Newsmonth #5 July 2021

The newspaper of the Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT Branch (vol 41 #5) July 2021 PP 100000871 ISSN No: 0728-4845

'TEACH FOR NSW' IS TINKERING

NOT REFORM Mark Northam Secretary

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell’s recent announcement, Teach for NSW, is aimed at fast tracking mid-career professionals into teaching and is yet another a symptom of the problem, not a long-term solution.

The Minister uses the language of “big reforms and ideas”, but the solutions she is proposing, a NSW version of Teach for Australia, does little to address the structural issues facing the profession in a comprehensive and holistic manner.

The teacher shortage crisis in NSW is a result of years of under-resourcing and neglect. The piecemeal, quick-fix solution, which fails to address the fundamental issues the profession faces, will have a limited impact and ultimately kick the can down the road for future generations to solve.

Any number of inquiries have identified the profession's recruitment and retention concerns: • attracting high-performing young people into initial teacher education courses • ensuring graduates complete their initial teacher training • ensuring graduates obtain suitable placements of employment and are appropriately inducted into the profession (successfully attain proficient teacher status) • retaining teachers in the profession • retaining high-performing teachers in the classroom.

Regrettably, the self-styled Teach for NSW program proposed by the minister sidesteps the first two concerns and jumps straight to trying to plug the gaps across the state; gaps, incidentally, that the union has been warning about for years.

It is also not entirely clear just which staffing problems this new proposal is intended to solve. It is assumed there will be a focus on filling the gaps in the many challenging, hard-tostaff schools across the state. In this respect, the success of the program must be gauged against how well the program addresses the fourth and fifth points around retention issues.

Unfortunately, the proposal offers little insight into how these structural concerns will be addressed.

Short degrees Early discussion around the program design suggests it will allow academics, professionals, and subject matter experts to undergo shorter, more flexible education degrees which take into account their existing knowledge and teaching experience. It is unclear how this would apply to the primary context where teachers are required to teach across all Key Learning Areas (KLAs). This highlights the secondary school-centric aspect of the program and is a further indication of its limited application.

Details of how the program will operate are scarce.

However, it appears participants will undertake postgraduate degrees that are re-organised so students cover “the most important content first”, then work in a classroom while they complete the rest. The expected time frame is that these students will be placed in the classroom on salary, as interns, within six months.

A recently released federal discussion paper on university teacher training found that, nationally, almost 50 percent of trainee teachers failed to complete their degrees. While some of these trainees would have quickly come to the conclusion they were not suited to a career in teaching, anecdotally, we know that many leave in this early stage due to the high levels of stress they experience during their pre-service placement.

It remains to be seen what strategies and resources will be put in place to ensure these fast-tracked graduates successfully complete their Initial Teacher Education (ITE).

If the Teach for Australia program is anything to go by, the NSW equivalent will surely need to provide substantial support mechanisms to ensure participants don’t stumble at the first hurdle.

Teach for Australia associates, as they are called, are given a maximum teaching load of 0.8FTE (full time equivalent). They are also provided with a teaching and leadership adviser, a dedicated academic mentor, and a school mentor (who receives time release – four hours per week in an associate's first year and two hours per week in an associate's second year).

What about graduates?

It stands to reason that, if these support structures are appropriate for “the best and brightest from other professions”, who presumably come to teaching with a wealth of workplace and life experience, they should also be standard for the graduate teacher, fresh out of university, who is working towards attaining Proficiency in an increasingly challenging professional environment.

Whether these fast-tracked Teach for NSW interns will continue in the profession long term is uncertain.

More importantly, will they still be teaching in the most challenging and difficult-to-staff schools? Unless there is some meaningful reform with respect to teacher workload, teacher career pathways, and teacher remuneration, it is hard to see how anything is likely to change simply by changing the manner in which teachers enter the profession.

Why we all need paid vaccination leave First the IEU pushed for teachers and support staff to be included in priority groups for vaccination. Now we’re seeking paid vaccination leave. Here’s why.

Defeating the COVID-19 pandemic demands high vaccination rates. And Australia’s best chance of achieving these high rates across the community involves enabling employees to get vaccinated as a workplace right – a right that is supported by employers and backed by the force of law.

So the IEU joins with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) in calling for paid vaccination leave for all workers, including teachers and support staff from early childhood education and care through to secondary schools and post-secondary colleges.

“It’s imperative to have paid leave readily accessible in a pandemic,” said IEUA NSW/ACT Branch Secretary Mark Northam. “Our members’ vaccination appointments are determined by the availability of the vaccine, the length of

queues and the difficulty of obtaining GP appointments.

To predetermine all these factors to fall outside work commitments is impossible.”

Since late June, the Greater Sydney area has been in lockdown owing to a surge of the Delta variant of the coronavirus. On 11 July 2021, 52 people were in hospital, six of whom were under 25. There were 15 people in intensive care and five on ventilators.

To avoid even longer and more serious health, economic, and social disruption, the nation needs to increase its vaccination rate dramatically. Yet on 11 July, four months into the vaccine rollout, only 8.8 percent of people aged over 16 were fully vaccinated. The rollout has been too slow, poorly organised, and health advice has been inconsistent. It has not been worker friendly.

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Why we all need paid vaccination leave The vaccines on offer in Australia require two doses to be administered on different days at a vaccination hub or a GP’s clinic. Most people will need to make appointments during working hours for these vaccinations.

(vol 41 #5) July 2021

Contents

News

2,3,7,8,13,15

Features 6,8,9,12,16,17

Reports 1,3,4,5,6,14,15

Member stories 4,10,11,16

Member benefits 5,10,11,13,15,19,20

Letters to the editor

One day’s leave per dose The IEU, along with many other unions, is calling for paid vaccination leave of up to one day per dose.

The IEU has written to Catholic Employment Relations and the Directors of each of the 11 Catholic Dioceses to request this leave. The union has asked for one day of paid special leave for each COVID vaccination (a total of two days) leave that would be additional to existing personal/carer’s leave.

“Employers have a duty of care to eliminate the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace or, if that is not practicable, to minimise it,” IEUA NSW/ACT Deputy Secretary Carol Matthews said. “A safe and effective vaccine is one of a number of control measures that can be used to manage the risk of COVID-19.”

The IEU is seeking these arrangements as members may have difficulty booking a vaccination appointment outside of school hours, Matthews said.

Paid leave would encourage greater vaccination uptake as casual employees wouldn’t face losing two days’ pay and permanent staff would not need to run down their leave.

Some employers understand Numerous big employers have already heeded the call. The Finance Sector Union reports that several employers, with 130,000 staff between them, have already committed to paid vaccination leave. The United Services Union, which represents employees in local government, utilities and airlines, says that about 50,000 local government employees now have access to paid vaccination leave. More than 100 of NSW’s 128 councils have signed on.

