the preserved state agreement due to outof-date wage rates and the cancellation of some entitlements.

If you do not have an up-to-date federal agreement, please contact your union on enquiries@qieu.asn.au or Freecall 1800 177 938. We will approach your employer with a request to commence negotiations. There is legislation in place to ensure that an employer responds to such a request.

Coorparoo kindergarten celebrates 50 years at Meridian Street It seems not so long ago that IEUA-QNT officers Nick Holliday and Lauren Bremner were students running through the doors of the C&K Coorparoo Kindergarten in Meridian Street.

Now, in 2011, the kindergarten is celebrating 50 years at its Meridian Street address and is inviting former students and staff to drop in and share their memories of the centre over the years.

Kindergarten director Chris-Anne Aroney and IEUA-QNT member Marion Fulcher encourage any former students or staff to visit the kindergarten throughout the year in support of the kindergarten’s 50th anniversary.

“We are encouraging former students to drop in and share old photos and stories about their time here at the kindergarten,” Chris-Anne said.

Any contributions towards the celebrations and commemorations from past students or staff can be made to coorparoo@candk.asn.au or by phoning (07) 3397 4974.

IEUA-QNT communications officer Lauren Bremner said she felt privileged to be a past student of Coorparoo Kindergarten.

“I remember play-based learning was a large part of my early years education at the kindergarten,” Lauren said.

ords early words early words early words early words early words early words early words Minister supports additional recompense for additional hours The former Queensland Minister for Education and Training, Geoff Wilson last year announced his support for additional recompense for teachers and assistants working additional hours.

In correspondence from the former Minister to the IEUA-QNT dated December 2010, Minister Wilson stated: “Employees in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector should not be required to work additional hours without the employer providing additional recompense or compensation.

“I encourage you to continue your negotiations with the relevant parties to achieve a positive outcome for the sector,” Mr Wilson wrote.

In enterprise bargaining negotiations last year a major ECE employer proposed that teachers who worked more than 27.5 contact hours per week would not receive any additional recompense or reward.

The Queensland Early Childhood Education Certified Agreement 2009, which covers kindergartens represented by the Australian Community Services Employers Association (ACSEA), contains the following at clause 4.3.1: “The ordinary hours of duties for a teacher shall not exceed 37.5 hours per week of which not more than 27.5

Does your ACSEA kindergarten have an Individual Flexibility Arrangement?

Members who work in kindergartens which are represented by ACSEA and which provide an educational programme for 30 hours per week must ensure they sign an individual flexibility arrangement to protect their hours of work.

An individual flexibility arrangement can be used to implement an averaging arrangement whereby the additional contact hours worked are banked to allow for blocks of non-contact time, or time off, to be taken by the teacher.

hours shall relate to the teaching of an educational programme.”

Agreement has been reached with ACSEA for a new Queensland Early Childhood Agreement. The new agreement will contain the same limitation on hours of work for teachers and will shortly be the subject of a ballot in kindergartens which are represented by ACSEA. Due to the requirements of the Kindergarten Funding Scheme (KFS), it will be compulsory for kindergartens from 2012 to present a 15 hour per week 40 weeks per year kindergarten program.

This increased educational program will require additional staff and longer work days, and each should be appropriately compensated for all extra hours worked outside of the prescribed 27.5 contact hours.

Your union will continue to advocate for appropriate remuneration and reward for all employees who may need to work additional hours to deliver a complete educational kindergarten program.

For more information on the early childhood sector please go to www.qieu.asn.au/ece to read the latest updates.

Members attend Brisbane area ECE meetings Members from kindergartens in Brisbane Metropolitan, Logan and Moreton Early Childhood Education (ECE) Branches attended meetings in March to discuss the current changes affecting community kindergartens in Queensland.

IEUA-QNT Senior Industrial Officer John Spriggs was on hand at both the branch and area meetings to outline a number of issues currently impacting the sector.

Issues raised included the history of awards and moving into new federal agreements; the introduction of the 15 hours of educational program and the implications for centres; duty of care requirements; assistants’ wages; and Individual Flexibility Arrangements.

ECE assistants Tracy Lawrence and Catherine Neilson-Murray from C&K Stafford Heights Preschool and Kindergarten were among the group of 20 members at the Metropolitan branch meeting who expressed concerns about the future of early childhood education.

An individual flexibility arrangement would also ensure that members delivering an educational program would maintain their total number of contact hours for the year at 1127.5 (27.5 x 41).

Working in the ECE sector for nine years, Tracy said it is important for early chiIdhood assistants to retain their current conditions and not be forced into lower employment standards.

The fundamental issue is the number of hours spent teaching an educational program for the kindergarten year. In previous years, teachers would have taught an educational program for (nominally) 1127.5 hours in the year. This would be the maximum yearly number of hours which could be required under an averaging arrangement.

