/November_2011_IV

The Independent Voice

November 2011

Journal Journal of of the the Independent Independent Education Education Union Union of of Australia Australia -- Queensland Queensland and and Northern Northern Territory Territory Branch Branch

February 2011 November 2011

Education, Action and Equity: 2011 IEUA-QNT Women Educators Union Conference

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Volume Volume 11 11 Number Number 17

Clarification needed on school holidays The impact of the Queensland government’s decision to realign the school calendar year for state schools in 2012 requires urgent clarification from employers to non-government school staff.

Brisbane Catholic Education, for example, has announced that BCE would align their 2012 term dates with the state school calendar: Term 1: 24 January-30 March Term 2: 16 April-22 June Term 3: 9 July-21 September Term 4: 8 October-7 December.

IEUA-QNT has written to major employing authorities regarding this matter and are seeking an urgent response as to their intentions.

The IEUA-QNT Women Educators Union Conference, held in Townsville in October, provided opportunities for regional women members to work together to achieve outcomes that support, educate and empower women in both their union and profession.

Read about the successes of the Conference and review photos on pages 4 and 5

Member delegations send message to MPs on importance of school funding IEUA-QNT members have expressed school funding concerns, the need for a fairer funding system and the need for a real funding increase for all schools during delegations to Members of Parliament and Senators.

Members have met and continue to meet with political representatives, urging them to commit to increases to school funding in both the government and non-government sectors, to provide targeted funding for special needs and disadvantaged schools and to support these principles in the development of government policy.

A firm commitment was sought to guarantee that not only no school would be worse off but that funding given to schools would keep pace with the real cost of educating Australian children.

A guarantee of funding certainty would see the protection of jobs for employees working in nongovernment schools and would

provide confidence for the students and parents in these communities.

While our union supports the Gonski Review of Funding for Schooling, it is vital that these key points must be the backbone of any changes to the school funding system: • A resource benchmark of funding for each student, which underpins the school funding system and properly acknowledges the right for a decent education for all students; • A complete overhaul of the funding of education for students with special learning needs or disabilities, where full funding should be met for these students; • Indexation based on Average Government School Recurrent Costs (AGSRC) not inflation; and • No decrease of funding in real terms for any school.

With over 164,000 students with disabilities in Australian schools, the reality is that these students’ needs are not appropriately being met by

current funding arrangements.

favour of a non-education cost index.

The federal government funding for students with disabilities is significantly less in the nongovernment sector compared to government schools.

However, a cut in the AGSRC index would mean a real cut to school funding, a loss of teachers’ jobs and a decrease in the standards of education.

Adding to this inequity in allocation of funds is the lack of consistency in definitions of disabilities; these differences affect the funding arrangements and result in varying amounts of total expediture to schools.

Though the federal government continues to say that no school will be worse off, the interim reports suggest otherwise.

While our union will continue to campaign for appropriate levels of funding for all schools, it is also essential that students with special needs receive full funding entitlements irrespective of where they are enrolled.

The research reports recently released by the Gonski funding review have suggested that the funding nexus between nongovernment school funding and the AGSRC should be removed in

Currently the federal government expenditure on school education compared to other OECD countries is below average and ranks around 17 out of OECD 29 countries.

Students, parents and school employees have the right to expect that the government should commit to additional resources to schools.

Our union challenges the federal government to increase funding in school education to meet and exceed OECD education funding levels and make Australia a world leader in education.

IEUA-QNT would expect employers to respect key principles in adopting any rescheduled arrangements.

No professional development should be scheduled in current vacation periods.

Any employer notion that professional development may be scheduled on the ‘last Friday of a vacation’ should be rejected.

Employers have generally signalled that professional development may be scheduled in the new second week at Easter by mutual agreement, in instances where this would have been ‘normal work time/term time’ for nongovernment schools.

However, some capacity to have twilight sessions scheduled throughout the term clearly must remain an option.

In many collective agreements, there is commonly an express provision requiring employers to consult on any amended school year calendar.

Consultation at a local level should also occur, to minimise the impact on affected staff.

Union officers will work together with chapters to ensure members’ industrial rights are acknowledged by employers and upheld in this process.

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The Independent Voice

November 2011

CONTACTS The Independent Voice is the official publication of the Independent Education Union of Australia - Queensland and Northern Territory branch (IEUA-QNT) www.qieu.asn.au ISSN 1446-1919 IEUA-QNT Brisbane Office PH: 07 3839 7020 346 Turbot Street, Spring Hill Q 4000 PO Box 418 Fortitude Valley Q 4006 IEUA-QNT Townsville Office PH: 07 4772 6277 Level 1, 316 Sturt St Townsville Q 4810 PO Box 5783 Townsville West Q 4810 IEUA-QNT Bundaberg Office PH: 07 4132 8455 44 Maryborough St Bundaberg Q 4670 PO Box 1227 Bundaberg Q 4670 IEUA-QNT Darwin Office PH: 08 8981 1924 FAX: 08 8981 1935 38 Woods Street Darwin NT 0800 GPO Box 4166 Darwin NT 0801 Editorial / Advertising enquiries to Fiona Stutz: Telephone: 07 3839 7020 Toll Free: 1800 177 937 Fax: 07 3839 7021 Email: fstutz@qieu.asn.au Editor Mr Terry Burke IEUA-QNT Branch Secretary Publications Officer/Journalist Fiona Stutz Printing: Rural Press (07) 3826 8200 Disclaimer: Advertising is carried in The Independent Voice in order to minimise costs to members and is paid at commercial rates. Such advertising does not in any way reflect endorsement or otherwise of the advertised products and/or services by IEUA-QNT. Copyright All articles remain the copyright of IEUA-QNT. Permission must be obtained before reprinting.

ABN: 74 662 601 045

REPORTS AGM reports from QIEU’s President, General Secretary and Assistant General Secretaries are now available online on our website:

www.qieu.asn.au STOP S PRES

President’s Report Report to the 2011 QIEU AGM 2011 has again been a busy year for our union and our membership. There have been significant campaigns for various sectors of our membership during this year. These campaigns have again been member driven with significant input from various activists.

the various stages as appropriate.

The federal government Review of Funding for Schooling potentially has a significant impact on our members and their employers.

Our union has continued to campaign for wage justice and appropriate recognition of school officer contributions.

Currently there are member delegations meeting with various Senators and Members of Parliament, to highlight the significant and diverse role that non-government schooling plays in our community.

The non-government education sector is essentially publically funded as all non-government schools rely on a significant part of their funding on government funding.

The School Officer campaign ‘Recognise, Reclassify and Reward’ has been a year long campaign that has seen significant activism by school officers and support by teachers and services staff.

Our union and our members are acutely aware of the impact of this review. Individual members and school Chapters, as well as our federal office, have taken the opportunity to make submissions to the Gonski Review at

This campaign again has reaffirmed that school officers are strengthened, industrially and professionally, when they are part of a union collective with other school officers, services staff and teachers.

On November 4 police arrested Felix Anthony and searched both union headquarters as well as his home.

This follows the arrest of Daniel Urai, who had been detained since his return from the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting in Perth in late October.

He was recently charged with “Inciting Political Violence by Urging to Overthrow Government,” a charge with no foundation whatsoever.

Daniel was also arrested earlier

I would also like to thank the staff of our union; employees of QIEU are not only professional but are dedicated and committed to doing the best possible for our membership. Thank you to members of our Union Council who provide governance of our union.

Again I would like to acknowledge the leadership provided by Terry Burke, our General Secretary. Terry’s leadership has enabled our union to provide the best representation for our membership and for a long term vision for the strengthening of

QIEU. Also sincere thanks to Assistant General Secretaries, Paul Giles and Ros McLennan, for their continued commitment and dedication.

The strength of our union has been demonstrated through the willingness of our members to engage in and embrace the various campaigns throughout this year. Our membership is the source of our strength and is the fundamental building block for what we will achieve in the future.

It continues to be an honour to be part of such a fine organisation.

Andrew Elphinstone IEUA-QNT President

Branch Secretary’s Report QANTAS management demonstrates weaknesses in the Act The nature of the industrial environment in which we are operating was starkly highlighted in the tail wind of QANTAS’ recent actions that saw its fleet grounded and plans for employees involved in the dispute to be locked out.

The act of industrial militancy on the part of QANTAS is a reminder to union members that any Australian workers are similarly vulnerable to such a course of action where the aim of an employer is to thwart legitimate protected action and intimidate workers.

The capacity of QANTAS to blatantly disregard due process under the Fair Work Act underlines major problems with the legislation, especially the ability of employers to use the legislation to undermine the fundamental rights of employees.

QANTAS responded to the legitimate protected action of the three unions

in the dispute by initiating its own industrial action in a move to incite a surge of negative public comment about the unions’ part in the dispute.

The strategy clearly aimed to put pressure on the community and the government to side with the airline against a background of disruption to thousands of passengers around the globe and damage to the national economy.

The airline’s move was an unprecedented and unnecessary reaction to legitimate protected action by unions who are concerned with the protection of Australian jobs and conditions.

The proper procedure for an employer to take in a situation where a dispute is unresolved is to apply to Fair Work Australia for an injunction to suspend or terminate protected action by unions.

The employer is required under this provision to prove the employee action

Fiji union leaders detained

Fiji Trade Union Congress President Daniel Urai and General Secretary Felix Anthony have been released from prison following detention on recent arrival back into Fiji.

I would like to thank all union activists; Staff Representatives, Enterprise Bargaining Coordinators, Network Coordinators and Membership Coordinators at each worksite. The work that staff representatives do is so important, and for our union to continue to be effective we need well educated and active members at each School and College.

this year for holding a union meeting to prepare members for collective bargaining.

The recent release of the union leaders was achieved through strong international union member campaigning. IEU members participated in a postcard campaign that has put international attention on Commodore Josaia Voreque Bainimarama’s regime.

Through the collective attention of our union and other unions nationally and internationally together with International Labour Organisation, the High Commission of Australia, the High Commission of UK and Amnesty International, support for Fijian unionists has been unwavering

and the world has placed the Fijian regime on notice.

Unfortunately, the matter is unlikely to end with the releases of Daniel Urai and Felix Anthony. Daniel Urai has been released on bail with sureties made for Daniel by our teaching colleagues, the Fiji Teachers Union and by the Fiji Islands Council of Trade Unions.

However, he still remains under charges of sedition, is on a curfew and must report to the police daily. While Anthony Felix was released without charges, the Fijian Assistant Police Commissioner has said that: “Anthony may be brought in again for questioning when the need arises.” Thus, the campaign for Fijian workers’ rights, safety and well

is causing, or is threatening to cause, significant economic harm to the employer.

QANTAS bypassed this fairminded step in the process and in so doing demonstrated the capacity employers have to frustrate legitimate action.

In order to initiate protected action, employees are obliged to apply to Fair Work Australia for the right to ballot; ensure 50 per cent of the membership at a workplace votes, and then receive a minimum of more than 50 per cent of the ballot to endorse any protected industrial action. A union is then required to give between three and five days’ notice to the employer of the intended action.

While employees must follow the strict regime to implement industrial action, employers are not required to apply to being must continue.

IEU members can be left with no doubt that the military dictatorship in Fiji is not a benign regime. The regime has adopted intimidation tactics to instill fear.

These arrests followed a long running campaign by Fijian unionists warning about the Fijian regime’s attack on workers through the introduction of the “Essential National Industries (Employment)” Decree.

The Decree removes all collective bargaining rights, curtails the right to strike, bans overtime payments and voids existing collective bargaining agreements for workers.

The Essential National Industries (Employment) Decree follows many

FWA to initiate action and can do so by simply notifying employees of their intention to lock workers out.

The ability of employers to use the current legislation to frustrate legitimate industrial action must be challenged.

Until the legislation changes however, we need to be vigilant in asserting our rights as workers and while respecting that employers have rights, we must also reject any notion that they might unilaterally deny workers their rights.

Kind regards, Terry Burke IEUA-QNT Secretary tburke@qieu.asn.au other anti-democratic actions by the military regime including the removal of free speech through the control of the media, the outlawing of meeting of more than four people without a permit – hence curtailing the meeting of trade union members and the unfair dismissal of Tevita Koroi (President of Council of Pacific Education) from his duties as Head Teacher.

Without their right to freedom of speech, working rights and union association, Fijian individuals and their families are vulnerable to discrimination and violence.

The IEU continues to stand in solidarity with FTU and FTA members and all other union members in Fiji as they battle for their human rights, their working rights and their rights to union association.

The Independent Voice

November 2011

Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran sectors to begin negotiations IEUA-QNT members in the Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran sectors are currently in various stages for the negotiation of new collective agreements in their sectors.

Negotiations for a new collective agreement in the Catholic sector are expected to commence in February 2012.

Employees have endorsed a log of claims following extensive consultation from Chapters.

Wages, PARs and resourcing the changing role of teachers have been identified as key issues in negotiations.

Representatives at the Single Bargaining Unit (SBU) will be supported by a large representative group drawn from throughout the state.

Anglican sector Anglican members will consider a one year collective agreement allowing time to review the educational and funding directions in 2012.

In negotiations employer and employee representatives proposed a four per cent wage increase for employees from 1 January 2012 in return for six hours of the current 12 hours of voluntary professional development becoming directed PD as part of the Queensland College

‘Performance pay’ in the spotlight IEUA-QNT members have joined with our Queensland Teachers’ Union colleagues in overwhelmingly rejecting the federal government’s introduction of performance pay for teachers in Australian schools.

Catholic sector

ABOVE: St Johns Lutheran Primary School, Bundaberg members consider and endorse the log of claims in upcoming Lutheran sector negotiations

of Teachers’ professional hours requirement.

Employee representatives sought an assurance that the employer could not increase the length of the school year through this mechanism without further agreement from affected employees.

No further issues from the employer or employee claims will be considered until negotiations recommence in 2012 for inclusion in a new agreement in 2013.

Employer and employee representatives have agreed that the Boarding Schools and Accomplished Teacher Working Parties will convene in Term 1 next year, with a view to have an agreed recommendation for the SBU by the end of Term 2.

Lutheran sector Feedback from Chapters in Lutheran

schools has identified a range of significant professional and industrial issues for inclusion in the employee log of claims.

High priorities for Chapters included ways to attract, retain and reward employees, recognition on the balance between work hours and family life and to address concerns arising out of Australian Curriculum initiatives.

Issues relating to planning and implementing curriculum, assessment and reporting and the increasing realisation that Lutheran schools are not immune to redundancy were also prominent in individual member feedback.

Feedback and advice from Chapters was used to draft a final log of claims which was tabled at the first meeting of the SBU in November.

At a recent joint IEUA-QNT and QTU forum in Townsville members passed the following resolutions: • THAT the meeting of Townsville teachers reject the current federal government policy of supposedly performance-based bonuses for teachers; • THAT the meeting calls on the federal government to allocate the budgeted funding to begin to establish a new classification and career structure for teachers, based on standards and tenure; • THAT the meeting asks the QTU and IEUA-QNT to co-operate in a joint campaign to establish an improved career structure for Queensland teachers.

The introduction of a performance pay scheme by the federal government would force teachers to compete against each other for the proposed one-off bonus with performance unjustly measured using data from NAPLAN student

Collective bargaining in the early childhood education sector E:

UPDAT

C&K

ACSEA The proposed collective agreement distributed to some kindergartens

by ACSEA contains elements that could seriously undermine workplace conditions in community kindergartens.

increases exceeding the increase applied for national and state minimum wages. However, teachers will be worse off under ACSEA’s proposal where comparable wages with state schools will not be secured.

While ACSEA have finally acknowledged the impact that the Universal Access Programme will have upon working hours in kindergartens there are a number of deficiencies in their agreement.

It is also unclear what the term “minimum wage increase” means in ACSEA’s agreement as there is no clarification offered or common industrial usage.

ACSEA’s proposal contains no entitlement to pupil free days, instead referring to a maximum of five days being available as “non-contact days”. While employees are not entitled to pupil free days, a process should be included to ensure that these non-contact days can be accessed; ACSEA’s proposed agreement contains no such process.

The agreement also attempts to erode the traditional relationship between wage rates in community kindergartens and wage rates in state (and other) schools. Teachers in community kindergartens currently receive a comparable rate to those paid in schools due to yearly wage

ACSEA has also seemingly proposed a ‘productivity’ increase as recompense for additional teaching hours. In the absence of any other offsetting measure teachers should be entitled to an additional 9.1 per cent increase to reflect the additional quantum of work.

Therefore ACSEA’s proposed 6.7 per cent increase is inadequate.

Any new collective agreement must adequately reward employees for additional hours resulting from the Universal Access Programme.

However, ACSEA’s proposal does not adequately value the work of employees nor recompense employees for their additional work and thus must be rejected.