Australia’s largest private sector employer, Wesfarmers, has offered three hours of vaccination leave to employees in major retail outlets including Bunnings, Kmart and Target.

“Looking after people’s health is better for jobs and for the economy,” said ACTU Secretary Sally McManus on July 10.

It is in the interests of employers to offer this leave. First, it’s a good work health and safety strategy, because a vaccinated employee is less likely to catch the virus at work. Secondly, it’s good for the bottom line:

should a vaccinated employee get COVID-19, they are less likely to experience serious illness than an unvaccinated one, requiring far less sick leave.

Backed by law The COVID-19 pandemic has a while to run yet. And because of this the ACTU is pressing for leave to be included in the National Employment Standards (a set of 11 minimum employment entitlements that must be provided to all employees).

“It’s much fairer and better if you just make a rule across the country,” McManus said in The Australian on June 10. “That would mean it’s not left up to individual workers to have to go and ask for it or fight for it.”

In the meantime, unions are pressing for this leave to be included in workplace policies and industrial agreements.

“We’re so much better as a country when we work together,” McManus said to Radio National Breakfast host Fran Kelly on 7 July.

“This is a time when everyone needs to do their part.” Now It’s time for employers to do their part by providing paid vaccination leave for all staff.

Pam Smith Assistant Secretary Monica Crouch Journalist

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Branch executive

High time to vaccinate teachers and support staff

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Newsmonth is published eight times a year (two issues per term) by the Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT Branch.

Executive Editor: Mark Northam, Secretary for and on behalf of the IEU Executive and members Managing Editors: Monica Crouch

Bronwyn Ridgway Journalists: Monica Crouch

Sue Osborne Graphic Design: Chris Ruddle Contributions and letters from members are welcome. These do not reflect endorsement if printed, and may be edited for size and style at the Editor's discretion. They should be forwarded to: Newsmonth 485-501 Wattle Street ULTIMO NSW 2007 GPO Box 116 SYDNEY NSW 2001 Tel: 8202 8900 Toll free: 1800 467 943 Email: ieu@ieu.asn.au www.ieu.asn.au

facebook.com/ieunswact twitter.com/#!/IEUNSWACT Instagram.com/ieunswact This publication was produced on the unceded lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.

The IEUA NSW/ACT Branch acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners of the lands where we live, learn and work, and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

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STOP PRESS Staff in South Western Sydney schools prioritised for jabs More than 10,000 teachers and school support staff in South Western Sydney’s areas of COVID concern will have priority access to the vaccine rollout.

Staff from schools in Fairfield, Canterbury Bankstown and Liverpool local government areas are eligible. A vaccine hub will open at Fairfield Showground from Friday 16 July to vaccinate school staff and aged care workers.

IEUA NSW/ACT Branch Secretary Mark Northam says the union will reach out to its many members in South Western Sydney schools to offer support. “The IEU calls on schools to facilitate staff time for vaccination and urges members to call us on 8202 8900 if there are any problems,” he said.

The IEU first spoke out in the media in January urging priority vaccination for school staff. As NSW experienced a renewed COVID outbreak in June, we released the following statement.

The recent spate of COVID-19 cases in schools across Sydney’s eastern suburbs indicates yet again that teachers and support staff should be prioritised for vaccination.

“The IEU has been calling for teachers to be included in priority groups for vaccination since January this year,” said Acting Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT Branch Secretary Carol Matthews. The IEU represents teachers and support staff in the non-government education sector.

“Our position has stayed the same since January – it is not only in the interests of teachers and support staff to get vaccinated, but also the entire community,” Matthews said.

The Delta variant of the virus has proved to be far more transmissible, particularly among children: • Emanuel School in Randwick has notified parents of a positive case in a student.

• A student at Rose Bay Secondary College has tested positive, meaning more than 1300 high school students and all staff from the school were directed to self-isolate on the first day of holidays.

• A student at St Charles Catholic Primary School,Waverley, has contracted the virus, a case that has not yet been linked to previous clusters.

• Mount Sinai College, a primary school and preschool in Maroubra, has also informed parents that a member of the school community has tested positive.

All this has taken place within the space of a week, creating great stress during school holidays. And if the outbreak is not contained by the end of the break, schools will again be facing closures, disrupting working families and businesses.

“It takes just one case of COVID-19 to shut down an entire school, impacting hundreds of families – interrupting learning and impeding parents and guardians’ ability to work,” Matthews said.

The IEU has asked employers in non-government schools to provide paid vaccination leave for employees who are unable to arrange vaccinations during school holidays or outside work time.

“If schools are to re open in Term 3, they must be safe for staff and students,” Matthews said. “The same rules around mask wearing should apply to schools as they do in other workplaces.”

The IEU is frequently contacted by teachers and support staff who are keen to be vaccinated – but they need vaccines to be available to them. “We’ve been saying since the start of the pandemic that teachers and support staff are essential workers and should be prioritised for vaccination,” Matthews said.

“Prioritising teachers and support staff for vaccination is the least the federal government could do to support them after the support they provided to their school communities over the past year.”

In 2020, more than 50 schools in NSW had to close due to cases of COVID-19. This required extensive contact tracing and deep cleaning before they could re open, taking up to several days and costing in the tens of thousands. With vaccination, this scenario is preventable.

Health experts agree. Murdoch Children’s Research Institute vaccine uptake expert Associate Professor Margie Danchin said on Monday 28 June that the latest outbreak reinforced the need to prioritise vaccine availability for teachers, “just like we’re prioritising vaccination for staff in aged care and disability care”.

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'TEACH FOR NSW' IS TINKERING

NOT REFORM So why isn’t the profession attracting and retaining the numbers it needs? The recent NSW Productivity Commission stated explicitly that the attractiveness of teaching has clearly declined relative to other professions. “A lot of factors are driving that trend, including the perception of teaching as a career and the complexity around the role,” said NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell.

Addressing each of the five key points listed on page 1 is vital to solving this problem yet this recent proposal does little in this regard. The minister admitted in parliament that the profession is struggling to attract students, with the number of students beginning teaching degrees in NSW falling by almost 30 percent over five years: from 9620 in 2014 to 6780 in 2019. With recent estimates stating NSW will need 11,000 new teachers by 2030, a bespoke, mid-career pathway into teaching is unlikely to be the answer.

While it is recognised that appropriate recognition of prior learning and previous professional experience has a part to play, the ongoing process over recent years to diminish the professional teacher training programs is a concern. There are few, if any, examples of other professions having their career entry processes undermined in such a way.