The branch meeting highlighted how the the Australian Community Services Employers Association (ACSEA) 2011 Agreement creates the potential for working conditions to be eroded. Pupil free days now seem to be common in community kindergartens, but they are not included in the Agreement.

Any proposal which would increase contact hours from 27.5 to 30 hours per week without a measurable benefit in return would be illegal.

Similarly, a reduction in non-contact time without a compensating benefit is not allowed.

“It is important for our rates of pay to be improved as the wage rate doesn’t equal the daily work load that is expected of assistants,” Tracy said.

“I realised at the branch meeting that there was the option to negotiate a new federal agreement with IEUA-QNT rather than retain the ACSEA 2011 agreement,” Tracy said.

“I would also like to learn more about managing the preparation that will be required for the new 30 hours per week of contact time next year.”

While contact time and non-contact time are key issues for teachers, it is also the case that early childhood assistants cannot be required to increase their workload without recompense or reward.

Members should note that it is a provision of the Fair Work Act that an employee cannot be coerced into signing an individual flexibility arrangement.

An employer cannot advise an employee that their employment is conditional on the employee signing such an arrangement.

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ABOVE: Catherine Neilson-Murray and Tracy Lawrence from C&K Stafford Heights Preschool and Kindergarten at the Metropolitan branch meeting Thursday, 17 March 2011

ABOVE: John Spriggs discusses key issues at the Logan and Moreton area meeting on Monday, 21 March 2011

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Kindergartens rebuild after flood and cyclone disasters The destruction across Queensland caused by widespread flooding and Cyclone Yasi earlier this year has left an everlasting impression on community kindergartens across the state.

Many IEUA-QNT members are still suffering the after-effects of these natural disasters, with a number of kindergartens having to relocate to external locations while engaged in an extensive clean-up process at their damaged centres.

Barbara Buchanan from C&K Laidley Kindergarten, between Toowoomba and Ipswich, said the flood damage her kindergarten suffered in early January left her speechless.

“Finally seeing the mess the floods left behind in my kindergarten hit me hard, as I felt like I was looking at my own home,” Barbara said.

“The tears came a little later and I almost flooded Laidley again.”

Laidley Kindergarten was able to continue its kindergarten program out of Laidley District State School before returning to its restored site at the end of March.

“We had a huge working bee of parents and volunteers after the flood to remove flood debris and replace our sandpits, garden edges and even build a new storage shed,” Barbara said.

“The staff at Laidley District State School were very supportive of our relocation, and we could not have moved back into our restored kindergarten without the support of parents and the community.”

IEUA-QNT Chapters joined together in January to raise much needed funds to help provide the necessary resources people needed to rebuild their lives in the face of these natural disasters.

Chapters raised over $1,645 around the theme ‘Five for the Flood’ to donate to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal.

IEUA-QNT Executive also donated $30,000 to the Relief Appeal.

Keeping in close communication with the Department of Education and Training (DET), your union ensured that there were temporary arrangements made to ensure affected kindergartens were not disadvantaged by their inability to provide an educational program.

Your union confirmed through the DET that: •

No kindergarten affected by the disasters would need to replace any lost time during their 40 weeks of educational program;

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Kindergartens would still receive their per capita funding during the period of delay;

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Requirements relating to outside play areas and adult-child ratios would be relaxed on an interim basis; and

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Kindergartens that reopened in temporary premises would also have their adult-child ratios relaxed on an interim basis.

“When I did see the devastation, I was speechless. There were no floor coverings and a pile of equipment was sitting in the middle of the playroom.”

Barbara Buchanan - C&K Laidley Kindergarten “With a cyclone of Yasi’s size, all you can do is put things away and hope for the best,” she said.

Cyclone Yasi caused minimal structural damage to Jody’s kindergarten, despite the widespread trail of rubble left in its wake.

“We lost some guttering off the Unit One building and had some water damage in a corner of the Unit Two ceiling,” Jody said.

“Lives are what matter most in these situations; buildings can always be repaired.”

Tully and Laidley Kindergartens received support from parents, the Army, State Emergency Service and QBuild teams as well as interstate organisations who helped out by clearing debris and offering monetary donations to support a number of affected kindergartens.

Both Tully and Laidley kindergartens have now resumed full operations out of their original sites.

Although the flood waters have subsided, our colleagues in the worst affected areas and cyclone ravaged towns throughout Queensland still need our collective strength and support as they continue to rebuild their kindergartens and return to normality during this time.

The extent of the flood damage highlighted the need to establish a natural disaster policy and an improved insurance policy to ensure adequate funding is in place for community kindergartens affected by natural disasters in the future.

“I think it is extremely important for kindergartens to have some sort of policy even if it only outlines who does what,” Barbara said.

“This issue will be raised during the year with our Committee so if a disaster was to happen again it won’t be left to the staff to try to minimise the damage.”