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Community kindergartens registered with C&K would be worse off under an employer proposed agreement with paid maternity leave abolished.

In the current agreement employees are entitled to six weeks’ paid maternity leave; however, C&K propose to abolish this provision arguing that the government’s paid parental leave scheme should take its place.

This proposal would not only leave employees worse off, but also create further inequality with the majority of their colleagues who receive 14 weeks paid maternity leave from their employer in addition to the government’s scheme.

This cynical cost cutting measure is inconsistent with C&K’s claim of being an employer of choice for women, and severely undervalues current female employees who comprise upwards of 95 per cent of their workforce.

Our union will continue to argue against this proposal and will keep chapters updated.

assessment exams.

While the current proposal means that only one in 10 teachers will be rewarded the bonus, it is clear that many more teachers are doing a great job in educating our children.

Australian staff rooms are known as places where ideas are shared and teachers support each other; however, performance bonuses will only lead to competition not cooperation.

Performance pay bonuses will do nothing to help student learning and will be a counter-productive force in schools, just as similar schemes have been internationally.

While our union welcomes the idea of rewarding teachers, the emphasis should be on recognising and rewarding accomplished teachers who have consistently developed and then applied their teaching knowledge and skills.

IEUA-QNT and QTU members will continue to work together to put forward an alternative model of performance pay that works to the advantage of teachers, schools and the enhanced learning of students.

Historic boost to superannuation In the biggest change to superannuation in 20 years, around 8.4 million Australians will have their superannuation savings boosted as a result of the superannuation guarantee rate legislation introduced into Parliament in November.

The Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Amendment Bill 2011 increases the superannuation guarantee (SG) rate from nine per cent to 12 per cent.

The SG charge percentage will be increased gradually with initial increments of 0.25 percentage points on 1 July 2013 and 1 July 2014. Further increments of 0.5 percentage points will apply annually up to 2019-20, when the SG rate will be set at 12 per cent.

This will mean an employee aged 30 earning around $70,000 today will retire with an extra $108,000 in superannuation under these reforms. The increase in the SG will boost the superannuation savings of Australian workers by around $500 billion by 2035.

The revenue from the Mineral Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) will fund the increase in the SG which will cost the federal government an estimated $740 million over the forward estimates.

In addition to the increase of the SG the government has also asked that the SG age limit be abolished. Currently, the SG only applies to people under 70; this will mean from 1 July 2013 an additional 18,000 Australians aged 75 and over will receive the benefit of superannuation if they continue working.

These policies will be delivered through amendments to the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992.

The increase in the SG will improve the adequacy of retirement incomes and deliver a secure retirement for current and future Australian workers.

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The Independent Voice

November 2011

Members in Action

Education, Action and Equity: 2011 IEUA-Q The IEUA-QNT regional Women Educators Union Conference provided opportunities for regional women members to work together to achieve outcomes that support, educate and empower women in both their union and profession.

Workshops were conducted by an array of specialists, including Anti-Discrimination Commission representative Anne Franzmann, economist Andrea Fox, university lecturers in education and colleague unionists.

On 11 October the Townsville-based Women’s Conference, an initiative of the IEUA-QNT Equity Committee and regional women’s network, acknowledged and celebrated the role of women in our union as well as highlighting the past achievements and future challenges for women educators.

The keynote address was delivered by Director of the Townsville Catholic Education Office, Dr Cathy Day, with a panel discussion asking ‘Career Paths in Education - Are They Always Up’ also considered a highlight of the Conference.

The Conference helped to identify how women can be more active and engaged in our union, by empowering women, providing leadership opportunities, and identifying and campaigning on working conditions.

Members attended relevant workshops on topics such as: • women and superannuation; • discrimination in education; • school mentoring; • supporting school communities through a focus on domestic violence; • performance pay; • finding a work/life balance; and • learning to lead within a school context.

The Marian School teacher, Erin Fuller, said she decided to attend the Conference as it provided a great opportunity to network with others, as well as offered a wide range of professional development sessions that would assist in life as well as work.

Erin said she “learnt that there was a great network of skilled and talented women in North Queensland of differing ages and experiences. The day highlighted the importance of a collective, unified voice and that strong female role models were vital for setting an example of leadership and mentoring others.”

“The sessions were so worthwhile in their own way. The domestic violence workshop was valuable for me as a teacher and a member

of society as it highlighted the seriousness of this issue and how others can become aware and act,” Erin said.

structures for mentoring and supporting of women educators as part of the practical collective activities arising from the conference.

Many conference participants were particularly impressed with the workshop ‘Mentoring - Models and Benefits’ presented by Leisa Harper from St Paul’s Anglican School in Bald Hills.

Members working in north and far north Queensland also indicated their interest for the Townsville Women’s Network to expand its horizons.

As a result of this the IEUA-QNT Equity Committee, together with the Townsville Women’s Network, were asked to consider and develop

Convenor of the IEUA-QNT Equity Committee and founder of the Townsville women’s network, Kerry Laws, said the network was IEUA-QNT members from north Queensland enjoy the various workshop sessions on offer at the Conference

University of Queensland’s Leisa Harper, Principal at St Coleman’s Catholic Primary School Home Hill Caroline Fuller, James Cook University’s Dr Louisa Tomas, IEUA Assistant Federal Secretary Christine Cooper, UQ Professor of Education Robyn Gillies and Director of Townsville Catholic Education Office Dr Cathy Day

Conciliator for the AntiDiscrimination Commission Queensland, Anne Franzmann

James Cook University Associate Professor Gracelyn Smallwood

University of Queensland Professor of Education Robyn Gillies

exploring a range of possibilities to make the group accessible to female educators further afield.

Kerry said an informal meeting has been considered for Cairns to gauge the level of interest and explore and

Kathy Park from St Margaret Mary’s St Joseph’s School, Mundingburra, Catholic College, Kerry Laws from T and Juanita Vaudary from St Jo

The Independent Voice

November 2011

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Members in Action

-QNT QNT Women Educators Union Conference Bringing it all together Participants of the Townsville Women’s Conference were educated about the social and professional climate that women currently face, and urged to become “‘Deadly’ Women”. IEUA-QNT Research Officer Miriam Dunn provided this speech at the closing of the conference.

St Anthony’s Catholic College’s Kristen Edwards, Jill Sugden from St Andrew’s Catholic College, Cairns and Frances Jankowski from St Mary’s Catholic College, Cairns

discuss possibilities such as whether a sub-branch of the network based in Cairns should be established that would meet separately, or whether members in other areas could be linked to the meetings by teleconference.

s College, Jane-Frances Luton from Kristen Edwards from St Anthony’s Townsville Flexible Learning Centre oseph’s The Strand North Ward

At the beginning of this Conference James Cook University Associate Professor Gracelyn Smallwood greeted us as “deadly women” in her welcome to country. “Deadly women” is about power and empowerment on both a personal level and at the corporate level.

Firstly, the personal: We need to ensure that we make the TIME to think about where we are going in terms of our careers. We should not allow ourselves to become so caught up in the rush along our daily pathway that we don’t plan thoughtfully for our future. We must not allow ourselves to simply wait for something to happen or for something to be done to us.

Ignatius Park College, Townsville teachers Katrina Guazzo, Michelle Kenyon and Georgia Hawke

Georgia Hawke from Ignatius Park College, Juanita Vaudary from St Joseph’s The Strand North Ward, Aileen Byrnes from The Marian School and Mary O’Toole from St Margaret Mary’s College take part in a Conference worshop

Celebrating success of Conference

Gracelyn also spoke about “reconciliation without truth.” She was talking about the Australian community as a whole, but we can apply this to our personal lives too.

Take the time to know yourself: to thine own self be true: articulate to yourself your strengths, desires, dreams: know what you need to strengthen and be true to the deepest desires that you discover within yourself.

We must be STRATEGIC in our plans for the future: we must work smart and not be blind to opportunities that are in the offing.We have been encouraged to be aware that we do have CHOICE: we can be far more self-directed than it may appear as we deal with the daily grind of our multiple and complex responsibilities.

We should harness the “Wow! I made it!” factor. We have all had experiences of being confronted by daunting tasks or difficult times when we have wondered how we can ever achieve all that is expected or demanded of us. But somehow or other we have come through the dark or demanding times to be successful.

We must hold these times up to ourselves as a model to build trust in our own abilities and the courage to leave the current comfort zone and move into more challenging territories.

On the corporate level, within our schools, communities and our union we need to be empowering forces too.

We need to seek mentors; look at our current role-models and see if they really do come up to the mark. We are role models to others, so we need to look closely at our own behaviours and practices: do they come up to the mark? We also need to be mentors to others.

So for the future, what can you DO? Mentor?... YES Be active?... YES – for yourself and your family; for the students you teach; for your colleagues; for our profession.

But you don’t have to be a lone crusader. This is not how women work.

We are naturally collaborative.

Use your networks and create or join others. Our union is a key area where corporate action can be effective, not just for industrial matters but for professional matters: teacher education, standards, professional knowledge, enhancing our financial security, understanding our rights and the rights of others both here in Australia and beyond.

To sum it up: We “deadly women” who must take the TIME, be STRATEGIC, remember that we have CHOICE, be effective MENTORS and ROLE MODELS, have FAITH in ourselves, be COURAGEOUS, be AFFIRMING and be ACTIVE. We must continue to work together with our “deadly bloke” colleagues to construct a future worth moving into.

LEFT: Thea Novic from Townsville Grammar School discusses the highlights of the Conference with Lisa Harper from University of Queensland

Alanna Jacoby and Jane-Frances Luton from St Joseph’s School Mundingburra with Joanne James from St Anthony’s Catholic College, Deeragun

Participants unwind after Conference workshops

RIGHT: Mary O’Toole from St Margaret Mary’s College and Sam Blanch from Townsville Grammar School

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The Independent Voice

November 2011

Assistant General Secretary’s Report What’s in a name? Our campaign for Jessica Andrews Park Jessica Andrews was many things.

She was a respected and caring teacher at Our Lady’s College. She was a wife, mother of two sons, friend to many and, of course - a union member.

Jess was also my next-door neighbour in Annerley on Brisbane’s southside for many years. We were pregnant with our first children and on maternity leave at the same time.

We watched our children grow and play together.

Tragically, Jess died suddenly on 13 August last year, leaving behind her beloved husband Mark (a local police officer), toddler Max and two-week old baby Tommy. She was just 32 years old.

This may seem like the end, but it isn’t. The community of people whose lives Jess had touched had other plans for her memory to live on.

Park upgrade completed Our local park at the corner of Ekibin Road and Lewisham Street in Annerley has just had a big make Ros McLennan and her children Frances and Oliver (left) with Mark Andrews and his boys Thomas and Max.

over. The park now has beautiful new play equipment (including a wooden fort) and is fully fenced to ensure the safety of our kids.

Until recently, what many people didn’t know about Jess was that she was part of a group of local mums actively advocating for this local park upgrade, since it was first suggested to Cr Nicole Johnston about 18 months ago.

With a toddler in tow and pregnant with her second child, I recall Jess attending community consultations and offering her suggestions for age-appropriate play equipment and facility design.

Cr Johnston indicated she supported the park’s name change from (the quite uninspiring) ‘Ekibin South Park’ to ‘Jessica Andrews Park’.

Cr Johnston explained, though, that for a name change to be accepted by Council, strong community support must be demonstrated.

And so began the community campaign to change the name of ‘Ekibin South Park’ to the ‘Jessica Andrews Park’ - in memory of a very special Annerley mum who helped get the ball rolling!

Our community campaign

Brisbane Catholic Education Office and St Ita’s Primary school as well.

The Queensland Police Union lent their support, helping gather signatures of Mark’s police officer colleagues.

Workers from the childcare centre attended by toddler Max Andrews, local shop keepers, café owners, parishioners at Mary Immaculate Church and Yeronga Uniting Church, neighbours and friends were all pleased to get involved to help make Jessica Andrews Park become a reality.

The main task was to gather as many signatures as possible, petitioning

Of course, permission from Jess’ With the first husband Mark and anniversary of “And so (has begun) the community campaign her family had first Jess’ sad and been sought and sudden death to change the name of ‘Ekibin South Park’ to received – they coinciding with the ‘Jessica Andrews Park’ - in memory of a wholeheartedly the official support this idea opening of the as a lovely way very special Annerley mum...” new park, I to celebrate Jess’ asked Cr Nicole Johnston whether the Brisbane City Council to change contribution to her community, and some memorial to Jess could be the name of the park. local families in particular. incorporated in the new park.

First stop was the Our Lady’s The success of our collective efforts We were absolutely delighted when College chapter. Principal, Claire was that we got more than 650 McLaren, lent her strong support, signatures on our petition in just even including an invitation for two weeks – and over 700 signatures parents to sign the petition in a by the time the petition was lodged College newsletter. with Council.

(Thanks and acknowledgement to photographer, Patria Jannides and Quest Newspapers, for kind permission to reprint this photo)

From there, we put the call out to Chapters and Principals from surrounding Catholic schools such as Mary Immaculate Primary (Annerley), St Elizabeth’s Primary (Tarragindi), St Brendan’s Primary (Moorooka) and St Sebastian’s Primary (Yeronga).

Cr Nicole Johnston said this is a great show of community support for the park name change and at the formal opening of the park, Max Andrews even ‘cut the ribbon’ as part of the ceremony.

Colin O’Neill from Brisbane Catholic Education Office was also pleased to help out, co-ordinating many more signatures from within

Cr Johnston emailed me recently to advise that she has been speaking with BCC local parks officers and pleasingly, no problems with our

What’s new?

petition have been indicated at this stage.

A recommendation to change the name to ‘Jessica Andrews Place’ was put by BCC local parks officers to the relevant Council subcommittee for their consideration, ahead of a vote of elected Councillors.

Local federal MP and current IEUA-QNT member, Graham Perrett, has also taken the step of personally writing to the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Graham Quirk, with a letter of support for this proposal.

At the end of October, a supportive front-page article also appeared in the City South News.

Cr Johnston indicated that the matter “will take a few weeks for it to go through Council’s internal processes. Council sittings resume on 18 October and I would expect it to be handled in either late October or November.”

It certainly seems that a park name change to celebrate Jess Andrews may not be far away.

But in a sense, whatever the outcome may be, Jess Andrews is still doing what she always did – bringing people together.

Ros McLennan Assistant General Secretary rmclennan@qieu.asn.au

IEUA-QNT commits to the Charter for Working Queenslanders The Queensland Council of Unions together with IEUA-QNT representatives took the Charter for Working Queenslanders to Townsville in October to ensure candidates in the lead up to the state election commit to policies and ascertain their views on the issues contained in the charter.

Delegations of local employees, including IEUA-QNT members Erin Fuller, Daryl Bathe and Greg Cullen met with local ALP candidate for Mundingburra Mark Harrison (below right) to ensure his commitment to the aims of the Charter: a positive plan for the future of our state.

Working Queenslanders want to know where candidates stand on the critical areas of skills training and local industry, safety at work,

infrastructure and services and fairness at work.

IEUA-QNT members will soon visit all candidates in Maryborough, Barron River, Stretton and Mundingburra.

The responses from candidates will help Queensland workers and their families decide who they should vote for.

The QCU will also use these preelection interviews and commitments to hold candidates and MPs to account on the key issues contained in the Charter.

ABOVE: Queensland unions endorse the QCU Charter for Working Queenslanders Townsville at the delegates preparation and networking day in October

The Queensland Council of Unions and our union will continue to promote this important initiative around the state to help improve the lives of working Queenslanders and their families.

RIGHT: QCU’s Amanda Richards and Leah Mertens with Erin Fuller, Daryl Bathe, Jacob Cullen and Greg Cullen meet with ALP candidate for Mundingburra Mark Harrison

The Independent Voice

November 2011

7

Assistant General Secretary/Treasurer’s Report

Our union rises to the challenges On the 28 October our QIEU Annual General Meeting was held and I tabled a report in regard to our previous budget year and the upcoming 2011/2012 budget year. I have included some of that AGM report in this article as it demonstrates the strength of our union as we met and meet various challenges.

Over the previous budget period of September 2010 to August 2011 we have successfully funded projects that were identified in our budget estimates and projections.

These include additions to officer staff, maintenance and upgrade of our vehicle fleet and significant refurbishment of QIEU Place as we extended the office space we occupy within the building.

The previous budget year also saw significant expenditure on member training with various day long courses and conferences being held.

We have as well expended significant sums of money in redesigning our website so that it incorporates various social media and reflects the dynamic organisation that we are.

Importantly and strategically the 2010/2011 budget year saw significant financial provision for the purchase of a new

office on the Sunshine Coast to meet the needs of our members and establish our presence further in that developing and growing region.