It is difficult to see how the quality of initial teacher education is in itself a driver of career choice. Students leaving school take up a teaching degree because they want

to be teachers. Most would have very little knowledge of the course and training requirements. It follows, therefore, that to continue to attract young people to teaching, we need to make the profession attractive.

How do we do that? Try asking teachers. Providing appropriate support and resources for pre-service and not yet Proficient teachers, addressing unsustainable teacher workloads, putting an end to the incessant teacher bashing from self-styled education experts in politics and the media, developing legitimate career pathways for teachers, putting teachers at the centre of educational decision making bodies, and remunerating teachers at a level commensurate with the critical role they play in our community will go a long way towards re-establishing teaching as a highly valued profession by our society.

So where to from here?

The IEU has invited the minister to consult with us in the coming weeks, as the union is a significant stakeholder in this proposed program.

As we look to address the full range of the recruitment and retention issues as identified, the union will advocate for the following: • All pre-service teachers and their in-school mentors/ supervisors are provided with the support structures

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currently enjoyed by government-funded programs such as Teach for Australia.

All teachers working towards achieving proficient teacher status and their in-school mentors/supervisors, are provided with the support structures, including time release, currently enjoyed by government-funded programs such as Teach for Australia.

School staffing structures and allocations are reviewed with a view to addressing the long-term fundamental issues of recruitment and retention.

Employers give serious consideration to solutions proposed by the union for addressing unsustainable teacher workloads.

The NSW Government abandons its current policy restricting public service wage increases which result in downward pressure on salaries in the non-government early childhood and school sectors.

The union is also meeting with the NSW Council of Education Deans shortly to renegotiate the Practicum Intern Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU is an agreement between the IEU, the NSW Teachers Federation and the NSW Council of Education Deans that contains rates of pay and responsibilities that apply to teachers who supervise students on practicum.

Pay offer inches up in independent schools Carol Matthews Deputy Secretary

Members would be aware that current Multi-Enterprise Agreements (MEAs) applying to independent schools in NSW and the ACT expired in January 2021. Given the disruption caused by COVID in 2020 and, as a result of further delays in 2021, bargaining for new MultiEnterprise Agreements has proceeded at a glacial pace. Pay rises for 2021 have been determined on a school-by-school “discretionary” basis, with the majority of schools paying increases of 2% or more this year.

Totally unacceptable AIS offer (8 June) On 8 June the AIS proposed the following pay rises for teachers and support staff in NSW and ACT independent schools: • 2.5% February 2022 (inclusive of pay rises in 2021) • 1.25% February 2023 • 1.25% February 2024 The union reported this to members in our June NewsExtra and described the above offer as totally unacceptable. We also advised the AIS of our position.

Slightly improved offer (17 June) On 17 June 2021 the union received a revised pay offer: • 3% February 2022 (inclusive of pay rises in 2021) plus super

• 1.5% February 2023 plus super • 1.5% February 2024 plus super.

The references to “plus super” refer to the compulsory increases in superannuation of 0.5% which have been legislated for July 2021, July 2022, July 2023 and July 2024, taking total compulsory superannuation to 12% by July 2025.

The superannuation increases must be paid by law, separately from the MEA, so do not flow from the MEA, but are referred to so that the offer seems more generous. This offer of a total of 6% pay rises was therefore an overall increase on the previous offer of just 1% over the period from 2021-2024.

NSW public sector pay cap increased In late June the NSW Government announced that it would revert to the long-standing public sector pay cap of 2.5%, rather than the much lower increases it had sought in 2020 (some NSW public servants only received pay rises of 0.3% in 2020). The cap of 2.5% means that total employeerelated costs (that is, pay rises and superannuation increases) cannot increase by more than 2.5%.

Given the superannuation increases occur in July but teacher pay rates have generally increased at the beginning of the year, a pay cap of 2.5% has been equated to pay rises of 2.28% plus 0.5% increase in superannuation for teachers.

In light of the change in NSW government policy, the union immediately wrote to the AIS, asking them to reconsider their pay offer based on the improved wages outcome

likely for teachers in NSW government and Catholic schools.

Further improved offer (25 June) At a meeting held on 25 June immediately prior to the Greater Sydney lockdown, a further revised offer was tabled by the AIS: • 3.28% February 2022 plus super • 2.28% February 2023 plus super • 2.28% February 2024 plus super. with the pay component to be increased if the superannuation increase does not proceed in a particular year. This offer totals 7.56% in pay rises. The union has indicated the pay rises for 2023 and 2024 would be acceptable as they are in the ballpark of the likely increases for public sector teachers.

Increase for 2022 still too low Our concern is that staff in schools that paid 2% or 2.5% in 2021 would only get a tiny additional pay increase in 2022. Some schools may choose to top up the 0.5% or 1% increase, but this could not be enforced under the MEA by the union and would need to be negotiated by members at school level. The union has not yet resolved the impasse.

The union will report in detail to members when schools are back in Term 3.

Conditions The union has been disappointed with the AIS response to our claim for improved conditions and the “flexibilities” schools have requested in exchange for pay rises. However, discussions are continuing.

Members win

Aspect ups its offer

All NSW education and support staff employed

by Aspect (Autism Spectrum Australia) have had a win.

In February 2021, education and support staff in NSW Aspect schools received an initial oneoff payment of 0.875% of base salary, with another one-off payment of 0.875% of base salary scheduled for 1 July (a total of 1.75%).

Hundreds of IEU members in Aspect schools in NSW met and endorsed a motion requesting Aspect immediately improve the pay offer set down for 1 July 2021.

The IEU met with Aspect management to voice members’ concerns about the inadequacy of these one-off payments.

The union requested at least a 1.75% increase to base salary be considered rather than another one-off payment of 0.875%.

On 25 June, Aspect told the IEU as well as teachers and support staff in NSW they had reconsidered their position and would provide a 1.75% lift to base salary from 9 July 2021 rather than the one-off payment.

Although paid partly as a percentage increase and partly as a one-off payment, this increase is now in line with the 2.0%-2.5% paid in over 100 independent schools this year.

This improved increase will provide greater financial benefit for all education and support staff employed by Aspect.

Megan Bruce Organiser newsmonth - Vol 41 #5 2021

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Resolutely opposed to Latham’s legislation IEU Council recently passed two resolutions opposing One Nation politician Mark Latham’s backwards legislation before the NSW Parliament that seeks to disempower teachers.

One Nation politician Mark Latham has two Bills before the NSW Parliament: the Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill 2020 (NSW) (the Parental Rights Bill) and the AntiDiscrimination Amendment (Religious Freedoms and Equality) Bill 2020 (NSW).