C&K Tully Community Preschool and Kindergarten director Jody Chew was relieved her kindergarten suffered minor damage after Cyclone Yasi devastated the town in North Queensland in February.

“We were pretty proactive in our approach to the cyclone,” Jody said.

“We emptied the toys and equipment from our storage sheds, took shadecloths down and brought everything inside and taped our windows.”

LEFT: The remains of Tully Kindergarten’s sandpit after Cyclone Yasi; ABOVE: Volunteers work together to move a dislodged cubby house out of the mud St Thomas’s Riverview Community Kindergarten, St Lucia

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Kindergarten Funding Scheme fails to make the cut The Queensland government has threatened the future viability of community kindergartens after finalising an inadequate funding policy under the new Kindergarten Funding Scheme (KFS).

IEUA-QNT Senior Industrial Officer John Spriggs said the KFS does not take into account the extra costs resulting from the implementation of universal access in community kindergartens.

Despite persistent advice from our union and other Central Governing Bodies that the current level of funding is woefully inadequate, the Queensland government has given no indication that this funding level will be increased.

“The government’s level of funding still leaves a gap of over $100 per child compared to the original Department of Education Community Kindergarten Assistance Scheme (DECKAS) funding for an ‘average’ city kindergarten,” Mr Spriggs said.

Kindergartens which are in the fortunate position of receiving additional funding may not be disadvantaged by the Government’s new scheme. However, we understand that only a minority of kindergartens will receive this additional funding.

“But more significantly, the KFS does not take into account the extra labour costs incurred as a result of the introduction of the 15 hours of universal access,” he said.

Once the increased labour costs are acknowledged, the same community kindergartens face a shortfall of between $300 and $400 per child per annum.

Our union has been in communication with the Minister for Education and Training to identify the adverse impacts resulting from the government’s inadequate funding policy. There will be a significantly negative impact on kindergartens and parents if this is not changed to a realistic level.

Significant extra funding is still required to cover kindergarten costs which could now be left to parents and families to fill.

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Community kindergartens may be eligible for additional funding if they are in a remote area (as defined by the Accessibility Remoteness Index of Australia), if they are in a low socioeconomic area (as defined by the Social Economic Indexes for Areas), or if parents hold a Health Care Card.

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What advice would you give to ECE graduate teachers?

Enjoy your time, have fun, ask for help and visit other ECE centres.

What are the greatest aspects of being an ECE teacher?

Spending my days in a lovely centre, with great children/staff and the committee of parents who care about this centre are the greatest aspects of being an early childhood teacher.

Kay Harling

Borilla Community Kindergarten Emerald

ay, how long have you worked in early childhood education and what centre did you first work in?

I started working in Preschool in 1980 in Jandowae as a teacher aide straight out of Year 12 that would make 31 years in early childhood education. I achieved my Certificate III in Blackwater, my Diploma in Emerald, and then went on to do Bachelor of Early Childhood completed in 2004. My first job was in a small country town called Jandowae, I was 18 years old and loved the freedom that it gave me and working with the preschoolers allowed me to realise where I really wanted to work.

How has your job/sector significantly changed over time?

The job/sector has changed dramatically in my 31 years. The paperwork, legalities and expectations from C&K and government departments have sky rocketed. This causes lots of stress on our staff.

The introduction of pupil free days will help but with the introduction of 15 hours next year, we will be impacted once again with more expectations and less time to achieve them. Our centre has a great committee and they are ensuring that staff will be looked after in the next few years.

The number of special needs children attending kindy has increased dramatically in this region. It is great to see these children attend kindy, but the help from government departments is not enough to see these children attend for any longer than 2-3 hours per day.

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When did you join IEUA-QNT and why was it important for you to be a member?

I joined our union in 1982, when I was a teacher aide at Coorparoo Kindergarten in Brisbane. I joined so I would have the protection of our union within my work. Our union allows us to have a voice within our profession, it allows us to continue to ensure conditions and wage comparison with similar services. It keeps us up to date with issues within our profession and gives us a voice.

What industry issues concern you the most?

The introduction of Queensland curriculum kindergarten guidelines, the Early Years Learning Framework and C&K’s Building Waterfalls Curriculum creates confusion in relation to what curriculum to follow.

JOIN YOUR UNION To join IEUA-QNT, download a membership form from www.qieu.asn.au or call our membership department on FREECALL 1800 177 938.

ISSN 1446-8972 early words was prepared by John Spriggs, Lauren Bremner and Belinda Hogan-Collis Editor: Mr Terry Burke, Branch Secretary IEUA-QNT PO BOX 418, FORTITUDE VALLEY QLD 4006 PH: (07) 3839 7020 FX: (07) 3839 7021 Email: enquiries@qieu.asn.au Website: www.qieu.asn.au ABN: 74 662 601 045