We look forward to it becoming operational in the new year.

expenses, legal consultation costs and building union strength taking in to consideration the collective negotiations that are or will be occurring and member education that will be provided in this period.

The financial situation of our union is healthy and positive with the 2011/2012 budget and budgetary considerations clearly directed to maintaining that health whilst responding to industrial realities and growth imperatives.

As well significant provision has We have in the previous budget been made for union conference In reporting on the past year about period operated effectively and well costs and officers’ professional non-financial/non-budget matters so that at the end of the 2010/2011 development. it has, from my perspective, financial year we are able to been a period of growth and acknowledge the positive state The budget also incorporates an challenge industrially and a period of our union’s of increased “The 2011/2012 budget is predicated on maturity for our financial situation with consistent net membership growth over members. a balanced budget. ecruitment the next year and it will be necessary to Rand retention The 2011/2012 of graduates, commit our resources to ensuring that and employees b u d g e t anticipates an new to the nonstrong growth is achieved.” exciting period government of membership growth and the allocation for provisions for long sector, needs to be maintained as demands associated with collective service leave, asset replacement, a priority so that a culture of union negotiations occurring in Catholic, legal contingency fund, commercial is maintained.

Anglican and Lutheran sectors as bill repayment as well as membership well as other sites. monitoring.

Education of members continues to be a focus for organisers.

D e s p i t e i n c r e a s e s i n c o s t s The 2011/2012 budget is predicated generally and with very significant on consistent net membership This education has been about increases to costs associated growth over the next year and it industrial issues and skill building with postage, electricity, and will be necessary to commit our as well as professional issues and fleet maintenance costs we have resources to ensuring that strong this will continue as we move in to projected a balanced budget for the growth is achieved. collective negotiations in multiple 2011/2012 requiring only a 2 per sectors once again. cent wage increase to membership Consequently member recruitment fees. a n d r e t e n t i o n w i l l n e e d t o Members as a collective are be a focus and priority in the b e g i n n i n g t o i n t e r n a l i s e a n Significant allocations have been 2011-2012 calendar years for us understanding of, and belief in, made for industrial campaign all. the moral rightness of collective

power in action.

This is particularly so in sectors where collective agreement negotiations will occur and is also occurring in other sectors and single-site situations.

Members are being assisted to take steps to exercise power through union.

This is an experience that will need to be fostered, supported and nurtured in our membership in 2012.

The 2011/2012 year will be one of challenges, excitement and growth for our union.

We have the resources, especially in committed members and officers, to meet those challenges to bring about more rewarding workplaces and a fairer society.

Paul Giles Assistant General Secretary/ Treasurer

Members celebrate World Teachers’ Day IEUA-QNT members have used World Teachers’ Day to unite and campaign for equality in the workplace, as well as to reflect on the importance of quality education for children and communities everywhere.

To acknowledge the importance of the day, IEUA-QNT Chapters held morning teas to say ‘thank you’ to teachers for all the work they do with students, the community and to ensure high quality teacher professionals into the future.

Chapters also collected gold coin donations to raise funds for the Salesian Mission and The Christian Brothers in East Timor.

This year World Teachers’ Day, themed Teachers for Gender Equity, was used as a reminder to our colleagues across the country and worldwide that despite the many gains made by women, pay inequity is still an issue.

Although the teaching profession is made up largely of women, inequality remains an issue for millions of female teachers around the world.

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that the average woman working full time earns 83 cents for every $1 earned by a man.

By 2019, on average, women will have half the amount of superannuation savings that men have.

While the vast majority of IEUA-QNT members receive equitable conditions and salaries due to our collective bargaining power and current funding arrangements, it is vital to ensure what we have already achieved is protected.

In the face of the developing national agenda, the collective strength of our union will be critical to ensure appropriate outcomes in gender equality.

ABOVE: Loreto College Chapter celebrate World Teachers Day and Day For Daniel by wearing red and enjoying morning tea with colleagues at the Brisbane school RIGHT: The Chapter at St Ursula’s College, Yeppoon raised $75 in funds towards the Salesian Mission and The Christian Brothers in East Timor

Now celebrated in over 100 countries, World Teachers’ Day was inaugurated in 1994 as a way to formally recognise the contributions our competent, qualified and motivated teachers make to the community.

right to free education for all.

An important international focus of World Teachers’ Day remains the

Both internationally and at home, teacher unionists have accepted

While education has been acknowledged as a fundamental human right for 60 years, it is still denied to millions of people around the world.

a responsibility to speak out for gender equality and quality education in the interests of students and in support of our profession.

IEUA-QNT are to be commended for their particpation in these activities on World Teachers’ Day.

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The Independent Voice

November 2011

Northern Territory News Collective bargaining updates Milkwood Steiner School Employees at the Milkwood Steiner School are well on the way to achieving the school’s first collective agreement, following staff endorsement of a draft log of claims.

Employees are currently covered by provisions outlined in the Modern National Award; a collective agreement is the only way to provide employees with enhanced wages and conditions that adequately values the work they perform.

The endorsed log of claims includes a range of enhanced provisions such as: wages rates comparable to those offered

in the Northern Territory public sector; school officer and services staff wages that will be increased by the same percentage as teacher wages; a contemporary school officer classification matrix; an hours of duty provision; additional pupil free days to alleviate work intensification pressures; recognition of experienced teachers; and enhanced leave entitlements including an increase to the amount of paid parental leave.

IEUA-QNT organiser Camille Furtado said the proposed agreement was an essential step towards adequate wages and conditions that were in line with those of similar schools in the Top End.

Kormilda College In negotiations for a new collective agreement employer representatives at Kormilda College have released a draft document which removes several existing conditions and fails to include a number of matters which the school wants to consign to ‘policy.’

Whilst the employer has the right to put forward its suggested changes to the current document, employees should in no way feel obligated to accept their position outright. Employee representatives have developed a log of claims which include:

• teacher and support staff wage structures to maintain benchmark professional rates of pay and ensure Kormilda College is positioned as an employer of choice; • clearer boundaries on important issues such as hours of duty and contact and noncontact time; • enhanced family friendly provisions; and • access to relevant professional development in line with NT Board of Teacher Registration guidelines.

The collective agreement expires on 31 December 2011.

Lutheran sector IEUA-QNT representatives have held a teleconference with the employer in November to identify the status of the negotiations. A number of amendments proposed by employee representatives have been accepted.

The employer has tabled a revised employer position on wages, including: a payment increase proposed for 1 August 2012; T6 will be accessed on the basis of having attained Lutheran Accreditation; and Highly

Accomplished Teacher will mirror the AST criteria based classification. An intention to introduce a Lead Teacher provision in the next agreement has also been considered.

Discussions regarding types of engagement, hours of work, boarding provisions and a review on schedules have yet to be fully reviewed. Consideration still needs to be given to an appropriate resolution of the inclusion of camp attendance in the hours of duty for teachers.

Members participate in remote area survey IEUA-QNT members in remote schools across the Northern Territory and Queensland have participated in a survey to investigate the current status of housing in remote areas.

is limited for a number of reasons, ascertaining what is best practice and where deficiencies lie will allow our chapters to campaign for improvements,” Nick said.

The survey, to review the concerns remote area members have regarding accommodation and conditions, covered a range of topics for members to consider. The quality and condition of housing, functionality of share arrangements, the risk of asbestos material in structures and identification of improved repair maintenance was considered by members.

“The remote housing initiative, along with quarterly teleconferences, has allowed our union to effectively respond to the needs of isolated members.”

While employers have done much to improve housing provisions over recent years, the survey has helped to identify remaining deficiencies.

IEUA-QNT lead organiser Nick Holliday said remote members in over 20 schools are currently provided with housing as part of their conditions.

“As the housing provision in many communities

The results of the survey will allow our union to best address the needs of our remote area members and take action. For any questions regarding the survey, contact Nick Holliday on FREECALL 1800 351 996.

ABOVE: Staff at Nyangatjatjara College, including Chris Harvey and Sharon Sigley from the Yulara Campus, with Rachel Muller and Marty Kendall from the Imanpa Campus, gathered at the Yulara Campus in October to discuss the remote area survey and other issues of concern to the Chapter. Members at the Docker River campus connected to the meeting by teleconference

EVENTS DIARY Marist College Ashgrove Professional Learning Conference Teaching and Learning - Adapting To The Challenges Of A Contemporary Educational Environment - a conference with a focus on assessment, curriculum, data driven analysis, pedagogy and reporting.

The conference will include keynote speakers: Lesley Englert, Queensland Representative to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) - Authentic curriculum renewal within the context of the Australian Curriculum; and Ralph Pirozzo, Educational Consultant, Promoting Learning International – Differentiated learning and developing high order thinking skills in the context of the Australian Curriculum.

Cross-curricular and also KLA specific workshops facilitated by practitioners and educational specialists: curriculum

planning to implement the Australian Curriculum; aligning quality assessment with the Australian Curriculum; development of higher order thinking skills; use of technology to support learning; teaching strategies to engage students in learning; analysis of school based data to maximise student learning; educational resources.

QSA 2012 Conference Each year, the Queensland Studies Authority hosts a conference aimed at education professionals. The conference is an important professional development and networking opportunity, covering a range of topics and themes across the early childhood years to Year 12.

The conference will be held on Monday, 27 February 2012 from 8am-3pm at Marist College Ashgrove.

QSA’s 2012 conference is titled Shaping teaching and learning: The assessment factor and will be held on 26 and 27 April, 2012 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Register your expression of interest in attending this conference on the College website through the Conference webpage www.marash.qld.edu.au or email conference@marash.qld.edu.au.

For further queries, please contact Alana Armitage on 3858 4574 or email armitagea@marash.qld.edu.au .

In the two-day conference program the Kindergarten and Early Years Forum and the Leadership in Education Forum will be held on day one, with both days offering a broad range of events aimed at Kindergarten to Year 12 educators.

For more information on how to register, visit www.qsa.qld.edu.au

Fragrant food tour for teachers Former union member and retired teacher Barb Brown is offering all current and former teachers the opportunity to take part in a fragrant food tour in 2011/2012. Participants will have the opportunity to try local food and identify subtropical edibles such as choy sum, rau ram, durian, jicama and daikon.

The food tour costs $20 which includes a booklet of drawings of edibles. The tour takes place in Inala and is approximately one to two hours long.

For more information please contact Barbara, who also has qualifications in Agricultural Science and the Arts, on 3379 1532.

Simpson Prize The Simpson Prize, conducted by the History Teachers’ Association of Australia together with HTAA state affiliates, gives year 9 and 10 students the opportunity to participate in a nationwide essay competition, with the chance to win a trip to Turkey as well as a prepatory trip to Canberra.

Students must write an essay of 900 to 1,200 words, or prepare an audio-visual presentation of not more than 15 minutes, on Why has Australian commemoration of ANZAC Day increased in popularity in recent years? Entries slose 9 December 2011. To find out more, visit www.simpsonprize.org

The Independent Voice

November 2011

9

School officers celebrate their contribution to education School officers have been acknowledged for the variety of essential and diverse roles they play in schools in this year’s School Officer Day celebration.

IEUA-QNT Chapters throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory were encouraged to say ‘thank you’ to school officers for their efforts in enriching our school communities on this important day with special morning teas at each school.

School Officer Day is a day for all members to get together and show school officers how much their vital and varied work is valued.

It is also a chance for members to show employers the deep and widespread respect for school officers that exists throughout school communities.

It was especially important to recognise the work school officers play in schools this year

as school officers have been involved in the Recognise, Reclassify and Reward campaign.

This campaign has provided school officers with education and training about the importance of having a contemporary and accurate position description, and, in turn, the knowledge to ensure their position is correctly classified.

By joining together with teachers and other school employees who are IEUA-QNT members, school officers can grow the strength of their collective voice and influence the outcome of negotiations and issues affecting their work.

To view further School Officer Day photos visit www.qieu.asn.au

St Mary’s Primary School, Maryborough

St Josephs Gayndah

St Patrick’s College, Gympie

Ipswich Girls Grammar Junior School

All Saints’ Boonah

Gilroy Santa Maria College, Ingham

Siena Catholic Primary School

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, North Ward

St Francis Xavier College

St Mary’s College, Maryborough

School officer recognised with Emma Miller Award Lourdes Hill College laboratory technician and union member Bernadette Murray has been honoured with our union’s nomination for the 2011 Emma Miller Award.

evidenced by her integral involvement as a general member on union council.

Bernadette has played a vital role in the school officer campaign in 2001 and again in the reclassification campaign this year.

The Emma Miller Awards were established by the Queensland Council of Unions (QCU) to recognise women who have made a significant contribution as an activist in their union. Emma Miller was a leading activist who did much to argue in Queensland for women’s social, political and economic rights.

From participating in three Single Bargaining Unit’s as a representative for The Independent Catholic Girls Schools over the years to being actively involved with various sector-wide union campaigns, Bernadette has also worked quietly behind the scenes to help others.

The Brisbane school officer’s passion for our union began over a decade ago and her commitment has not waned, as

In true Emma Miller spirit, Bernadette said: “I try to help others to realise the importance of unions without being

overbearing...(to) show what we have acheived by our combined efforts which an individual can not do on their own.”

Bernadette said she felt humbled that a school officer was honoured for the award.

“It shows how far we have come from when I first joined QIEU; school officers now have a career path. We are a part of our union not just a little group on the side.

It shows our union appreciates us and the support we give to teachers,” she said.

The Emma Miller Awards and dinner on 4 November was hosted by QCU, providing an opportunity to recognise the pioneering spirit of this woman.

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The Independent Voice

November 2011

Members network at ELICOS meeting The English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) Industry Network meeting has become a vital tool for members to have their say in matters which affect their working lives and conditions.

In October the meeting saw important issues raised and discussed with 12 members from various colleges present.

Dominating discussions were the recent changes to the Educational Services (Post Secondary Education) Award 2010 which covers employees in ELICOS and business colleges.

The differences between the former ELICOS Award and the Modern Award was highlighted, as well as the addition of a transitional rate of pay for employees now available under the new Award.

IEUA-QNT lead organiser Nick Holliday said transitional rates were an inclusion advocated for by

employer groups, allowing for the phasing in of changes to Award wage rates over five years.

However, these arrangements, coupled with Fair Work Australia not publishing definitive wage schedules for the ELICOS and business college sector, had led to significant confusion in the sector, he said.

“The recent changes to the Award have meant little real change for employees in the ELICOS and Business College sector. In order to make any major advances in wages and conditions, members need to work collectively alongside our union to start a collective agreement,” Nick said.

The issue of classification of ELICOS and business college teachers was also raised, with particular reference to the removal of the cap for Category C teachers, who can now access all 12 pay levels under the Award.

The effect of student numbers on

IAL ADVERTOR

Mind the Gap The SUPER gender gap With average retirement payouts in the region of $136,000 for men and only $63,000 for women1 it is clear that when it comes to retirement savings, there is a distinct ‘gender gap’. Throw into the bargain that women have longer life expectancies than men2 and it can be argued that women need more savings than men to fund a comfortable retirement.

Why the gap?

Super was designed for people who have a full working life, not those who take extended periods out of the workforce.

A 2011 study from the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST) found that four out of five of the women in the study took a career break during their lives to raise children, the average length of the break being 13 years. The outcome was, that of the women in the survey who had super, only six per cent said their money lasted more than 10 years; 43 per cent said it lasted less than one year3.

Let’s look at the numbers: If you leave the workforce at age 35 for 10 years and you’re a professional woman

earning $80,000, you’re actually giving up over $380,000 in super, compounded over 30 years, earning just 7.5 per cent investment earnings4.

In addition to career breaks, Australian women (statistically speaking) earn less than Australian men. In August 2010, the Australian gender pay gap was 16.9 per cent5. Plus, women are more likely to undertake part-time or casual work which reduces their ability to earn and contribute to their retirement savings (in 2008/09 85 per cent of men worked full time compared with 55 per cent of women6).

Bridging the gap Salary Sacrifice Salary Sacrifice is when your employer pays part of your before-tax salary into your super. Topping up your superannuation with salary sacrifice contributions may also provide you with tax savings right now by lowering your taxable income level.

You can salary sacrifice as much – or as little – as you like. But there are certain conditions that could affect the amount you choose to salary sacrifice^.

Salary sacrifice works best when your

ABOVE: IEUA-QNT growth team organiser Pauline Elphinstone speaks with ELICOS members David Wicks and Paul Knight college viability, superannuation entitlements, hours of duty for full-time staff and the collective bargaining process was also discussed.

Members attending the meeting were educated on the importance of engaging colleagues back at school to take advantage of the new collective bargaining rights by fostering a collective culture of member support through an educated staff.