While the IEU opposes both Bills, the Parental Rights Bill is particularly dangerous. It aims to enshrine ‘parental primacy’ in law, meaning parents can object to schools teaching ethical and moral standards, political and social values and matters of personal wellbeing and identity, including gender and sexuality. Mr Latham has already vociferously objected to a PDHPE class

exploring various forms of discrimination in Australia and an English class analysing writing style in an article featuring environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

Both the IEU and the NSW Teachers Federation have made submissions opposing the Bill to the Legislative Council Committee inquiring into the Bill, as well as appearing before the Committee to give evidence.

A number of IEU Sub Branches have passed motions opposing the Bill. Here are just two of the resolutions in full.

North West Sub Branch Comprising members in north-western NSW, taking in Walcha, Walgett, Mungindi, Quirindi, Tenterfield, Tamworth, Moree, Glen Innes, Gunnedah, Narrabri, Lightning Ridge, Armidale and Inverell.

Resolution: The North West Sub Branch of the IEU expresses its serious

concerns about the Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill 2020 as an unwarranted and ill-conceived attack on the professionalism of teachers and an affront to the rights of the child as articulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Australia is a signatory.

Sub Branch believes the Bill indicates little knowledge or understanding of how schools function on a day-to-day basis, shows no regard for the professional judgement of teachers, and has the potential to cause significant harm to individual students and teachers.

Sub Branch calls on the Armidale Diocese and independent school authorities to oppose the Bill as unworkable, a threat to the professional autonomy and judgement of individual teachers and education systems, and as an attack on the intrinsic rights of children.

South Coast Sub Branch Comprising members in Milton to the Illawarra and Macarthur regions (Campbelltown, Ingleburn, Camden) Picton, Wollondilly and the Southern Highlands (Moss Vale, Mittagong, Bowral).

Resolution: That the South Coast Sub Branch of the IEUA NSW/ACT condemns Mark Latham’s deprofessionalising and anti-student wellbeing Parental Rights Bill, and calls on NSW Parliament to reject the Bill in its entirety, for the benefits of students and school staff.

Further, it notes that the Bill does not acknowledge the complexity of the nature of education and is therefore unworkable.

Monica Crouch Journalist

Work and family support responding to changing needs Pam Smith

Assistant Secretary

At the end of a recent IEU chapter meeting, a member said that she wanted to share some news. She told the meeting she was pregnant with her first child and her due date was in December.

After the joyful congratulations, the members at the meeting quickly turned to practical matters: How much leave are you taking? Do you know about giving notice for leave? Are you aware of the 18 weeks Paid Parental Leave (PPL) from the Federal Government? Do you think you will want to work part time after your maternity leave? Will your partner be taking some parental leave? And of course – tell the IEU when you commence your maternity leave so that you can receive the special membership rate!

These are all vital considerations for members and their families and represent hard-won gains by the union movement. Gains also have to be defended, as when the Abbott Government threatened the national Paid Parental Leave scheme introduced by the Gillard Government, and the IEU and other unions fought to protect the interests of members, especially those for whom the national PPL scheme is their only or major source of income during parental leave.

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As economic and social circumstances evolve and new needs are identified, new campaigns are required and unions and their members step up to the challenge.

For example, the ACTU and unions have campaigned for greater sensitivity for workers who experience the premature birth of a child or the very sad circumstances of stillbirth or the death of a child, and some amendments were made to the Fair Work Act in November of 2020. For example, the Fair Work Act was amended so that parents who experience premature birth, or other complications which result in the long-term hospitalisation of the baby, can pause their unpaid parental leave so that it can be used more flexibly at a challenging time for a family.

In NSW, the 2021 Budget introduced five days of paid leave for public sector employee parents who suffer a miscarriage or stillbirth. The Federal Government has also recently introduced legislation which will add miscarriage to the compassionate and bereavement leave entitlements under the National Employment Standards that underpin all enterprise agreements.

More flexible access Recognising changing community expectations, there has also been a campaign for more flexible access to parental leave by both parents, resulting in some 2020 changes to the Fair Work Act to facilitate shared caring responsibilities

or a gradual return to work without breaching PPL requirements. In the NSW public sector, after campaigning by the Public Service Association, both parents will now be able to access up to 14 weeks of paid parental leave during the first year of their baby’s life.

Private sector accounting firm KPMG has recently announced that its paid parental leave scheme will be extended to 26 weeks with no restrictions around ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’ carer status. The enhanced scheme will cover parents welcoming a new child through birth, adoption, surrogacy or foster care.

These recent developments are part of the context for the IEU in future negotiations as we respond to the evolving nature of work and family and the increased focus on flexible leave opportunities for both parents to be involved in the care of children.

IEU members should check the IEU Guide to Parental and Personal/Carer’s Leave in relation to their current entitlements or contact the union for specific advice or support.

Very best wishes to the member who announced her pregnancy at an IEU chapter meeting and we hope that she will benefit from the gains achieved by our union to date and the current campaigns for greater recognition of the diversity of work and family needs.

Environment grants encourage sustainability ideas Liam Griffiths

Assistant Secretary

The application process for the 2021 tranche of IEU sponsored Environment Grants is currently in place and we invite submissions for workplace sustainability projects until Friday 17 September 2021.

The IEU has a proud history of funding and supporting education projects across our membership that bring sustainability projects to life.

Last year we received impressive some submissions from early childhood education centres, primary schools and high schools. Members embraced the grants with enthusiasm and developed creative concepts.

There is no definitive list of possible activities, but typical projects include habitat conservation, biodiversity, outdoor learning areas, vegetable gardens and organic produce, water and energy saving initiatives, recycling and composting projects and Aboriginal cultural projects.

We ask successful grant recipients to provide a brief audiovisual presentation of their project outlining how it proceeded to completion, and highlighting how it has benefited their school or workplace.

Presentations can also include photographic essays, interviews, podcasts or other written forms of presentation.

Eligibility criteria include the project’s long-term viability, links to a broader environmental education strategy, and effective project management.

Use your imagination and get planning to have your concept supported by

a grant. There is still time to turn your great ideas into an achievable concept or project and have your work realised through a grant to support it.

Our special online session is a great opportunity to explore where your school or centre is at on its journey to sustainability and to map out the next steps. Those who missed it can watch on demand: theieuzone.org.au/ For more details about the IEU’s Environment Grant, see page 10.

Get involved – you’re limited only by your imagination and creativity.

“There is still time to turn your great ideas into an achievable project and have it realised through a grant.”

Present Tense Award increases In early June, the Fair Work Commission announced a general increase of 2.5% for the minimum wage and all modern awards, to take effect from 1 July 2021.

While the increase was a good bit below the 3.5% sought by the ACTU, it will still be a much-needed boost to the pay packets of teachers and support staff in the post-secondary education sector, one above the prevailing rate of inflation of about 1.1%.