“They’re (Women) missing out on contributions and compounding interest and it absolutely kills their super” The chief executive of AIST, Fiona Reynolds7

marginal income tax rate is more than 15 per cent. If you earn less than $35,000 p.a.*, your income and super tax rates may be the same, so salary sacrifice may not give you an added advantage. Instead, making after-tax super contributions may be better for you because you may be eligible for a Government Co-contribution of up to $1,000 in 2011/2012.

For more information visit qiec.com.au, click on Members, then Grow your Super, then Salary Sacrifice.

Certain requirements do apply for this scheme, so it’s best you read the QIEC Super Co-Contribution Fact Sheet on our website for more information: qiec.com.au, click on Members, then Grow your Super, then Government Co-contribution.

Spouse contributions Contributing to your spouse’s super might make sense if your spouse has a low income or does not work at all.

By making a spouse contribution, you can receive a tax rebate of up to $540 each financial year. Conditions apply

so please visit qiec.com.au, click on Members, then Grow your Super, then Spouse Contributions.

Contribution Splitting Contribution Splitting is where your spouse can transfer up to 85 per cent of his/her past year’s concessional contributions to your account (or vice versa) – this can help to keep yours and your partner’s super accounts even.Conditions apply so visit qiec.com.au, click on Members, then Grow your Super, then Contribution Splitting.

Government co-contribution You may have heard of the Government Co-Contribution but you might not know what it is. It’s really quite simple.

If your gross income* is $31,920 or less in the 2011/12 financial year and you contribute $1,000 (after tax) into your QIEC Super account, the Government will match your contribution by 100 per cent. That’s an additional $1,000 into your super account.

Where your total income * is over $31,920, the co-contribution payable will reduce by 3.333 cents for each dollar your income* is over $31,920.

It will reduce to zero at an income* of $61,920.

1

5

aspx. figures from 2005-06 financial year.

Files/PE_STATS.pdf

2

6

(The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia Limited, Retirement savings update (2008). www.superannuation.asn.au/Reports/default. http://www.aihw.gov.au/life-expectancy-how-australia-compares/

3

http://www.aist.asn.au/media/74552/2011_superpoor_but_surviving_web.pdf Super-poor, but surviving, experiences of Australian women in retirement. AIST 2011

4

ABOVE: IEUA-QNT members Paola Carino and Catherine Duck from Kaplan Aspect with Judith White from Browns take part in the EIN meeting

Assumptions: the figures provided assume the member had an opening balance of $50,000 at age 35 and an ongoing salary of $80,000 until age 65. The results do not take any fees, tax or inflation into account. The results allow for an SG contribution rate of 9% employer SG contributions and that no contributions are made during the 10 year break from employment. The results allow for a 7.5% investment return. During the 10 year break the balance of the members account continues to earn an investment return of 7.5%. http://www.moneysmart.gov.au/tools-and-resources/ calculators-and-tools/superannuation-calculator

Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency. Pay Equity Statistics. Australian Government, 2010. http://www.eowa.gov.au/Pay_Equity/

Year Book Australia 2009 – 10 “Men were more likely than women to work full time (85% compared with 55%) http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/ abs@.nsf/Lookup/D1627ABE11C4B12CCA25773700169C6A.”

7

http://www.theage.com.au/money/super-and-funds/unequal-opportunity-20110705-1gzif.html

*

Income is defined as assessable income plus reportable fringe benefits plus reportable employer superannuation contributions (RESC). RESC is generally superannuation contributions which you have asked your employer to make as salary sacrifice (before tax) or additional employer contributions (in addition to Superannuation Guarantee or award contributions) paid on your behalf as part of a remuneration package. Consult your employer to identify your likely RESC for the financial year.

^

Before-tax contributions count towards your concessional contributions cap. Any contributions over the cap may be subject to extra tax.

The Independent Voice TE: UPDA

November 2011

11

A national outlook in education for 2012 and beyond MySchool

Australian Curriculum A t t h e 1 3 th m e e t i n g o f t h e Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA) on 14 October, ministers endorsed the F-10 achievement standards in English, Mathematics, History and Science.

For IEUA-QNT members who are used to working with the Queensland or Northern Territory Essential Learnings, the construction of

assessment tasks which cover elements contained in the Australian Curriculum standards should be reasonably straightforward.

This is notwithstanding the time it takes to become familiar with the new documents and to ensure that work programs address the requirements thoroughly.

Additional support to teachers will be provided in the form of samples

Trial on the Model for Identifying Students with a Disability At the MCEECDYA meeting Australian education ministers missed an obvious opportunity to ensure that the implementation of the new model measures the actual resources needed to properly educate students with disabilities.

Our union has long argued that the learning needs of these students should be fully met. While we have welcomed the extra investments the federal government has put into helping provide disability services

into schools, there is so much more that can and should be done.

Currently there is a substantial shortfall in the level of resources and support available for disabled children in non-government schools compared to the government sector as a consequence of funding decisions.

Without appropriate levels of funding real educational equality for disabled students cannot occur.

of student work which illustrate achievement for each standard.

These are due to be available on the Australian Curriculum website in December 2011.

The standards are located after the content descriptions for each year level on the Australian Curriculum website: www.australiancurriculum.edu. au .

relevant to their needs.”

From 1 January 2013 people seeking to become registered teachers will do so under a recently agreed nationally consistent approach which is based on the national Professional Standards for Teachers.

Recent discussions with officials of the Queensland College of Teachers revealed that Queensland will no longer require the 200 days for ‘recency of practice’ but will adopt the 100 days indicated in the national registration document. The same will apply for professional development (see box at right).

The elements of the nationally consistent approach to teacher registration include requirements for initial registration, change in registration status, renewal of registration, discipline and de-registration, suitability to teach, English language proficiency and mutual recognition. Details of the minimum requirements will be available on the AITSL website, www.aitsl.edu.au .

While there are some differences between the national requirements and what Queensland and the Northern Territory currently require of teachers, the Minister for Education in Queensland, Cameron Dick, has stated that “these elements represented minimum standards and that jurisdictions [are] able to strengthen the requirements

Teachers in Queensland will be interested to note that the national requirement for ‘recency of practice’ is 100 days over the five year period, whereas the Queensland requirement is 200 days.

Instead of the 30 hours per year leading to 150 hours over the five year period, the quantum will be reduced to 20 hours per year.

However, the situation for part time teachers is yet to be clarified.

Furthermore, professional development activities have to be ‘referenced to the National Professional Standards for Teachers.’ There will be a period of transition from Queensland Standards to the National Standards for these purposes.

Teachers in the Northern Territory are currently required to complete 180 days to satisfy ‘recency of practice’ not the 100 in the national approach, while their professional development requirements match

The survey materials for parents and students that officers of our union have seen are highly unlikely to produce reliable data about the efficacy of schools. On a national site that purports to provide reliable data that parents can use to select a school for their children, it is hard to see how the opinions of those individuals who can be persuaded to complete school satisfaction surveys will contribute to a true picture of a school.

and school inspections.

and territories, but he has refused.”

Our union will call on state and territory education ministers to demand Minister Garrett and the federal government speak with teachers and experts, and look at the full weight of evidence on performance pay for teachers.

Performance Pay Australian education ministers have seriously let down the teachers in their jurisdictions by failing to reject the federal government’s flawed teacher performance pay scheme.

Federal Secretary of the IEU, Chris Watt, said such a performance pay scheme would mean teachers are competing against other teachers for a one-off bonus, and performance will unjustly be measured using data from the NAPLAN student assessment exam, parent and student opinion

National Teacher Registration The nationally “consistent approach” to teacher registration will not lead to national consistency as each jurisdiction is able to require more of teachers and prospective teachers than the minimum national requirements.

During the MCEECDYA meeting ministers also considered a progress report from ACARA on the School Opinion Survey – a survey of parents, teachers and, possibly, students, the results from which would be published on the MySchool website. It was agreed that a national pilot will be undertaken in October and November 2011 and ACARA is scheduled to report to MCEECDYA on the outcomes from the pilot in early 2012.

the quantum of hours at the national level. It is not yet clear how Northern Territory teachers will satisfy both the national requirement to reference professional development to their standards while at the same time meeting current requirements in the Northern Territory. It is to be hoped that teachers will not have to do the referencing against two sets of standards.

Matters relevant to those in both jurisdictions include the requirement that “proficiency has been maintained against the National Professional Standards for Teachers.”

In Queensland, the QCT has indicated that current assumptions about the proficiency of teachers will continue to apply; that is, if a teacher has not been dismissed from their employment it is assumed they maintained proficiency or are being supported to do so.

Teachers will be required to keep all supporting documentation relevant to renewal of their registration so that it is available for audit by the regulatory authority if required.

Our union will continue to take an active role in monitoring the implementation of the nationally consistent teacher registration processes.

In September 2010, the IEU asked the Australian government to engage in a genuine dialogue with teachers to come up with the best way to recognise and reward high quality teaching and learning.

According to Mr Watt: “The answer appears to be ‘no’.”

“The IEU has requested Minister Garrett openly discuss recommendations and working papers under consideration by state

The IEU and the teachers we represent want a system that recognises teaching excellence over the long-term by increasing pay and giving teachers the recognition for the vital work they do in educating Australia’s children.

QCT: Changes to ‘recency of practice’ policy Current policy which applies until the end of 2011 states that only teaching in Queensland may be considered for ‘recency of practice’ purposes when teachers apply for renewal of their full registration.

renewal has been processed and you have received your approval notice. If your interstate teaching meets specific criteria (available on the QCT website www.qct. edu.au ) you may be eligible for the review.

However, from 1 January 2012, teachers who apply for renewal or restoration of their registration will have teaching in other Australian states and territories recognised as equivalent to teaching in a Queensland setting. Furthermore, teachers with other experience which they can demonstrate meets specific criteria can apply for a review of the ‘Returning to Teaching’ condition on their registration.

From 1 January 2012 those who have practised as a teacher in Queensland and/or taught in a recognised school interstate for one year (or 200 days) in the five-year registration period will satisfy ‘recency of practice’ requirements.

What does this mean for you?

Teachers who apply for renewal/ restoration of registration before 1 January 2012 cannot include interstate teaching as part of the one year (200 days) of teaching required for ‘recency of practice’.

If you do not have 200 days of teaching in a Queensland setting and if registration is renewed, your registration will have a ‘Returning to Teaching’ condition applied.

However, if your interstate teaching would bring you up to the 200 days you may be able to apply for a review of the ‘returning to teach’ condition. You should wait until your application for

For those who do not meet these requirements, and who believe they have other teaching experience which meets the specific criteria set out by the College, the same process of applying for review of the renewal decision as above should be followed: wait for the decision of the College; if registration is renewed with a ‘returning to teach’ condition then you may be eligible for the review and should follow the processes outlined on the College website.

12

The Independent Voice

November 2011

IEUA-QNT honours o John (Max) MacDermott Award (Individual) Mark Ellingham, Somerville House Mark Ellingham of Somerville House (right) has been recognised for his diligence, thorough understanding of education issues and consultative approach to his colleagues with the awarding of the John (Max) MacDermott Award for 2011.

Mark has worked with tenacity and focus as the staff representative on the Somerville House Executive, in particular over the past two years through the collective bargaining processes and the collective agreement’s implementation through the school’s Consultative Committee.

Whilst offering balanced representation of his Chapter’s views, he has worked to progress the issues of hours of duty, backpay, work intensification, leave

access, and Accomplished Teacher provisions.

Mark is a strong advocate for the interests of his Chapter members and has a systematic and thorough approach to ensure the interests of staff across the school are represented.

As an active participant in the PMSA network, he has invested considerable amounts of his own time to data analysis, consultation with his own Executive and Chapter to the benefit of the PMSA network.

Denis Kettle (below right) of St Mary’s College, Maryborough, Terese O’Brien of St Anthony’s School, Kedron and Heather Cowan of Ipswich Girls Grammar School were also nominated for the prestigious award.

Denis Kettle was nominated for his commitment of building a culture of unionism not only in his workplace, but throughout the schools in the Fraser Coast area. Terese O’Brien was nominated for her active commitment to her Chapter by working to advocate for their interests and by promoting the values of the collective.

Commended for her 23 years as a union member, Heather Cowan was nominated for her ability to provide advice to members on workplace issues, her involvement in negotiations and mentoring of other activists within the Chapter.

The John (Max) MacDermott Award was established to recognise the outstanding contribution to union activism of this respected teacher at Mercy College, Mackay.

John (Max) MacDermott Award (Chapter Executive or Network) St Joseph’s School, North Ward St Joseph’s School, North Ward has been awarded the John (Max) MacDermott Award for working diligently through prevalent issues at the school and helping to assist members in addressing these issues with the school’s leadership team.

The Chapter has been significantly strengthened by acting together, maintaining their rights to act collectively; the Chapter are now a stronger network of members because of this.

The Chapter has: • held lunchtime meetings to discuss issues collectively and persistently followed up their Chapter motions with the Principal;

Ruth George Award Barbara Paterson, St Mary’s Catholic College, Kingaroy Barbara Paterson (right) has been recognised for her determination and high levels of organisational skills with the awarding of the Ruth George School Officer Award for 2011.

The St Mary’s Catholic College laboratory technician has demonstrated perserverance and influence amongst her colleagues, in particular educating members on the appropriate procedures for school officer reclassification.

Barbara regularly promotes school officer action and the benefits of becoming a union member to colleagues, encouraging an open dialogue of concerns on issues felt amongst school officers.

For many years Barbara has acted as the convenor for school officers

by attending all Chapter meetings to ensure all school officers had a voice.

Also nominated for the award was St Joseph’s School, North Ward, teacher aide Juanita Vaudrey (below right, being presented with her award nomination by General Secretary Terry Burke).

Juanita has worked tirelessly with her Chapter as a staff representative and network coordinator on the Chapter Executive, representing school officer’s interests and advocating their interests at the school level.

Juanita has assisted other school officers by disseminating union information relevant to school officers and has advocated with her Principal and CEO on workplace health and

safety issues.

The Ruth George Award honours the memory of Ruth George who, along with her union colleagues, played a key role in re-establishing the provisions in the award covering non-government school assistant mistresses in the mid-1930s following the removal of conditions by the then industrial tribunal as part of the now discredited Premiers plan response to the Great Depression.

• called on members as a Chapter to discuss issues as a collective; and • acted on behalf of teacher aides with Workplace Health and Safety issues.

St Joseph’s School Chapter Executive members Gail Woodward and Juanita Vaudrey were awarded the John (Max) MacDermott Award by IEUA-QNT Branch Secretary Terry Burke (left) during a recent visit to Townsville.

The Chapter are to be commended for their outstanding contribution to union activism at the school and for ensuring that issues of concerns to members were properly and appropriately represented.

The Independent Voice

November 2011

13

our achievers in 2011 Elizabeth McCall Award Karyl Young, Emmaus College, Rockhampton The Elizabeth McCall Award for 2011 has been awarded to Karyl Young of Emmaus College (right) in recognition of her activism and for ensuring her colleagues are educated on issues relating to their working rights and conditions.

Karyl has been involved in various union activities ranging from a school level through to activities at a Branch level in her 20 year involvement with IEUA-QNT. She has a deep understanding of the importance of developing union culture within her workplace and always strives to achieve this.

Karyl uses regular Chapter meetings

to discuss issues of concern to staff and always takes the time to speak to members to develop a collective culture at the Chapter.

Her ability to empower individual members with knowledge and understanding to rectify issues confronting them in the workplace is appreciated by the entire school Chapter.

St Joseph’s School, North Ward, staff representative Gail Woodward (below right) was also nominated.

Gail works tirelessly as a staff representative not only to educate and support her colleagues on major issues they have faced, but she also

promotes women’s rights at work through the coordination of the IEUAQNT Women’s Forum Network.

The Elizabeth McCall Award was established to honour inspirational union member and activist Elizabeth McCall who died in a tragic accident in 2006. This award recognises those who demonstrate a findamental commitment to the principles of unionism and in particular give expression to the pursuit of social justice in our schools and community.

The Founders Award Heather Cowan, Ipswich Girls Grammar School and Phil Cash, former Principal IEUA-QNT members Heather Cowan of Ipswich Girls Grammar School and former Principal Phil Cash have been awarded the Founders Award for 2011.

The award, established in recognition of those who founded our union on the principles of dignity, respect, fairness and collective solidarity, was awarded for the first time in 2010.

Teacher Heather Cowan has been an active union member for over 23 years, the staff representative at the school since 2006 and is currently the Moreton Branch Network Coordinator.

As an active unionist Heather has given members advice, represented members on workplace issues, been involved in collective bargaining negotiations and has mentored and encouraged other activists within the Chapter.

Former Toowoomba Principal Phil Cash has been an active union member for decades, only being outside our union when the industrial rules of the time forced him out. Alternating between Principal and teacher positions in Toowoomba since the 1960s, Phil currently now works in contract positions including teacher and Acting Principalships.