For teachers on the award, this means the annual salary for Level 4 will increase to $55,591.27, while the equivalent casual hourly rate will increase to $53.25. For Level 7 teachers, the annual salary will rise to $60,703.53 and the casual hourly rate to $58.15, and for Level 11 the annual salary will be $69,061.29 and the casual hourly rate $64.62.

For support staff relying on the award, a Level 2 employee will get a minimum annual salary of $46,952.74, a Level 4 employee salary will increase to at least $53,460.14, and a Level 6 employee salary will rise to a base rate of $63,699.80.

This award increase will be of benefit to those employees who receive it, and to the broader economy. With general wage increases mired at very low levels, the 2 million or so

workers reliant on award wages will see a significant boost, which will aid the economy in the post-COVID recovery.

Border closures There is no question that the international student sector is in crisis, and this will remain so until international borders are re-opened and international students can return in significant numbers.

As things stand, this is unlikely to happen before next year. The recent Federal Budget had inbuilt an assumption that normal border traffic will not resume until mid-2022, though it’s possible that particular groups of longer-term visitors, such as temporary work visas and international students, may return before then.

The NSW Government has recently announced plans to return some international students later in the year.

These numbers will be small in the first instance (around 250 in the first intake), but there are plans to increase this in due course. The first tranche of students will be made up of postgraduate university students, as well as students enrolled in practical courses that can’t really be done online. It will be some time before students at ELICOS and

other colleges will be coming through this program, but everyone in the industry can only hope the program is successful and scaled up down the track.

Pandemic fall-out The pandemic and associated border closures continue to cut a swathe through the sector, with colleges continuing to close, and others greatly cutting back their operations.

EC English and Ability, two big providers, recently shut their doors for good, while Insearch have recently announced a third round of redundancies in the past 12 months.

There has never been a more important time to be an IEU member, so make sure your details are fully up to date.

You should also encourage your colleagues to join, if they are not already members.

People can join over the phone (8202 8900); via email membership@ieu.asn.au or online: ieu.asn.au/join-page.

There are many broader benefits to IEU membership: ieu.asn.au/member-benefits and fees are tax deductible.

Kendall Warren Organiser newsmonth - Vol 41 #5 2021

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Change: The new normal

State of mind: Keeping support staff safe

Carolyn Collins

Vice President Support Staff

The ACT’s Work Health and Safety Commissioner, Jacqueline Agius, was to be a keynote speaker at this year’s IEU Support Staff Conference, now postponed until 2022. Here, Agius talks about the main hazards school support staff face in the workplace. And they’re probably not what you think.

“Every worker has a right to be safe in their workplace,” says ACT Work Health and Safety Commissioner Jacqueline Agius, an experienced leader and lawyer with extensive knowledge of industrial relations and work health and safety laws. Agius is committed to improving health and safety standards and creating a strong safety culture in workplaces.

Psychosocial hazards, now more widely recognised, are high on Agius’s agenda, and she has established a dedicated team at WorkSafe ACT to regulate these risks.

“A psychosocial hazard is a workplace hazard that can result in a psychological injury, in the same way a trip hazard might result in a physical injury,” Agius says. “Work-related violence and aggression, work-related stress, work-related bullying and excessive workloads are examples of psychosocial hazards.”

Before becoming WHS commissioner in April 2020, Agius was a senior industrial officer with the Australian Education Union’s ACT Branch – so she knows a thing or two about the work of support staff in schools. And she doesn’t pull her punches.

“From a work health and safety perspective, psychological risks are by far the greatest risk to school support staff,” Agius says. “Education support staff usually work closely with students with complex needs and their parents and can be victims of work-related violence and aggression.”

Safety during the pandemic is also up there on Agius’s priority list. The pandemic has brought with it constant workplace change, and when this is poorly

managed, it also poses a psychosocial hazard. On top of this is the risk of catching the virus itself.

“It is absolutely crucial for schools to manage the risk of contraction of COVID-19,” Agius says.

“This means ensuring adequate controls are in place to protect school support staff from exposure to COVID-19 as well as managing any psychosocial hazards posed by this pandemic.

“If workers are fearful of contracting COVID-19 in workplaces, this hazard needs to be risk managed.

However, the most important part of managing the risks posed by COVID-19 for support staff is consulting with the support staff about this risk.”

The employer, Agius points out, is obligated by the Work Health and Safety Act to consult with the worker who is at risk. “School support staff at a WHS risk are rarely consulted with, are usually the last to be advised of the risk and are usually the last to be asked about the risk,” Agius says.

Agius is also keenly aware of other crucial matters support staff contend with constantly.

“From an industrial perspective, the key issues support staff face are adequate breaks, preparation and pay,” she says. “School support staff often complete work that is far above their classification level – I have known assistant educators to program for their students and then deliver the lessons to their students.”

Agius is dedicated to achieving positive workplace outcomes and improving the livelihood of workers.

This is all achievable, she says, with a strong regulatory response and keeping duty holders accountable for creating safe work environments.

“When we get work health and safety right, we can make significant improvements to workers lives,” she says.

“From a work health and safety perspective, psychological risks are by far the greatest risk to school support staff.”

Monica Crouch Journalist

The immense changes that COVID-19 has thrust upon us have turned school support staff into paraprofessionals.

Change has had a massive impact on our students and our everyday lives. Pandemic, lockdown, Zoom, social distancing, face masks and others are words we hardly used before 2020. School support staff are not new to change. Change and adaptability are our middle names.

Our roles have evolved to that of a paraprofessional, as there is an expectation from employers that we have qualifications such as Certificate III or IV in Education.

We also come to our roles with qualifications and work experience gained from previous careers. In addition, we bring personal skills and talents which benefit the whole school community.

Whether in an office, lab, classroom or outside, support staff are caring people who assist with the social and emotional growth of students, teachers, parents and the community.

Support staff have adapted to the constant changes associated with new legislation, compliance and the introduction of new technology which is not always fully functional or implemented with the required communication and training.

There is a constant need for professional development.

Classroom support staff needs the skills and knowledge to work across many different curriculum areas such as English, Mathematics, Science and Technology. Students need our assistance in using assistive technology, administering medication, personal care and behaviour management.

Behaviour management has become an integral part, if not the central part, of many of our workloads. One of the strengths of school support staff is our ability to support the mental health and wellbeing of students. Many students see us as someone they can trust, who they can go to with a problem, who will listen to them, and who will advocate for their needs and rights.

Ask any parent or teacher what they think of the support staff at their school, and you’ll hear words such as “worth their weight in gold”, “angels”, “superheroes”, “legends”.

As affirming as this is, I’d rather us be referred to as professionals doing our jobs.

I would like to thank the IEU for its commitment to school support staff, not just on an industrial level but on a professional and personal level. The pandemic has forced us to postpone our conference this year, but I encourage all support staff to join us for it in 2022.

IEUA NSW/ACT Support Staff Conference 2021

When: Friday 13 August, 8.45am to 4pm Where: Aerial Centre, UTS Building 10, Level 7, 235 Jones Street, Ultimo Just a 5-min walk from Central Station

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Federal minister schooled in early childhood education In June, IEUA Acting Federal Secretary Christine Cooper, IEU Early Childhood Services (ECS) Vice President Gabrielle Connell, ECS Councillor Amy Martin and Organiser Lisa James met with Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge at Parliament House.

We explained the Fair Work Commission’s decision in the early childhood Equal Remuneration/Work Value case, which detailed a new classification structure providing increases of up to 10% to teachers’ salaries, in addition to an annual Educational Leader allowance of $3302.46.

The 16 June Fair Work Commission Annual Wage Review decision provided for an additional 2.5%, which will be added to the new rates proposed after the Equal Remuneration/Work Value case.

However, there is no indication of when the rates of pay in the new classification structure will come into effect and the Commission will consider submissions regarding the possibility of phasing in the increases over time.

While these increases are welcomed by the sector, the salaries of early childhood teachers will remain between $11,000 and $29,000 per year below those of their colleagues working in primary schools – unless there is an enterprise agreement in place at their centre.

Workforce challenges Workforce challenges facing the sector was another topic canvassed during the meeting.

These include studies that show turnover in the sector is very high, at over 30 percent, qualifications waivers more than doubled between 2017 and 2021, there has been a 25 precent reduction in students enrolling in early childhood degrees since 2012 and the majority of teachers who do graduate indicate they intend to seek work in primary schools due to better salaries and conditions.

Connell explained that regional services are facing extreme difficulty in attracting teachers and replacing teachers and educators while they are on leave, directors have unmanageable workloads and experienced directors and teachers are leaving the sector due to burnout. Martin said she had been working 11-hour days in addition to turning children away due to an inability to staff the centre adequately.

Minister Tudge expressed shock that children were being turned away from services. However,

he went on to state that a shortage of employees is being experienced across industries Australiawide. He then drew a parallel between early childhood teachers (four-year university trained), educators (Certificate III or diploma) and aged care workers (10 hours of training), calling them all ‘professionals’ and emphasising that these problems will all be resolved as soon as international borders re-open and overseas workers are available to fill these positions. He also referred to early learning as ‘childcare’ until Amy requested that he refer to it as ‘early learning’.

Universal access We informed the minister that his decision to extend Universal Access National Partnership Funding for four years has given the sector more certainty going forwards. However, I expressed concerns regarding how children’s school readiness will be assessed as an accountability measure for this funding.

The minister said he thought the union would support their intention to measure children’s learning, so our members can demonstrate what it is they actually do. I explained that we support the assessment of children’s learning as teachers assess children’s learning and development in early childhood settings, and our concerns are primarily focused on how this information will be captured.

The process must be appropriate for preschool children and designed to capture individual children’s progress. The minister appeared to find it amusing when I asked him to confirm he is not planning to introduce ‘NAPLAN for four year olds’.

While the minister confirmed this was not the intention, he added that they had not considered how school readiness would be assessed, as such measures are still “years down the track”.

From this meeting it was clear that the minister’s priorities, from highest to lowest, are: productivity/workforce participation; accountability measures to justify funding; outcomes for children; and finally, the remuneration and wellbeing of teachers and educators. Any future approach to the current Federal Government must be expressed primarily in terms of increased productivity and workforce participation of parents.

Lisa James Organiser

“The Minister also referred to early learning as ‘childcare’ until Amy requested that he refer to it as ‘early learning’.”

From left: Early childhood teacher and IEU Council member Amy Martin; IEUA Acting Federal Secretary Christine Cooper; IEU Organiser Lisa James visited Parliament House, Canberra, to meet with Education Minister Alan Tudge.

IEUA NSW/ACT Branch 2021 Early Childhood Conference

We are all in this together...

SAVE THE DATE

Saturday 7 August Keynote speakers: Thrive by Five CEO Jay Weatherill Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Learning Jodie Harrison IEUA NSW/ACT Industrial Officer Dr Michael Wright

Aerial UTS Centre Building 10, Level 7/ 235 Jones Street, Ultimo newsmonth - Vol 41 #5 2021

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Professional engagement update Proficient Teacher and Maintenance Members may have seen a recent announcement indicating NESA is extending the interim professional development arrangements until 4 February 2022.

This advice is aimed at providers only, and does not change any previous accreditation advice the IEU has provided for members.

Accreditation at Proficient Not yet Proficient? The IEU professional engagement team has developed a handbook and an accompanying workbook which provide a comprehensive guide through the process.

Email accreditation@ieu.asn.au to request a copy.

Maintenance of accreditation Completing your 100 hours of professional development this calendar year will satisfy the PD requirements for your current maintenance cycle, regardless of your due date. The 100 hours can consist of either accredited or elective PD. Access more than 50 hours of on-demand PD through the IEUZone. Log in and create your IEUZone profile now. Register any courses you complete on your eTAMS as elective PD. Email pd@ieu.asn.au for further information.

IEU partnership IEU members are eligible for a 10% discount on CEMA’s Assessment Literacy (NESA Accredited) and Data Literacy (Elective) modules which can articulate to postgraduate award courses.

Go to the Professional Development page of the IEUZone or email pd@ieu.asn.au for further inquiries.

NCCD update The IEU continues to engage with employer groups and the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) during Term 2, advancing recommendations in the IEU’s report on the survey into the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) process in NSW and ACT

schools. You can access and download the IEU's NCCD Report from our website: bit.ly/3xyD7bG In-person meetings with 10 of the 11 Catholic dioceses and DESE in Canberra have been productive, with substantial support for the IEU’s recommendations on clarification of guidelines and elimination of unnecessary or duplicative collection of data. DESE has asked the IEU NCCD Working Group to provide further feedback on possible amendments to the current guidelines.

Thanks to the NCCD Working Group who met online during the June/July school holidays to discuss current NCCD documentation and propose various changes. Suggestions include eliminating layers of evidence compliance and clarifying protocols for an audit, while satisfying the evidence requirements of the NCCD and maintaining the emphasis on its primary function: support for students with disability.

DESE acknowledged receipt of the suggested amendments and agreed to ongoing consultation. We anticipate online meetings with their senior personnel over the coming weeks.

The Quality Initial Teacher Education Review On 11 March 2021, Federal Education Minister Alan Tudge announced a review of initial teacher education (ITE). The Quality Initial Teacher Education Review was launched on 15 April in response, followed some weeks later by a discussion paper circulated by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.