IEUA-QNT bursary winners for 2012 Griffith University student Ellen Collins has been awarded the John Nash Bursary Award for 2011.

The bursary, awarded for the first time in 2009 to celebrate our union’s 90th anniversary, is awarded each year to an outstanding student studying an education degree at university to become an inspiring teacher.

Ellen, studying for a Bachelor of Education – Special Education said she wanted to become a teacher as she has a passion for working with children to help them learn.

“I find it rewarding to see students progress and achieve with the help of teachers. I am fortunate to have had a positive schooling experience, which has encouraged me to explore my teaching interests further,” she said.

The $2,000 bursary will benefit Ellen in her continued study through text books purchases and educational resources that have been recommended by course convenors as useful tools for her future practicums and classrooms.

The education bursary recipients were awarded $1,000 to be used for education associated expenses such as text books, computer technology and payment of their HECS/HELP debt.

Together with the awarding of the John Nash Bursary Award, five other university students were awarded education bursaries at the QIEU Annual General Meeting in October.

The award was named after John James Nash (1947-2006), an extraordinary teacher who played a significant role in our union.

The recipients were Danniell Bryson from Central Queensland University (above right), Janeen Leadbetter from University of Southern Queensland and Vicki Farley from Griffith University (right, with President Andrew Elphinstone), Glenn Cameron from Griffith University and Olivia Holmes who will commence university at the Australian Catholic University in 2012.

Having played an important part in building capacity as a union in the 1980s, John ensured the continued strength of the Chapter at St Laurence’s College, Brisbane, by educating and inspiring new staff to become active union members.

These awards were established to benefit the relatives of current or past union members.

Growing up in a family where his father was “a strong industrial relationshiporientated person,” Phil has always seen the value in being a member of a union.

Phil epitomised a calm and sensible approach to ensure that negotiations on industrial issues were completed amicably. He always encouraged all staff members, teachers and auxillary members to become active members of our union.

Phil said he felt “grateful and honoured to receive this award for something which I have always valued.”

14

The Independent Voice

November 2011

IEU representatives meet at the Edmund Rice Education Australia Conference The inaugural conference for Independent Education Union activists in Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA)was held in October.

Sixty participants in more than 30 EREA schools across Australia came together to reflect on their work as union activists and to discuss problem solving strategies within the ethos of Edmund Rice schools and the charter for EREA schools.

IEU Assistant Federal Secretary Christine Cooper said the IEU Federal Organising and Campaigning committee believed it would be beneficial to bring IEU activists from EREA chapters around the country together, considering the EREA is establishing national governance for all Christian Brothers schools.

“Making an opportunity for members across EREA schools nationally to strengthen their organising skills and develop networks within their chapters and across schools nationally is essentially important as the EREA organisation develops,” she said.

As well as providing an opportunity for members to network on a national level, the conference aimed to identify the current nature of union culture within Edmund Rice schools and develop opportunities for strengthening this culture within Chapters in the future.

Strategies were discussed that could be utilised by representatives to increase member recruitment and improve communication to members.

Changes to the national employing body Edmund Rice Australia,

were also identified and how the changes may impact on members in schools.

A pre-conference dinner was also held where Executive Director of EREA Wayne Tinsey and Federal President of IEU Dick Shearman spoke on the importance of union values and the natural synergy that exists between the Edmund Rice tradition and trade union values.

In his speech to EREA activists, Wayne Tinsey referred to the work of IEU and its long history of activism around issues which affect not just the industrial and professional rights of IEU members, but also the legal, political and human rights which must prevail in any democratic and civil society.

“This is the core of what we would hope any of our Edmund Rice schools should profess and advocate for,” he said.

In addition, Dick Shearman reminded members of the essential nature of federal government funding for non-government schools, particularly those schools within Edmund Rice Education Australia.

Dick said the focus of the conference was on delegates’ rights and practices.

“Our union is about making a difference and members need to have the confidence and the rights to make that difference.”

The conference also provided activists with an opportunity to discuss what they had in common as well as attend workshops on: • dealing with parental complaints as a Chapter;

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“(The conference) provided a great opportunity to meet with others in the same position and to build solidarity across the country.

The exposure to ideas, strategies and structures that arose from networking with colleagues from other chapters gives us fresh insights into what works, and what is possible,” Chris said.

The upcoming enterprise bargaining negotiations were identified as an opportunity for EREA Chapters to work on strengthening these elements.

Chapter executives will now concentrate on developing

St James College colleague Simone Fleming said she “loved the opportunity and it was so great to

Queensland EREA members have called for the re-invigoration of the Queensland EREA Consultative Committee, a structure which was previously in place and was beneficial in ensuring collaborative working relationships between EREA schools.

Members have called upon EREA to commit to the re-establishment of the body.

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Teacher Chris Tooley from St James College said the guest speakers offered insightful and in-depth observations about the role of unions in schools.

Conference delegates indentified several key elements needed to develop a strong union presence within EREA schools, and determined that it was essential to have these elements in place at every chapter: a strong membership density; educated members; and a strong sense of collective identity.

membership growth strategies, identifying membership training programs with their organiser and strengthening networks within each chapter and across the wider EREA network in Queensland and across the country.

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Importantly, the day provided an opportunity to build and strengthen networks across the schools.

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The Independent Voice E ON UNIT @ ETY SAF K WOR

November 2011

15

Putting the Health back into Workplace Health and Safety

When we delve into the academic literature on how work and health interrelate, it is very easy to dismiss many of the concepts as being simply commonsense. Notions such as “good work is good for health and good health is good for work” are obvious. The problem is that this assumes that we as workers make sure we look after our health, just as it assumes the employer willingly accepts a role in making sure this happens. What seems to be missing in our workplaces is the practical link between the two.

As part of their participation in the National Partnership Agreement on Preventative Health, the Queensland government have released a number of papers that put some of these issues into perspective. This initiative identifies the important role that workplaces have to play in health promotion and this will feed into the “Healthy Workplace Charter” that is being developed by the Commonwealth with peak employer and union bodies.

There are a range of benefits to both workers and employers of having a workplace that is free from poor health, whether it is workrelated or not. As Trish Rooney states in her paper “workplaces are increasingly being targeted as places that must contribute positively towards health.”

However, while benefits to workers are direct and obvious, the benefits for employers are seen as less so.

The up-front cost to employers is often focussed on, without seeing the off-set long term cost savings that can be made in promoting good health. Our governments are now wanting to make sure both employers and workers understand that this is extremely important.

In Queensland, health and safety systems that focus on accident and injury prevention are well-established.

However, to date there has not been much acknowledgement of what can be done to improve personal health at work. Internationally, employers are recognising that people often spend more time at work than they do elsewhere and that health habits

developed at work can have positive and life-long benefits for all.

illness or injury and associated health compensation claim costs.

WHSQ have identified that one of the approaches to this issue stems from the notion that in considering workplace health and safety, you must consider health and wellness.

In the least, WHSQ believe there are points of overlap spanning the entire health spectrum, particularly related to fatigue, stress, ensuring access to good diet and nutrition and finding time for physical activity. WHSQ also identified the need for workers to pursue work-life balance.

As well as the direct financial benefits, this research showed that in cultivating a positive and responsible company image on health, employers gained loyalty from their workers as well as becoming best-practice employers that attract and retain quality recruits for vacant positions. It was identified that much was to be gained by employers looking beyond the cost of workplace health and instead looking toward the moral value of engaging in such positive initiatives.

There are demonstrated benefits in terms of increased productivity and improved performance for employers who do initiate good health at work policies. For example, we have seen significant cultural change resulting from the introduction of smoke-free workplaces. This did not occur without regulatory leadership. As governments saw the mounting health costs of smoking, particularly latent health issues, and the prospects of legal liability as the health impact of smoking became known to communities, there was a significant regulatory push to change the culture of thought around the issue. We are also seeing a similar trend now with the regulated changes in handling asbestos and in managing other toxic materials. Employers may still view these burdens as onerous and expensive; however, the costeffectiveness to both employment and community in addressing the issue now, rather than later, literally cannot be calculated. It is suffice to say that the long term cost and health benefits for all far outweigh any initial cost and it is likely to save lives.

So how do we do this? Of course, there is some opposition to the concept of workplace health promotion that remains a challenge in Australian workplaces. Issues such as disinterested management, the entrenched organisational culture, lack of engagement of workers, disputes around initiatives that will be beneficial and concerns about the long term commitment that is required will impact on the capacity for these programs to be successfully implemented .

WHSQ also identified significant research that demonstrates that improvements in worker health led to improved work satisfaction and creates more effective organisations.

This research went further to suggest a number of organisational benefits of promoting good health among workers: • enhanced productivity and performance; • increased staff retention; • reduced absenteeism; and • reduced likelihood of latent onset

In looking at matters internationally, we have to be cautious too. Much of the research relied on is from the USA and Canada. Many of these employers rely on conditions such as the provision of health insurance to attract and retain staff, and along with this is a well established culture of workplace health promotion. In Australia, we have different cultural values that need to be considered in the context of our workplaces. While we have enhanced conditions of employment in many areas compared to both the USA and Canada, our general health and well being is not something that features much in those present values.

The things that need to feature in a best practice model for workplace health promotion are: • the embedding of broader health promotion goals within existing workplace health and safety systems; • management involvement, support and endorsement - leadership must lead by example and mean what they say;

Principal honoured in Safe Work Awards IEUA-QNT member Chris Meadows has been awarded highly commended for ‘best individual contribution to workplace health and safety’ at the Queensland Safe Work Awards 2011.

implemented this system in which he has also provided relevant training to schools.

The Westside Christian College principal was honoured with the award during the Safe Work and Return to Work Awards ceremony during Safe Work Week at the end of October for the development of the SAFE Risk Management System.

“I did what I did to support the work of other Christian schools, especially those in regional centres for whom access to professional risk management advice specific to schools is limited.”

Since 2002 Chris has travelled throughout Queensland helping Christian schools with managing the risks associated with health and safety. During this time he developed the SAFE Risk Management System to manage health and safety risks for schools.

Chris said many other Christian schools have

Safe Work Week plays a vital role in spreading the message throughout the community that workplace safety is for everyone—we all have a role to play in cutting injury and death from the workplace.

• the need to integrate health and well being in to the basic workplace values and mission statements; • the inclusion and promotion of practical programs that visibly promote healthy lifestyle options to workers; • collaborative, consultative and participatory planning - engage workers in the planning and allow them to own it; • an awareness that worker health is the product of a range of interdependent factors between both work and life workers must commit at home as well as at work; • a system of monitoring and evaluating the progress of any health promotion program including the incorporation of specific workplace health promotion targets; and • the assurance of sustainability through long term commitment and realism - the notion that health promotion is life-long in everything we do both at work and elsewhere.

In managing workplace health promotion, the work of WHSQ has identified that we need to be cultivating a culture of workplace “health and well being”. The research shows that we have had an evolution of workplace health initiatives since the 1970s focussing on a range of different aspects of individual health.

However, probably due to liability issues, of late most initiatives have focussed specifically on worker safety and the regulator wants this to broaden.

If we know what we should do to improve health and safety in our workplace, we need to ask why we - as a community of workers and employers - are not making sure it is a priority in everything we do. It seems obvious that we should be doing everything we can to look after our general health and well being, but in

the context of work, we don’t always think about it.

WHSQ are saying that what is required is “serious top-down commitment.”

While employers in our sector may not be at the table on this issue just yet, we can be sure that the regulator is most certainly going to do what it can to improve worker health and deliver reduced costs to the health sector.

At the end of the day, it is our tax dollars that will pay. It is clear that respective governments, rightly or wrongly, are tired of paying for problems that could have been averted. It would seem they are now going to address this by referring the issue to its origins, encouraging good management practices in all workplaces and getting employers and workers to accept a broader sense of responsibility for health and well being.

Danielle Wilson IEUA-QNT Industrial Services Officer

References Part 1 “Worker Health and Wellbeing: An Emerging International WHS Issue” (2011) Rooney, Trish, Workplace Health and Safety Queensland

Part 2 “Putting the ‘Health’ Back into ‘Workplace Health and Safety’: Working Towards Effective Workplace Health Promotion Programs”

Special thanks to Trish Rooney and her team from the Workplace Health and Safety Queensland policy division for developing, authoring and providing us with the academic papers on which this article is based, and also for her individual contribution to this work.

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16

The Independent Voice

November 2011

2011 Literary Awards highlight skills of young writers Winners of the 2011 IEUA-QNT, English Teachers’ Association of Queensland (ETAQ) and James Cook University Literary Competition were presented with their awards at a ceremony at The Bardon Conference Centre on 12 October.

Those entering this year’s competition could submit either a short story and/or poetry piece, while students in Years 11 and 12 could also enter a work of non-fiction prose. Teachers could also enter the short story open category.

Now in its 52nd year, the competition gives students and teachers throughout the state an opportunity to practise their skills and be recognised and rewarded for their talents.

The competition was judged by members of ETAQ and JCU and the winning entrants were presented with their awards by author Brian Andrew (right) and ETAQ judge Geoff Ferguson.

This year 63 students and teachers from both government and non-government schools were acknowledged for their outstanding literary works.

The ceremony was attended by students, families and members of school communities from throughout Queensland.

Section D: Short Story - Years 6 & 7 Only Now

teeth, preparing for the kill.

A warm, golden light was cast over the water by the setting sun in the west. Little ripples broke out from various spots, giving glimpses away of the creatures below.

My prey was no more aware than I was of the other lioness taking advantage of the feast. We soon were, though. The herd had got back up on their feet again, and were fast trying to get away from the killer on the other side. Amidst all of their panic, they naturally headed in the opposite direction.

Straight towards me.

I moved towards the watering hole, and stole a glimpse of my reflection. Lions would usually look alike to a normal traveller or tourist, but not to us. We prided ourselves on our appearance, combing and grooming all day, before going out to hunt and show off. It was always the females going hunting, then bringing the zebra or gazelle home with no help at all. I daresay it was the same with humans.

I turned to my left, and saw the magnificent sun setting. Everything seemed to almost wave and shimmer under the still extreme heat of the African plains.

At first I thought it was just my imagination, but sure enough, a large black dot had appeared on the horizon. I looked down, and saw the rocks underneath me shaking and skittering around. As the minutes passed, you could just make out the stampeding hooves and wicked horns. Wildebeest.

A low growl rumbled in my throat, and as I leaped toward the oncoming herd, it evolved into an ear splitting roar. The wildebeest were startled by this, and soon they were all tangled up and no longer aware of anything except how to get back on track again. I slunk towards the nearest one, baring my

I must have been struck down quite hard, for the next few minutes consisted of nothing but blackness, and mind numbing pain that was slowly spreading from my neck down to my back. The pain must have been too great, because soon, everything was numb.

Thankfully, my eyes were already open, for if they were closed, I could not have opened them. I was lying on the ground, and I could just hear the clatter of thundering hooves in the distance. For now, the pain was too great to even think about hunger.

Perhaps life here in the plains had softened me up, because it was only now in this poorly state, that I noticed just how beautiful everything was. Just next to my nose was a flower, silently being pushed away with every painful, wheezing breath. It was so well hidden amongst the long dry grasses I hid in, it was almost impossible to see it, even from this position. A movement to the left caught my eye. A lizard scuttled across my nose, and looked me straight in the eye. I noticed how poised it was, how it seemed to

know what it was doing. Then with a flick of its tail, it disappeared among the grass.

I sighed. Only now did I realise all of the things I missed out on, being top of the food chain, and surviving in the wild. Only now did I think of how peaceful it really is here, instead of the bloodbath we turn it into each day, hunting and killing to survive. Only now, did I look to the sunset, and notice how everything seemed to wave and shimmer, bathing me in its golden glow. And only now, did I happily realise I was at peace, and slipped away, back to the eternal darkness.

Katharine Syvret, Holy Cross School

Section D: Poem winners LEFT: Zoe Brosnan from Kenmore State School, Isabella Moore from Benowa State Primary School, Harrison Guy who is home-schooled in Mount Tamborine and Aaron Keith from Kelvin Grove State College with guest presenter and author Brian Andrew

Section D: Short Story winners RIGHT: Gabrielle Neilson from St Kevin’s Parish Primary School, Elias Williamson from Beerwah State School, Bridie Cooksley from St Andrew’s Anglican College Peregian Springs, Harper Scott-Day from Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Katherine Syvret from Holy Cross School Wooloowin

The Independent Voice

Section D: Poem - Years 6 & 7

November 2011

Section C: Short Story - Year 8 Inside Out

Souls of Another Time The old man scrambled through the dark bush O’er rough and crumbling rocks, Through thickets of green leafy walls, Dew soaked ferns trying to hold him back Wild and bloodshot eyes scouring the ground, Beard as straggly and tangled as a bird’s nest, Remnants of clothing a torn mess of lifeless bats, Sweat seeping out of his darkened skin, Heart like the pounding engine of machines, Bare and bleeding feet hardly touching the earth-Agonising pain again rearing its ugly head

You can perish in body, and in mind. Yet, your soul is forever yours and forever by your side.

One – Hunt Noise. Loud Noise. Big bang. Scared.

Gun. Bad gun. Hurt pack. Must stop.

Crunch. A feral snarl rips through the night; the scream of an unknown lingers in the darkness.

Go. Go home. Am safe.

Blinded by fear and rage, all is a blur; He does not hear the calling of the forest birds, He does not see the fiery sunset that crawls sluggishly O’er the hills and trickles past the undergrowth, He does not even hear the faint shouts behind Like angry whining mosquitos in hot pursuit

Somewhere, in the middle of the black, the howling begins. It starts low and mournful but then gradually escalates until all that can be heard is the sorrow of a pack. The kind of sadness that is only brought; by pain.

It has been this way for many a night now, Playing a wretched game of cat and mouse; ‘Tis a different land with the white-skinned hunters-They came from lands unknown and unheard of, And they cared nothing of the old sacred ways, Bringing with them the power to make new rules-All that he knew, all that he lived for, all gone; His village, his family, his land, his culture

Two – Food Food. Hungry ... Smell, what is it? Maybe good – maybe bad … *sniff, sniff* … bad.

Real bad smell. …

Humans.

He can no longer put one foot in front of the other, He no longer has the will to go on-The mosquitos are nearing in the trees, And soon they will be feasting on his blood The excruciating pain and exhaustion o’erwhelm; He collapses to the soil after travelling so far, He is in the clutch of his chasers, Like a fish in a net, he knows he is caught; He turns around, and gives himself up, Without the energy for a fight, he is dragged away-Looking up, he can barely recognise them; Yet he knows these white faces, his captors, These strangers, these newcomers from afar Their bodies are of dreamtime, but their souls are not Aaron Keith, Kelvin Grove State College

17

The wolf waits awhile, half-hidden in the shadows. He waits for the humans to pass, to stop talking and to go about their business. But they don’t. Instead the obnoxious humans sit and begin to eat a meal. Somewhere in the distance, the sun soon sits low on the horizon.

him. They emerge from the shadows, trotting across the freshly mown grass.

Food.

Three – Sleep Sleep. Go to sleep. Pup! Must sleep! …

Pup! Why you no sleep? … …

In the middle of the pack a small pup lays. His eyes are half-closed as he listens to the steady breathing of the others.

Snow begins to fall softly as a storm threatens the sky.

Smells. Good smells. Wolf smells.

He sighs, a peculiar whistling sound through his nose.

Hungry. Want food. Go. He sits up, careful not to wake any of the pack. A wolf watches him go, a growl barely escaping his throat.

Pup…where you go?

The pup does not hear or see him, and slinks away.

Bad humans. Stupid humans … Interrupt meal.

Four – Shot Go. Go. Go. Food. Food. Food.

He growls. Not a threatening growl, but one that lets the humans know something is not right. Their leader, a man maybe?

Looks up and shiftily glances around – he must know that he is not alone anymore – He gathers his family close and the wolf whistles through his nose, making them hurry. They hastily pack the remains of the meal away and trudge off out of the park.

“Get him! Get the gun’s go!” A scuffle and a yelp. A high keening and a gun shot.

Huff … huff … pant … huff. The wolf picks up pace as the dark begins to get light.

All but one. A small girl sits by herself and lets the cold winter take hold. She smiles as she reaches into her bag and pulls out a small lump of meat. The wolf tenses, every sense alert…will she drop it? Leave the food to be consumed?

Food. Hungry. Must eat … Human. Bad human. Stay away. Hungry.

“Amanda!” A voice, loud and urgent, whips through the once quiet evening.

“Amanda, where are you?” The girl looks up, anger apparent in her clear voice when she says, “I’m coming. Just wait!”

Tossing the food on the ground, the young girl smiles at the shy animal, careful not to scare it, she leaves. Pacing backwards slowly and carefully until she is a black spot in the distance. The wolf looks up at the sky and howls; calling his brothers to

Run! Run! Go. Go. Go. No Food!

GO! “He’s getting away. There must be more of them. Go!” More shouts and more men.

“Search everywhere. Go into the woods if you have to, but don’t go alone!”

Wolves…Wolves! Get out! Run! Go! One wolf wakes, his open eyes briefly confused. Then he howls, waking the pack up. Telling the men where they are. The wolves run. Faster and faster. But they run in the wrong direction. They run into a trap.

In amongst the chaos one wolf’s yelps cut above the rest.

Pack leader? Dad? You okay? Why blood?

He lies in a mangled heap. Limbs twisted and his long face a mask of pain. He whines, calling the young pup to him.

Pup…where you go?

He grimaces (if a wolf can grimace) as a fresh wave of pain hits him. Blood, on the forest floor, covering the snow; lies around him. Soon his breath becomes a short burst of energy every now and again.

Yet on that typical Sunday morning, there was no one to hear him yelp. However, he did not die alone. His pup, stayed by his side. Every now and then, the pup would whine, nuzzling the pack’s leader black fur, making sure he stayed with him.

I get help? Find more wolf?

No. You stay. It … will … be … okay. …

Leader? Leader? Wolf! Wolf!

I…will be…okay…

Wild yips from the wolves as the pandemonium takes hold. They are everywhere, loud gun shots and shouted words – curses in every language – they ask for one thing. They bay for blood.

The men close in. “Get ‘em gents!”

Dad? Wolf! Leader! Dad!...? …Goodbye.

Pup! There you are!

Run! Bang.

Georgia Becht from Sunshine Coast Grammar School, Taige Sun from Pacific Pines State High School, Gabrielle Sachs from St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, Felicity Mohr from St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, Lauren Gracie from St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School and Sarah Sellars from The Glennie School

The lone wolf whines, his eyes glaze over.

What he sees stops him in his tracks.

Pup! Where my pup!

Wolf! Wolf! Run!

Section C: Short Story winners

Where pack?

Hungry.

No, pack first.

Five – Alone Cold wind echoes through the woods.

For the first time in years; the woods are silent. No birds are chirping, no sounds of wildlife. Silence.

Pack! Where are you? Wolf! Where you go?

Silence.

Six – Amanda A girl runs through the woods, listening hard for the sounds of the wildlife – any sign of disturbance. She hears a noise, a keening sound. She runs, waiting – no – dreading, for it to stop. Stumbling, and almost falling, she spies what she is looking for. The wolf, the one she has seen earlier.

Yet this time it is different. This time the wolf cries a new song. One of sadness and longing, no longer hungry, but sad.

A pup. No bigger than the average Labrador, so small and frail, patiently waited beside the elder. He seemed no more certain than you or I of what was to happen next. Yet he knew, as Amanda did, this would be the end. When the life of a pack…was lost.

Goodbye.

Sarah Sellars, The Glennie School

18

The Independent Voice

November 2011

Section C: Poem - Year 8 Paul Sherman Award Haiku musings on a Wednesday morning Butterfly thoughts drift On Sensei’s wafting wisdom Cherry blossom cascade.

Learning Japanese I daydream of ancient lands Petals unfurling.

Noisy invasion Unwelcome, rude, silly blondes Fat, over-ripe peach Geisha girls giggle Beauty veiled in vanity Fangs of the viper!

I frown. Love notes pass Not in Japanese, not mine Crystal shards of ice.

Gaze ahead at him Angel sculpted, without flaw Golden sunlight glows.

He reads the poison Teacher yells, he laughs, they blush Violent summer storm.

Heartbreak tastes like salt Harshly bitter on my tongue Rosebud fading brown.

My Samurai Love!

Reject the pointless Barbies!

Strident heron call.

Crumpled paper drops Dark eye winks. At me? At me!

Sunrise in winter.

Learning Japanese I dream of modern romance Soft, green shoot growing.

Amber Jackson, Holy Spirit College

Section B: Short Story - Years 9 & 10 Cadenza I flick through the worn pages of my art diary, stroking the sketches that adorn each page. The first are alight with colour; the wings of paper butterflies. Then off they fly, taking their warmth and their laughter away, and leaving a black and white landscape of angles and misty smudges in their place. I lift a pencil, to fill another page, but it feels heavy and foreign in my fingers and the white paper glares at me. I try to put a watercolour smile on my drawings’ charcoal faces, but there is no room for smiles there.

I used to love art. They say that fourteen-year-olds are never certain what they want to do with their future, but I knew I would be an artist. What else could I do? Words feel disjointed in my brain, numbers never make sense. But in the art room I am free – in the space, the openness, where my ideas run wild and my imagination takes me wherever it pleases. People tell me I can draw like no one else.

Or could.

I close my diary with a sigh. My art has been lost somewhere in the beloved pages, swallowed up by the greyscale mist. Taken away on my butterflies’ gossamer wings. My watercolours lie entombed at the bottom of my pencil case, smothered by a layer of charcoal dust – the ashes from the bodies of burnt trees. Even my tools have lost their beauty.

And when I gaze around the room for inspiration, the emptiness, the space, the huge windows and gaping doors, seem so huge and looming that it frightens me. A room full of space and lost ideas. My sanctuary has become a wasteland.

With my diary heavy under my arm I wander from the art room. I need somewhere quiet where the silence doesn’t buzz around in my head.

Somewhere peaceful. Somewhere there is colour and light and where I can just sit and be.

sitting, the same as me, with something resting across her lap. As I watch she stands, lifts it to her mouth, and breathes. The air comes out the end of the oboe, rushing out to the world to meet me. And with it comes the butterflies.

She doesn’t just play the music. She breathes the music, moves with the music, is the music. The song flows around her, born of her breath and dancing fingers. The art diary is suddenly open and my fingers dance too, shakily guiding the pencil across the paper, drawing the sound as it meets my ears. Notes appear, captured in my head and channelled through the pencil onto the page.

Then I raise my head and watch as the music brings the sun, calling through the window where it shatters into a million fragments of rainbow light and drapes across the shoulders of the girl and the oboe. The colour weaves its way into the music, light and sound intertwined. The watercolours are pulled from the crevice at the bottom of my pencil case and join in the dance across the paper, familiar and friendly in my hand. From somewhere deep within the pages furry-edged with wear, something answers the music. It is suddenly easy, so easy, to draw everything; the pictures crowd my head and tumble over each other, each eager to meet the paper before the rest.

The chapel is that somewhere. As I enter, morning sunlight filters through the stained-glass windows. The quiet is soft, not deafening. And I am alone. Or almost alone.

And then it ends, and the whole world sighs. I look down at my art diary, at the page brimful of song, scattered with shards of colour. I smile, at the music, the colour, the light, and carry my diary, weightless, towards the art rooms where empty pages wait to be filled.

I see her before she sees me. I wonder if she sees me at all. She is

Nellie Pease, All Hallows’ School

Section B: Poem - Years 9 & 10 Lisa Allen Memorial Prize Sophie and Bluey Sophie was born with no nurses She came at the break of dawn And as the sun peeked over the tiny town Little Bluey began to yawn Bluey licked the baby with affection And soon these two became friends They would charge up and down the town’s main street With Bluey being there to defend And in the afternoon when the sun began to set They would lie underneath the old gum tree The girl with vegemite eyes And her mate with a blue patch on his knee One day little Sophie and Blue went walkabouts Past the edge of town And while those two were out there

Something made Sophie fall to the ground Poor Bluey decided she was resting So he rested his paws too But when Soph did not get up Bluey howled at the rising moon.

Sophie’s Dad heard Bluey’s calls And he and his men set out When Bluey heard them coming He barked in reply to their shouts They told Bluey she was gone They said, “Good boy Blue, go home” But Bluey would not leave Sophie To him she was his home.

And this loyal companion circled the ground Where Sophie slept in peace And no one could pry him from Sophie’s side So they shot him, so he too could sleep Samara Sutton-Baker, Cathedral School of St Anne and St James

Section B: Short Story winners

ABOVE: Maggie Keith from Kelvin Grove State College, Aude Unternahrer from Tamborine Mountain State High School, Alana Mulderry from Loreto College, Teresa Tang from Brisbane State High School, Celeste Middleton from Somerville House and Nellie Pease from All Hallows’ School with IEUA-QNT President Andrew Elphinstone

Section C: Poem winners ABOVE: Braydon Mengel from Chisholm Catholic College, Madeleine Clark from St Andrews Lutheran College, Sophie Hosking from The Glennie School and YunJi Chae from St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School

Section B: Poem winners RIGHT: Nicholas Bell from Ferny Grove State High School, Sophia Koop from MacGregor State High School and Mason Brownlie from Kimberley College

The Independent Voice Section A: Short Story Years 11 & 12 Silver Needle The horses that pulled the caravan were not expensive beasts, but their harnesses jingled with silver bells and their long manes were plaited with spring flowers. At the back sat a girl-gypsy, patching her skirt with a needle quick and sure, watching the tall-grass fields fall away. Sitting at the front was her father, holding the reins, and by his side her mother.

They all hummed one tune, their hair was jet black, and their skin glowed brown in the setting light of the blushing sky. The golden eye of the gods was falling below the horizon, and did not see the lone caravan nor the three gypsies enter the village’s low stone walls.

The fair-haired village-children left their games and ran into the street at the sound of those sweet silver bells tinkling in the dusk.

‘Do us a dance,’ they chorused in excited child-voices, ‘a puppetshow!’

‘First we must bow to the reeve, younglings,’ the girl-gypsy grinned – with a wink – as the caravan drew away.

It was not long until they reached the village proper, and there the gypsies found the reeve. He was burly and red-haired and wore gold rings in worship of the sun; he regarded the gypsy father and his silver jewellery with cold eyes. ‘No gypsy-trickery is welcome here. Begone.’

November 2011

The girl put down her needle and joined her father. She looked up at the reeve with eyes wide as the moon and she spoke in a soft, hurt voice. ‘I have practised so hard for our puppetplay. I prithee, allow us to show it, kind sir!’

‘Plead? Free as the cold wind, what gypsy doth plead? Surely thou hast some plot brewin’ in that pretty head of thine.’ Thin were the reeve’s eyes as he stared at the comely frame of the girl-gypsy.

‘I am no trickster.’ she told him, indignant as a child.

Her father quickly pulled her back: ‘We are but humble gypsies. To earn coin we must perform sir.‘ ‘What does a gypsy need of earning when they are so well versed in thievery?’

The girl spoke out again, her voice catching. ‘We are no common thieves.’ She lifted her patched skirt, using the hem to wipe her budding tears. In the process, the reeve was flashed an arousing glimpse of the length of those brown legs.

‘Not common indeed.’ He mumbled.

The father finally offered a bribe - a worthy artefact he had found in some distant corner of the kingdom.

After a close inspection, the reeve accepted; a message boy ran away into the darkening night to spread the word, glancing fearfully at the eye of the devil now rising in that sky; the girl-gypsy lifted her chin, smoothed

down her skirt, and returned to the back of the caravan with a wink to her mother.

Soon groups of curious villagers ventured out into the town square.

To encourage business, the gypsies offered free sweets; the secluded village-children were unused to concentrated sugars, and their pupils grew dilated and impulsive. The gypsies tried to sell trinkets from the north and rugs from the east, or trade clothes from the west and pottery from the south, but under the light of the devil, the villagers were wary.

Why were the gypsies treating the children for free?

To loosen the mood, the girl-gypsy danced; she was all long hair and chiming bells, distant eyes and flowing skirts. Her silver bracelets were heavy upon her twisting wrists and her quick-stepping feet were bare.

She spun to the melody of her father’s harp and her mother’s flute, and then she took the flute and played while her mother sang; the girl moved about the growing crowd, weaving the music through them like her needle through her skirts, overlooking the way they flinched away from her dark skin and the brush of her flowing black hair. Because as the adults drank more ale, and the children ate more sweets, the crowd also spun with dancing, and their coins came loose from their pockets.

Only when all trading was undoubtedly over did the gypsies set up for the puppet-play; they used three hessian puppets, lit and shadowed by cheap candles. The children congregated around the caravan, and behind

Section A: Poem - Years 11 & 12 Mary Alexis Macmillan Memorial Prize

19

them pressed the adults.

The puppets depicted a simple family scene; father, mother, child. The child was insolent and cheeky, drawing laugh after laugh from the crowd. The mother was meek and forgetful, the father fond of ale; several dirty jokes were made about their relationship, to the amusement of the adults.

But the main emphasis was on the child, who pulled trick after trick on the parents; breaking one leg of a chair so that when the mother sat down, it collapsed; peeing in the ale drum so that when the father drank, the audience howled with mirth; eating sugar in handfuls; setting the chickens free; riding off with the horse; selling the pig for a bag of marbles.