The discussion paper focuses on attracting high quality candidates into ITE and preparing ITE students to be effective teachers. These areas are further broken down into enquiry around topics such as high-performing school leavers, mid-career professionals, diverse cohorts, completion rates of ITE courses, supply and demand in the teacher workforce, out-of-field teaching and the role of school leaders and teachers in ITE programs.

The IEU notes that there have been numerous reviews into ITE over the last 30 years. The IEUA (the union's

federal body) has actively contributed to previous reviews, consistently raising concerns around the diminution of professional teacher training programs for graduates and the failure to provide appropriate resourcing and consultation with the profession regarding current ITE in-school experiences.

State branches of the IEU are collaborating on a submission from our federal office to the current review and discussion paper.

Professional Engagement team While the primary efforts of the IEU will always focus on industrial issues, we are increasingly required to participate in the broader professional discussions affecting our members. In response, the IEU's Professional Engagement team will look after matters in the following areas: • professional development • accreditation • experienced teacher issues • developing education support material (eg Accreditation Handbook/resource videos) • developing position/responses to emerging education issues (eg NCCD, Parental Rights Legislation).

The Professional Engagement team comprises: • Veronica Yewdall, Education Coordinator/Professional Officer • Liz Finlay, Professional Officer • Pat Devery, Professional Officer/Organiser • Marie-Claude Guilbault, Technology and support.

We look forward to working with the membership and welcome any feedback you might have.

Accreditation: Maintain your

Is your eTAMS information up to date? Will you satisfy the professional development requirements for your current maintenance of accreditation cycle?

IEU member Paul Fitzgerald was shocked to learn nearly 40 hours of professional development he had undertaken since December 2019 was not included in his current maintenance of accreditation period.

“I completed all the PD requirements for my second maintenance period and submitted my application,” said Fitzgerald.

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“Unfortunately, this was not confirmed by my TAA for nearly seven months, so NESA presumed the 40 hours I completed in 2020 were part of this second period, not my current, third maintenance period.”

The IEU Professional Engagement team worked with Fitzgerald to convince NESA’s Teaching Standards and Accreditation unit that the hours needed to be adjusted.

“Paul had completed two fifths of his current PD requirements,” IEU Professional Officer Pat Devery said. “Yet his eTAMS account said he was starting from scratch.”

Fitzgerald had paid for the three courses

out of his own pocket, so to have them not count towards his current maintenance period was not just inconvenient, it would have been costly.

“This incident highlights the need for members to be actively engaged in their personal maintenance of accreditation process,” said Devery.

“NESA’s policy clearly states it is up to individual teachers to take charge of their accreditation and this is the advice we give out to members.

“Since 2018, all members who were deemed Proficient in 2004 are required

to meet the maintenance of accreditation conditions.

“It’s your accreditation, it’s your career, and your union is here to help, but staying on top of the current advice is the best way to ensure things run smoothly,” said Devery.

For more information or support on professional development and accreditation, contact the IEU Professional Engagement team: pd@ieu.asn.au

Fruit picking

Play fair and workers will come Could the labour shortage in the horticulture sector stem from how workers are treated? Journalist Monica Crouch asks what’s going on – and what needs to change.

Katy came to Australia from Taiwan to pick oranges on a farm in South Australia. When she arrived, the horticulture company said they’d pay her $20 a bucket. What they didn’t tell her was that it took 860 kilograms of oranges to fill that bucket.

For the first three months it took Katy a long day to fill a bucket. That’s three months on $20 a day. After three months, she could fill three to four buckets a day. On a good day, if it wasn’t raining, Katy worked from dawn to dusk for $80.

Since international borders closed, Australia’s horticulture companies have spoken out about labour shortages. So why aren’t local people who are looking for work keen to try their hand at fruit picking? Why aren’t students who can’t take a gap year in Europe open to exploring Australia and following the harvest trail to fund it?

Piece rate problems “There are two factors at play here,” Unions NSW Assistant Secretary Thomas Costa said. (Unions NSW is the peak body representing about 600,000 union members in NSW.) “The first is that the horticultural award allows workers to be paid a piece rate [by bucket, bin, punnet or kilo] rather than an hourly rate or a yearly salary as other workers are paid.”

And it’s the employers who get to decide the piece rate on a day-to-day basis. “They’re required under the award to choose a piece rate that will allow a worker to earn the minimum wage in the award, which is about $25 an hour for a casual employee, plus 15 percent if they perform their work at the level of a ‘reasonable worker’,” Costa said.

But there’s no mechanism for a review of the piece rate and because the employer gets to set it, it’s open to misuse.

And misuse of piece rates has become rampant.

Research reveals The Migrant Workers Centre and Unions NSW have conducted extensive research into the sector, published in a recent report, Working for $9 a day: Wage theft and human rights abuses on Australian farms. It reveals several unacceptable practices. “Hardly anyone gets paid minimum wage on piece rates in the horticultural industry and a large

majority of workers get paid far below it – in some cases, just $2 an hour,” Costa said.

Take blueberry farming in Coffs Harbour. “We talked to workers there last year and found people being paid $6 for a 12-hour day,” Costa said. Other predatory practices include high accommodation costs and added charges for transport to and from farms.

Piece rates are not just below minimum wage, they are below the poverty line. As a direct result, the Australian Workers Union, which represents fruit pickers, filed an application in the Fair Work Commission in December 2020 to remove piece rates from the award. Unions NSW has been lobbying key politicians in Canberra.

Immigration issues There is only one reason workers might put up with this treatment, which brings us to the second problem: Australia’s visa and immigration system. “About 84 percent of people we spoke to in our research are on a temporary visa,” Costa said.

To extend a working holiday visa, the visa holder needs to work for three months in a regional area, and they need proof they’ve done this through a signed form from the employer.

“So the employers have a lot of control,” Costa said.

And when people are effectively dependent on their employer, they are prone not just to underpayment but also bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment.

In the UK’s recent trade deal with Australia, mandatory farm work for visas was scrapped over lack of safety after two British backpackers were murdered in 2016 during their three-month stint in Queensland’s canefields.

What needs to change To protect the fruit pickers who work hard to keep food on our tables, unions are calling for two key changes.

“Remove the piece rates from the award and just pay workers in this industry the same way you pay workers in every other industry with an hourly rate or a salary,” Costa said. This would make it far easier to enforce their rights and disputes over fluctuating piece rates would end.

“We also need a change to our immigration system that doesn’t require people to work in a region or in a certain industry so that they can be effectively bonded to that region or that industry,” he said.