The puppet show ended seemingly without conclusion. The villagers sensed some devilry afoot, and a sudden fear of the moon, strongest and brightest that night, spread like disease through the adult crowd. How could they forget the paradox of its cold light? What deception had made them all come out and dance under its devil-eye?

The village-children leapt to their feet, their pupils large and black and reflecting the pale moon, their voices still laughing from the play.

Anarchy. They peed in the ale, poured flour into the streets, cut off their parents hair in the night, put

mice in the larder, ripped all the clothes, broke every pot, and emptied every cellar in the village.

As the rested horses drew the gypsy caravan away with haste, the reeve was left with one last image of the girl; her silver bells pealing, her swinging legs carefree, she grinned back at him and winked. Her silver needle, weaving through her skirt just as she had woven chaos through his village, gleamed with the light of the devil moon.

Ella Evans, St Andrew’s Anglican College

Section A: Short Story winners LEFT: Ashton Bottomley from Anglican Church Grammar School, Angelyn Delmo from Brigidine College, Isabel Huf from Mt St Michael’s College and Ella Evans from St Andrew’s Anglican College Peregian Springs

The Drift My parents always told me, There is no such thing as friends That last a lifetime – that the Sworn ‘forever’ has an end.

They called it The Drift, crossroads Too narrow to bear two dreams; Guaranteed, fate takes its hold, So don’t bare yourself to grief.

But damn these words! Let’s stand strong!

‘Til we’re old with shaking shins; Let time pass and seasons fall – Face the world with our twin grins.

Let’s share this road together – Fight fate and find ‘forever’.

Section A: Poem winners RIGHT: Jack Burnham from Caloundra Christian College, Narelle Hill from Beerwah State High School, Yenée Saw from Brisbane State High School and Angelyn Delmo from Brigidine College

Angelyn Delmo, Brigidine College

Section E: Short Story winners LEFT: Scott Deegan from Brisbane Grammar School, Nick Toy from St Columban’s College and Carolyn Henshaw from Hillcrest Christian College

Section A: Non-fiction Prose winners RIGHT: Melody Li, Hannah Neep, Nikitha Venkatachalam, Chloe Bennett and Winnie Yum from Somerville House with winner Jack Burnham from Caloundra Christian College

20

The Independent Voice

November 2011

Section A: Non-Fiction Prose Years 11 & 12 Bite Me! One teenager reflects on how Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight juggernaut has affected life as he knows it.

Unless you’ve spent the last half dozen years sequestered in a monastery having taken a vow of popular culture silence, the Twilight phenomenon must have rated at least a passing blip on your personal radar. For people like me, the newly disenfranchised underclass commonly known as teenage boys, Twilight is much more than a blip on the computer screens of our lives. Quite frankly, it’s changed the geography of the world as we know it and has made navigation through these hormonally-charged climes well nigh impossible.

In case you are one of the 34 people in the known universe not au fait with the Twilight saga, the story goes something like this: a self-described plain, clumsy and unpopular girl (but not a total loser, she’s an A+ whiner) moves to a small country town and promptly falls for an intelligent, principled, handsome boy who against all odds seems to love her back. There’s one major drawback in all of this saccharine perfection: he’s a vampire, which by rights should make her his next meal. But Edward is a vegetarian (let’s not even go there – a vegetarian vampire!) and so she is safe to swoon over his endless virtues, faultless physique, et cetera and ad nauseum – and I do mean the nauseum part.

Now, as a great lover of traditional

vampire mythology, I have a few problems with Twilight’s anaemic crew. Firstly, they function quite comfortably in the daylight which simply causes their skin to glitter like diamonds (eternal damnation thereby reduced to nothing more than a subtle make-up effect). Secondly, they are uniformly attractive: your classic beauty, buff football quarterback, quirky fortune teller and haunted, reformed bad guy all get a look in. They possess super-human speed, strength, agility, grace, beauty, hearing, a sense of honour, duty, humility and oh, let’s not forget about immortality. Bram Stoker would surely be turning in his grave if he knew that a mockery has been made of his gothic monster Dracula.

Creatures that were once the stuff of nightmare and the great villains of literature have been reduced to nothing more than the coolest kids on campus.

And wait – that’s not all. The Twilight books revolve around the romance of vampire Edward and human Bella. Think Jack and Rose in Titanic, think Romeo and Juliet.

We’re talking about a love story of that kind of magnitude. It’s a beautiful thing, right? But perhaps everyone should dig a little deeper.

What on the surface looks like unfailing devotion on behalf of the vampire in question, actually seems to be something a little less savoury when measured against the yardstick of twenty-first century codes of acceptable behaviour. Penchant for blood sucking aside, is Edward really the type of guy girls should dream of snaring? He spies on Bella when she’s asleep, eavesdrops on her

conversations, forces her to do things against her will. Boyfriend or abuser?

Sweetheart or stalker?

It would be one thing if it was just this series of books alone, but Twilight has spawned a spate of copycat novels.

Young adult fiction has degenerated into a mish-mash of paranormal romance. Plots are many and varied: teenage girl meets and falls in love with a vampire; teenage girl meets and falls in love with a werewolf; teenage girl meets and falls in love with a shape shifter or a ghost or a fallen angel. The one thing you won’t find in today’s young adult fiction is a teenage girl meeting and falling in love with a teenage boy. Which makes life kind of difficult if you are a teenage boy. For a start, how can we compete with paranormal perfection? Teenage boys sweat, we have acne, we eat junk food, we think replicating the sounds of bodily functions using only our armpits is the height of sophisticated comedy. We get it wrong, we are tongue-tied, we lurch from one disaster to another.

The playing field is anything but level for us.

And while I’m on the sorry topic of the state of young adult fiction in 2011; exactly what is there for a 17 year old boy to read? When you take away the paranormal romances that fill the bookshelves, the pickings are slim indeed. I’ve taken to reading the policy statements of the major political parties: most qualify as fiction, are replete with myriad flights of fancy and there’s nary a werewolf in sight though the occasional bloodsucker from the ATO can be cause for alarm.

What to do? Rather than bemoan the fact that Twilight has ruined my life, I’ve decided to use the knowledge I’ve gleaned from the saga to my advantage. Here are three key rules to live by; my brothers-in-arms take note: 1. You can be as rude to a girl as you like. In fact you can downright ignore her. In the Twilight universe this only proves how much you care for her.

2. Lying to your parents is completely acceptable.

Ditto car theft. These are not examples of filial disrespect and grand larceny. Rather, both are signs of deep devotion and true love.

3. Girls like bad boys. Now, that’s nothing new. I have it on good authority that girls have always gone for the loner, the rebel, the guy who flouts authority. In Twilight, Bella falls for the baddest type of bad boy; the type who could have you for lunch. Guys, before you leap into stating the obvious, I know we can’t all become vampires, but possibly a tattoo or a motorbike could weave a similar magic.

If the following pointers prove less than successful I am comforted by the old proverb “This too shall pass”.

Twilight is a fad, like hula hoops and hot pants were a fad. In a few

years we’ll all look back, somewhat sheepishly, and be devoutly thankful that Twilight was nothing more than a passing phase. There’s another old adage that applies to my current situation: “Needs must when the devil drives”. So while I wait for the allure of Twilight to fade, I’m investing in hair gel (honestly, have you seen the hair on those Cullen vampires?), perfecting my sullen pout and generally practicing my bad boy persona. I can’t beat the Twilight juggernaut and so, for the next little while at least, I’ve decided to get with the program and go along for the ride. I’m going to Tri-hard – with a vengeance.

Jack Burnham, Caloundra Christian College

2011 IEUA-QNT Literary Competition winners Section D – Poem Years 6 & 7 1st Place – Aaron Keith, Kelvin Grove State College 2nd Place – Harrison Guy, (Home schooled, Mount Tamborine) 3rd Place – Isabella Moore, Benowa State School Highly Commended – Zoe Brosnan, Kenmore State School; Katherine Dahler, Citipointe Christian College; Chloe Stewart, Citipointe Christian College; Isabelle Peters, Citipointe Christian College

Section D – Short Story Years 6 & 7

Lachlan Farquhar, Nudgee Junior College

Gabrielle Sachs, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School

Section C – Poem – Paul Sherman Award

Section B – Poem – Lisa Allen Memorial Prize Years 9 & 10

Year 8

1st Place – Amber Jackson, Holy Spirit College (Mackay) 2nd Place – YunJi Chae, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School 3rd Place – Sophie Hosking, The Glennie School Highly Commended – Braydon Mengel, Chisholm Catholic College; Madeleine Clark, St Andrews Lutheran College

Section C – Short Story Year 8

1st Place – Katharine Syvret, Holy Cross School (Wooloowin) 2nd Place – Harper Scott-Day, Our Lady of Mount Carmel 3rd Place – Stephanie Stretton, Park Avenue State School (Rockhampton)

1st Place – Sarah Sellars, The Glennie School 2nd Place – Lauren Gracie, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School 3rd Place – Felicity Mohr, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School

Highly Commended – Elias Williamson, Beerwah State School; Bridie Cooksley, St Andrew’s Anglican College (Peregian Springs); Gabrielle Neilson, St Kevin’s Parish Primary School;

Highly Commended – Georgia Becht, Sunshine Coast Grammar School; Bronwyn Bradley, St Mary’s Catholic College (Cairns); Taige Sun, Pacific Pines State High School;

1st Place – Samara Sutton-Baker, Cathedral School of St Anne and St James (Townsville) 2nd Place – Eleanor Robinson, St Andrews Lutheran College 3rd Place – Natalie Church, Kirwan State High School (Townsville) Highly Commended – Nicholas Bell, Ferny Grove State High School; Sophia Koop, MacGregor State High School; Mason Brownlie, Kimberley College; Danielle Sjogren, St Andrew’s Anglican College (Peregian Springs)

Aude Unternahrer, Tamborine Mountain State High School; Alana Mulderry, Loreto College

Anglican College; Olivia Wycherley, St Mary’s Catholic College (Cairns)

Section A – Poem – Mary Alexis Macmillan Memorial Prize Years 11 & 12

Section A – Non-Fiction Prose Years 11 & 12

1st Place – Angelyn Delmo, Brigidine College 2nd Place – Yenée Saw, Brisbane State High School 3rd Place – Narelle Hill, Beerwah State High School Highly Commended – Alice Freemantle, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School; Jack Burnham, Caloundra Christian College

Section A – Short Story Years 11 & 12 Section B – Short Story Years 9 & 10 1st Place – Nellie Pease, All Hallows’ School 2nd Place – Celeste Middleton, Somerville House 3rd Place – Teresa Tang, Brisbane State High School Highly Commended Maggie Keith, Kelvin Grove State College;

1st Place – Ella Evans, St Andrew’s Anglican College (Peregian Springs) 2nd Place – Tessa Calder, St Andrew’s Catholic College (Cairns) 3rd Place – Isabel Huf, Mt St Michael’s College Highly Commended Ashton Bottomley, Anglican Church Grammar School; Angelyn Delmo, Brigidine College; Madeline Rodgers, West Moreton

1st Place – Jack Burnham, Caloundra Christian College 2nd Place – Melody Li, Somerville House 3rd Place – Hannah Neep, Somerville House Highly Commended – Nikitha Venkatachalam, Somerville House; Chloe Bennett, Somerville House; Winnie Yum, Somerville House; Emily Wilson, Somerville House

Section E – Short Story Teacher 1st Place – Carolyn Henshaw, Hillcrest Christian College 2nd Place – Nick Toy, St Columban’s College 3rd Place – Scott Deegan, Brisbane Grammar School Highly Commended – Andrew Ryan, Chisholm Catholic College; Lana Beagan, St Columban’s College

The Independent Voice Section E: Open (Teachers) Fat Man The lightness of his body in the water was astonishing. Even here, where it was shallow, the sudden cold fizzing of bubbles over his neck and the back of his head preceded a lifting push that raised his outstretched legs, his stomach and legs. Supported only by his arms and the sea, his body floated.

Sometimes, the remnants of a bigger wave nudged him forward towards the beach, so that his legs came around and he had to dig his fingers more deeply into the shifting grains where his hands were buried.

His head and face burned. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that, after the next wave, smoothly surging behind its frill of white, there was a pause – the surface beyond was unbroken, translucent, pale green. The wave foamed over his shoulders, lifting his body again. When it had passed, he quickly dipped his head down, under the water. Instantly, the sun’s sting was obliterated. He came up, mouth open in a smile, eyes tightly shut against the salty water. Carefully, he lifted one hand to pass a finger and thumb over his eyelids; opened his eyes; wobbled; and balanced himself on both arms again.

His legs continued to float deliciously behind him.

The beach in front of him was relatively empty. In this wide stretch away from the two pairs of red and yellow flags at either end of the long beach, there were only a few people walking. He had parked his hired Hyundai in the south end car park and had made the effort to walk along the bike track between the road and the low dunes until he’d arrived at this point, exactly in the middle, were no families sat on the beach. There was only a girl, lying on a red and white striped towel, earphones in her ears, eyes closed. Beside her hip, the pages of a magazine lifted in the slight breeze.

She hadn’t noticed him walk past her carefully, trying to avoid getting too much sand in his new Nikes. He kept checking to make sure that she wasn’t watching as he unbuttoned his shirt and, with relief, pushed off the cloying hot softness of his track pants. She remained motionless, lost in her space of sun and music. He put his clothes in a tight pile under his towel, and began to walk down to the unevenly

November 2011 fretted water’s edge. The small breeze felt good as it cooled the sweat on his face and chest. He’d glanced at her again before lifting his arms so that the thick layers of fat shifted slightly and the sticky skin between them was also touched by its coolness. Between his thighs, the sweat slid as he walked.

Now, lying relaxed in the water, supported by it, hidden by it, he felt exquisitely at ease. Perhaps he could go deeper, so that his shoulders would be completely submerged?

He shifted so that he was sitting in the shallows, looking out to sea. Frowning against the glare, he studied the expanse of broken waves. They looked regular, all in continuous lines. He looked over his shoulder at the beach. The girl was still lying on her towel. A boy of about sixteen in baggy shorts was walking towards the north headland, a black, sand-encrusted kelpie racing ahead of him, then racing back. No one would notice him if he stood up now.

He carefully turned onto his hands and knees and heaved himself upright.

His fingers sought the waistband of his shorts and he pulled it up as far as it would go beneath his stomach.

He began to step cautiously forward, feeling for sudden dips or holes.

He knew that he should be between the flags. Even competent swimmers went in where the lifeguards could see them.

He couldn’t though … it was almost 2.30 and the sections of beach between the flags were full of people.

It was so long since he’d been to the beach. As a little boy, before he’d become aware of the fascinated revulsion in people’s eyes, he’d loved nothing more than playing in the wet sand and the froth of the dying waves while his mother and aunt sat under the yellow umbrella, smoking and talking. For once, his mum wouldn’t worry about him, like she did at home in their flat in Fitzroy. “Don’t play in the corridor,” she’d say. “No, you can’t go down to the courtyard by yourself… We’ll watch TV when I’ve cooked your tea. You’re my special boy….”

He always tried to be good, to do what she said, but sometimes it was hard.

He wanted to run downstairs after Tommy and Stewart, the big boys.

They smashed bottles and threw stones – he knew they were naughty, but he wanted to follow them anyway. He never did.

His mum needed him. He had to look after her, the way she looked after him, because there was just the two of them. So when they used to go on holiday to Aunty Jen’s, who lived at the Gold Coast (a magical, golden place, with golden sun and golden sand and the sea – more magical than anything else – the sea!), he felt so free, so brave, so happy. He pushed sand into piles, dug deep holes that unaccountably filled with dark water, paddled and rolled in the bubbly sea that was cold and then (magically) was warm.

“Don’t worry about those kids,” his mum had said the first time he’d been called Fatty. Fatso, Fatarse, Tittyboy, Lardarse, Fatboy,

Boob-boy soon became common. But he never got used to the hurt. He felt his stomach hanging down when he crawled along to make a tunnel or to dig a hole. His mum couldn’t get swimmers that fit him and he had to wear floppy shorts, when all the other boys wore speedos. So he began to sit under the umbrella, too, and he watched other kids playing in the sand, the magical sea. He’d actually been glad when Aunt Jen had moved to Perth with a man called Steve, and they couldn’t go to the Gold Coast any more.

Now the waves pushed against his stomach. It was wonderful. He bent his knees a little, leaned forward – and was floating! All of him. His arms were in front, his legs behind, and his body didn’t sink. Here, the waves weren’t yet broken. They rose in front of him and, instead of splashing him, they lifted him up. All of him. He was a fish, a bird; he was free! He waited, and then ducked his head. Even underneath, he floated.

He opened his eyes and saw blurry pale brown below – the sand. He came up and wiped his eyes, making sure that his feet could reach the bottom. He remembered – could he still do it? With sudden determination, he leaned back, lifted his legs … and was suspended on his back, with the sky above him.

Oh, my God, he thought, holding on to the moment.

He closed his eyes. Beyond the padding of water in his ears, he could hear the rush of breaking waves, the calls of a seagull, even the muffled roar of a plane overhead. But he remained suspended in absolute delight: weightless, cool, arms and legs loose, his body was being gently supported and rocked by the magical sea.

The girl on the beach sat up. The breeze was cool on her back. Looking at the sea, she saw the fat man floating on his back beyond the breakers. She’d noticed him earlier, as he’d wallowed in the shallows like a little kid playing at being a crocodile, legs drifting, mound of white back breaking the surface as he supported himself on his arms. Now he was way out, in deep water. The swells rolled beneath him: as each one passed, he slid backwards, a little further.

The girl stood up, and walked across the hot sand quickly, relieved when her stinging feet touched the dark dampness at the water’s edge. The man was still floating, far out.

“Hey!” she called. “Are you okay?”

Her words, she knew, were muted by the sound of the sea. She looked around at the beach. A black kelpie was chasing a stick into the surf, his owner watching. She approached him.

“That man,” she said, indicating with her arm. “He just keeps floating further and further out. Do you think he’s all right?”

The boy drew his gaze from where it had flicked over her bikini, and he looked out to sea.

I saw him before,” he nodded. “He was like, you know, a fuckin beached whale or something…Hey!” His sudden loud yell startled her. “Hey mate! You okay?”

The boy whistled, a piercing sound that brought the kelpie panting up to them. It pranced at their feet and the girl shifted away from its sand spattering paws.

When she looked up again, she saw that the whistle had worked. The man was no longer floating on his back.

21

his forearms cleanly into the sea.

The whistle shrilled through his muffled peace. He opened his eyes to the cloudless sky and then lifted his head.

His body sank downward as he did so, and his feet immediately sought the reassuring touch of sand – nothing. A blade of fear sliced deep in his stomach as his head went under. He came up, flailing his arms, desperate for some solidity. He was so far from the beach!

Keep calm, he told himself. Wait for a wave.

But there were only swells, and they passed him on their way to the shore and left him. He moved his feet in a jerky rhythm. On the beach, so far away, stood the girl from the red and white towel and a dark-haired boy.

They were both staring at him. He saw the boy turn to the girl. She began to run towards the crowded area at the north headland. The boy ran into the broken waves, dived suddenly and was swimming.

The man saw flashes of the boy’s arms, his head was dark and smooth as a seal’s. The man’s heart was pounding.

Then the boy was there. His arms moved slowly, effortlessly, as he trod water.

“You okay, mate? Looks like you can’t get back in?”

The man shook his head. “I…I floated too far. Stupid…”

“Tide’s goin’ out,” said the boy. “Just hold on, mate. Keep ya feet moving.

That girl, she’s gone for help.”

On the beach, the kelpie whined, eyes fixed on the dark blot that was his master. When the 4 x 4 Toyota pulled up, the dog turned, crouched and wagged his tail. Two lifeguards pulled a rescue board off the ute and carried it quickly to the water. The younger lifeguard got onto it, kneeling, and swiftly, fluidly, paddled out through the breakers. The other lifeguard watched, his eyes moving between the rescue board and the two people in the sea.

The kid looked fine, but the fat bugger was struggling. Why the hell did he choose to swim right in the bloody middle of the beach, miles from the bloody flags? Stupid git.

The girl had followed the ute back.

Others had, too, sensing the drama of a rescue. Mahogany brown locals; holiday visitors in varying shades from pale beige to hot painful pink – they all gathered between the ute and the water, where the girl was standing.

The rescue board drew level with the man, turned and came alongside.

“Can you grab onto the back there, mate?” the lifeguard asked. The poor bloke looks done in, he thought. His eyes were wide and scared above folds of fat, mottled purple by his effort to keep afloat. “You too,” the lifeguard addressed the kid, who was treading water nearby, watching.

The boy swam close to the man, and touched his arm. “Here,” he said, showing him the nylon handles running along the edge of the rescue board.

“Hold on here.”

With a grunt, the man lifted one arm out of the water and clutched the handle, then grabbed another one. The boy moved around to the other side, and also held on. The lifeguard glanced back.

“Right, here we go,” he said, and dipped

The man felt the water tugging at him.

His arms ached, the rope squashed his knuckles against the yellow fibreglass.

His body was a horrible, heavy thing, dragging, dragging. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. Oh God, it was so hard….

The rescue board slowed in the shallows.

Broken water flowed past it to the beach. The man felt his knees scrape sand, and he released the rope handles.

He floundered, went under, came up on his knees. Looking up, he saw the gathered crowd. He felt the lifeguard’s hand beneath his elbow. He had to stand up. He fumbled with his free hand for the waistband of his shorts, tugging it as high as it would go. He saw the boy walking gracefully onto the dry sand, his narrow hips swaying, one arm slightly raised as he called his dog.

The man leaned on the lifeguard, surprised at the warmth of his hard, dry shoulder. He plodded through the shallow water, his thighs chafing, sticky already. He looked down and saw the wobble of his breasts, his stomach, at each step. He looked up again, but not at the crowd, whose eyes he could feel. His gaze moved left, along the beach. There was the girl.

She was standing with her back to him, apparently watching something up near the dunes.

He listened to the admonishments of the lifeguards, nodding humbly. They drove away, back to the flagged area, followed by the desultory crowd. The man walked to his pile of clothes and his towel. He put on his shirt, picked up his track pants, shoes and towel and then trudged towards the steps.

He passed the girl, who was sitting once more on her striped towel. Her eyes flitted up from her magazine and met his. She gave a quick smile and then returned to the magazine.

At the top of the steps, the man paused, panting, his heart pounding again. He allowed himself to rest for a moment.

He turned back to look at the beach and the sea. The girl hadn’t stared at him after he’d passed her. He’d known that she wouldn’t. He recognised pity as easily as he recognised revulsion, having seen them in thousands of eyes, and he hated them equally. But in the girl’s eyes – incredible, golden, beautiful eyes – there had been neither pity nor revulsion as she’d given him that quick smile. No, it was something else entirely, the same thing that had prompted her to turn away when he’d emerged from the concealing water.

The man sat down on a bench near the shower. At his feet, brown water was pooled. He shook out his track pants.

They stuck as he began to drag them on, and were hot, scratchy with sand.

The breeze off the sea had strengthened, cooling his face and arms. With sudden decision, he pulled off the pants and laid them on the bench next to his towel and shoes. He stood up, unbuttoned his shirt and took it off, not caring that the sleeves were pulled inside out. With his Nikes in one hand, his pants, shirt and towel bunched in the other, the man began the long walk back to the south car park. The wind played refreshingly over his bare back, chest and stomach.

Carolyn Henshaw, Hillcrest Christian College

22

The Independent Voice

November 2011

Legal Briefs

Rachel Drew, Macrossans Lawyers

DO TEACHERS NEED TO CAUTION STUDENTS? Confidentiality, privacy and criminal confessions by students R V D [2011] NSWDC 73 In a Wollongong school, a student confessed crimes to a teacher.

He said he and a friend drove to Queanbeyan where he embarked on a robbery spree, stealing motorbikes and robbing a petrol station.

He said that he had taken drugs and, during the robbery, he stabbed the attendant.

The teachers’ immediate concern was for the safety of teachers and other students should the boy remain in the school.

Having received a confession of a serious violent crime, the teacher foresaw the need for a risk assessment to decide whether it was safe to allow the student to remain at the school.

for a number of reasons.

The Court found the accused student was a “vulnerable person” (a concept defined in New South Wales evidence legislation) and had no support person present at the time of the confession.

old, the Court may have allowed the confession to be used in the trial, even if the teacher had not given the student a warning.

Confidentiality and privacy The Court specifically commented:

The Court thought it was very likely if the student had a support person, he would not have made the confession.

The student was 14 years old and his age was the major factor in excluding the confession.

“I do not suggest that anything done by the teacher was in any way improper.”

Because of his age, it is possible the Court would have excluded the confession even if the teacher had warned the student before speaking to him.

In doing so the Court reinforced the position that where a teacher receives information that is relevant to the operation of the school, in this case relevant to the health and safety of staff and students, disclosure of that information to relevant staff within the school does not breach confidentiality, nor infringe students’ “right to privacy”.

Had the student been older, even 16 years

The decision also reinforces that disclosure

outside the school, in this case to the Juvenile Justice Officer, did not breach any obligation of confidentiality or privacy.

The teacher had received permission from the principal to discuss the confession to the Juvenile Justice Officer in the course of obtaining information to conduct the risk assessment.

In most Queensland schools, should the teacher have needed to disclose a document to anyone not employed by his school, he would have needed specific permission to do that.

While the Court commented that it was “unfortunate” the teacher had not cautioned the student before discussing the matter with him, the decision does not create a “duty to warn” students before speaking to them.

SUPPORT FOR YOUNG TEACHERS, RELIEF TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATION

The teacher reported the whole of the conversation to the principal and then to a Juvenile Justice Officer, with the principal’s permission.

For practical advice in all classroom situations:

He was later contacted by police and asked to give a statement about the confession, which he did.

realteachingsolutions.com

The student was charged with the offences he confessed to.

His lawyers argued that the confession to the teacher should be excluded from the criminal proceedings because it would be unfair to the student to allow the jury to hear what the student told his teacher.

The Court decided that the teacher’s statement would not be allowed into evidence at the trial Beat the crowds and save thousands this Christmas with Union Shopper Union members can save big dollars and avoid busy mall crowds at Christmas by purchasing online or over the phone with Union Shopper.

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The Independent Voice

November 2011

possible solutions together. With couples counselling the aim is to reach agreements that are mutually beneficial. While couples counselling may be recommended for relationship issues, it is also beneficial to see a counsellor individually.

Health & Lifestyle Tips Wear a mouthguard to play, to keep the injuries away Sporting accidents are one of the most common causes of dental injury.

Every year thousands of people, including young children, are treated for dental injuries that could have been avoided or minimised by wearing a protective custom-fitted mouthguard.

People of all ages, who are involved in sports where the risk of contact to the face, should protect their teeth with a properly fitted mouthguard.

Why do you need a mouthguard?

Damage or dislodged teeth, broken jaws and cut lips can be sustained when playing sport. A mouthguard helps absorb and spread the impact of a blow to the face, which might otherwise result in an injury to the mouth or jaw.

Dental injuries can result in time off school or work to recover, can be painful and disfiguring, and may involve lengthy and expensive dental treatment.

The cost of an injury to your teeth or jaw far exceeds the cost of a custom-fitted mouthguard.

When should I wear a mouthguard?

Mouthguards should be worn whilst playing and training for any sport where there is the potential for contact to the face. It is essential to wear a mouthguard while playing football, and while playing any other sports where there is a chance of being hit in the jaw or head. These sports include hockey, netball, baseball, basketball and even skateboarding and skiing.

Other mouthguard tips: • The Australian Dental Association strongly recommends investing in a custom-fitted mouthguard from your dentist; • Have your mouthguard checked by your dentist every 12 months for optimal fit and protection; • Keep your mouthguard clean and store in a rigid container, away from heat to ensure it maintains its shape.

For more information please contact the Australian Dental Association or www.mouthguardawareness.info .

23

Ever since the birth of our first child, my husband and I have been arguing more and more. My best friend has been encouraging me to try couples counselling.

But then I hear about the problems that other people have in their relationships and mine doesn’t seem so bad after all! I don’t want to waste the counsellor’s time with our petty squabbles. Finances are tight and I’m not sure if I could afford counselling. It helps sometimes to speak to my friends about it, but they must get tired of me complaining all the time. They get worked up about it themselves or tell me to forget about it and focus on the positives.

I also worry that they will start gossiping about my marriage. I saw a show on TV where they brought in a Psychologist or Psychiatrist to tell a couple what was wrong with their marriage. Some of what he said made sense but he seemed a bit arrogant and opinionated. I’m afraid he will side with my husband and against me.

Even if I decided it was a good idea, my husband would never agree. He might say I’m the crazy one and try to get me locked up and medicated!

Sue Thank you for your letter, well done on seeking out information and questioning commonly held beliefs about the kind of help that is available for us to work through personal issues. Popular culture, television and movies are filled with stereotypical images of men in white coats restraining and sedating an irrational and out of

control patient for dramatic effect. Other common images involve reclining on a couch making associations about random ink blots, your childhood or relationship with your parents. Frequently it is with a view to sensationalism that the media portray modern counselling methods such as what you describe seeing on the television.

The reality is that many people who attend counselling do so for common everyday stresses that may result in anxiety or depressive symptoms such as disturbed sleep, poor appetite and lack of energy and motivation. Sometimes it may be a single event such as a bereavement or traumatic event, and other times it may be multiple or ongoing concerns such as workplace bullying or juggling family relationships and commitments. No issue is insignificant if it is affecting you in a negative way.

Counselling can also be about how to achieve personal and professional goals and a better life, not just about concerns that need to be addressed. Elite athletes and sports people for example, arguably at the pinnacle of health and wellbeing, see Sports Psychologists to achieve the best that they can in their field.

Counsellors assist by developing a relationship with you based on trust, candour and collaboration so that you feel safe to explore the issues and

Psychiatrists have a medical background with expertise in diagnosing mental health issues and prescribing medication.

Counsellors are more like teachers, suggesting ideas and techniques that provide a new lens for their clients to view and approach their problems. All TUH counsellors at Supportline, including our network of providers, are either social workers or psychologists.

It takes maturity to ask for help when we are not coping and there is still a good deal of stigma surrounding mental health issues, which respond to treatment as readily as other health issues. Your marital discord is not abnormal; being parents is not always the picture postcard that some try to present to the world. It is hard to adjust to the demands of change that having children and maturing creates. It is only people who have severe forms of mental illness who need to be diagnosed and hospitalised, and from what you share in your letter it is clear that are mentally fit and well.

One of the primary goals of TUH Supportline is to assist members and their families to be fully functional, not weighed down or limited by stress. If you have been considering that first visit, but need help or guidance to get there, please give us a call on 1800 655 302 to discuss your situation.

Maggie Lecky-Thompson Principal Clinician - QTUH Supportline

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Join TUH and get peace of mind knowing that you are covered for the unexpected.

2ur heaOth fund iV run to Eene¿t our memEerV We provide great value for money products and services As a QIEU member you are automatically eligible to join and so is your extended family!

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24

The Independent Voice

November 2011

SAVE MONEY AND BE MERRY THIS CHRISTMAS Few of us have enough discipline to stick to our savings plan at Christmas. Even if you start putting money away early in the year, life often finds a way of getting between you and your best intentions.

For those of you who have just looked at your calendars and found that November has well and truly arrived – don’t worry, because it’s never too late to save money. That’s why we’ve put together our top tips for saving, so you can ensure that only Santa is in the red at the end of this festive season.

1. Work It Out It’s one of the most unloved words in the English language, but without a budget your chances of having a good financial Christmas are slim.

Take some time to work out just how much fun you can afford to have.

If you know what you can afford, you are less likely to lose track in the festivities and spend beyond your means. We’re not asking you to be a scrooge, just to think about how much money you’ll need to have a comfortable Christmas, and a happy new year too. Be honest with yourself – how much are you really likely to spend in the Boxing Day sales?

2. Play Your Cards Right If you already have enough money saved in your bank account to cover the holidays, you should consider making all of your purchases on a credit card. Just be sure to pay it all off before you are charged interest (this tip works best on cards where the interest is calculated monthly or fortnightly).

After all, while your money is in the bank, it is earning interest for you. So the longer it sits there the more you’ll earn.

3. Get Personal If you are planning a trip away with family but don’t have the cash handy, you should investigate applying for a personal loan. For big ticket items like cars and travel, personal loans often work out cheaper than credit cards due to their lower rate of interest.

This difference in rates means that you can save a lot of money, and pay off your loan much faster.

4. Lock it in, Eddie For those of us with a good

head for numbers, investing what you have saved up for Christmas is a great idea. Most Fixed Term Deposit accounts will let you lock up your money for a month or more, to earn yourself a quick little Christmas bonus. So if you don’t need to make your Christmas purchases until two weeks before the big day, or want a little extra to spend in the January sales, a fixed term deposit could work for you.

5. Try Again – Make it your New Years’ Resolution If all else fails, never mind. Try saving again next year, and get an early head-start. You can always try using an account that restricts withdrawals, except during the Christmas period. Your money will earn interest, and be safe from the temptation of spending. Plus, you’ll be able to see how your Christmas savings are progressing throughout the year.

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