“People need a pathway to permanency so they can seek out whatever employment is best for them. This would encourage a healthy migration to the regions, giving people the opportunity to settle in those communities, become part of them and work for sustainable wages.”

New Zealand has already risen to this challenge. With borders closed, the nation’s farmers faced a shortage of workers to pick kiwifruit. So the farmers increased their rates of pay and introduced flexible working arrangements enabling people to come in after 9am and leave before 3pm.

“What they found was, a lot of the mothers in these regional communities who weren’t working elsewhere would drop their kids off at school, come and pick the fruit, then go collect the kids from school,” Costa said. “And they got it done – they delivered the full harvest doing that.”

Fairness and dignity Katy, the fruit picker from South Australia, likes farm work.

And she’s not the only one. “There are a lot of people who really enjoy the outdoor lifestyle,” Costa said. “The work is not the problem. The problem is the really horrendous pay and bad treatment.”

When farm workers have money in their pockets, they spend it in local communities, benefiting everyone; their pay is taxed, supporting government services; and superannuation is paid on their work, looking after their retirement.

“Most Australians just intuitively don’t want to see the system we have now,” Costa said. “Most think migrants should be able to come here and work hard, and if you want to start your family here and stay here, you should be able to – that’s kind of the Australian story.”

What you can do • Read the report: Working for $9 a day – Wage theft and human rights abuses on Australian farms, by Unions NSW and the Migrant Workers Centre: bit.ly/3r18EAy • Email your federal MP and ask them to raise questions in Parliament • Email the Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud: Minister.Littleproud@agriculture.gov.au • Email the Minister for Industrial Relations, Senator Michaelia Cash: senator.cash@aph.gov.au newsmonth - Vol 41 #5 2021

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30-year IEU membership badge recipients 1. Jeanette Miller of St Mary’s Catholic School, Wellington 2. IEU Organiser Ann-Maree McEwan (left) with Helen Mann, Director, Katoomba Children’s Cottage 3. Peter Baz of St Gregory's College, Gregory Hills

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4. Lynette Fiander of St Mary’s Primary School, Dubbo

ENVIRONMENT GRANTS

Apply for your workplace

IEU members are invited to apply on behalf of their schools, colleges or Early Childhood Centres for one of three grants of $3000 each, sponsored by the union, to help with their environmental projects.

The IEU has a proud history of funding and supporting education projects that bring sustainability projects to life.

There is no definitive list of possible activities, but typical projects include habitat conservation, biodiversity and tree-planting, outdoor learning areas, vegetables in kitchen gardens, organic produce, water and energy saving, waste, recycling and composting projects, and aboriginal cultural projects.

The eligibility criteria include long-term viability of the project, a linkto a broader environmental education strategy, and effective management of the project.

Key dates Applications open: Monday 12 July 2021 Applications close: Friday 17 September 2021 There is an expectation that successful recipients will provide a brief video presentation at completion of the project outlining how their project has proceeded and what the benefits to their school has been.

Winners will be announced Tuesday 5 October 2021, with a formal presentation proposed for the AGM. For more information please contact richard@ieu.asn.au

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40-year IEU membership badge recipients 1. OLMC Parramatta Deputy Principal Marie Wood (centre) celebrates with colleagues (from left) Anthony Leon-Downs, Merlina Reid, Samantha Johnston and Felicity Briggs 2. Mary Norris of St Patrick's College, Campbelltown 3. Margaret McGrath and Wilma Fisher of Bethlehem College, Ashfield 4. John Cullen of St John Paul College Coffs Harbour, with IEU Secretary Mark Northam 5. Sherryl Bremner of Brigidine College, St Ives 6. Elizabeth Banfield of St Kevin's Primary School, Dee Why, with Organiser Megan Bruce 7. Phillip Mitchell of Hennessy College, Young, with colleagues Emily Nowlan and Mary Johnston 8. Helen Thurgate of St James Catholic Primary School, Glebe 9. Bernadette Fabri of St Patrick's Primary School, Parramatta, with IEUAssistant Secretary Pam Smith 10. Meika Tubaro of Good Samaritan Primary School, Fairy Meadow, with IEU Organiser Valerie Jones 11. Robyn Allan, Gregg Conroy and 30-year members Peter Hulme and Anne-Maree Donnelly of Bethany College, Hurstville 12. IEU Organiser Kendall Warren with Phillip O'Rourke (retired) 13. Mary Sinnreich of St Therese Catholic Primary, West Wollongong, with Organiser Tina Smith

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IEUA NSW/ACT Branch Environment Events 2021

Save the Dates!

n ig s e d y b t n e r Diffe

Canberra - 6 August Byron Bay - 3 Se ptember Sydney - 10 Septem ber newsmonth - Vol 41 #5 2021

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Workers for the win in General Mills strike Employees at a major food manufacturing company took a stand and gained a big win against wage suppression. Here’s how they did it.

IEU organisers Ann-Maree McEwan (pictured above, far left) and Dave Towson (second from right) attended a picket line to support striking workers at the General Mills plant at Rooty Hill on Wednesday 23 June.

The workers, who are members of the United Workers Union (UWU) were on day 19 of their strike to increase their pay and maintain their conditions. But come Friday 25 June, they'd attached a substantial victory.

US-owned General Mills, a global food giant that manufactures popular brands including Old El Paso taco kits, Latina Fresh pasta and Haagen Dazs ice cream, had raked in revenue of $US17.6 billion ($A23 billion) in 2020, and profits have risen by 40 percent over the past five years.

The company’s CEO was paid $US11.6 million ($A15.3m) in salary, bonuses and stock options in 2020.

Yet the 90 or so workers on strike were facing an average pay rise of just 1.5% a year, cuts to their conditions and new clauses that could see them forced to work more on weekends. The company was still operating during the strike by engaging a labour-hire company, but it was on substantially reduced output.

“As we arrived, a delegation had been invited into the building to speak with management about resolving the strike,” Towson said. “It was the first time management had reached out to the strikers. Those present cheered their colleagues as they walked into the building.”

UWU organisers had instigated a Twitter campaign on the same day asking users of the social media platform to tweet asking @General Mills to #RaiseWorkersWages or customers would #PassOnOldElPaso. The campaign saw this issue trending at number one earlier in the day, and organisers believed management’s decision to talk to employees was a direct result.

“The General Mills employees work hard to provide for their families and are proud of the work they do,” Towson said. “But they were even more proud to take a stand against a multinational insulting them with a paltry pay offer and a proposal to reduce their conditions.”

These same employees were even prouder still on Friday 25 June when they endorsed a deal that would see all their conditions maintained, a pay increase of almost 9% over three years (back paid to mid-February), and a $1500 bonus. The company’s original offer was just 4.5% over three years, no back pay and no bonus. By taking a stand, union members almost doubled their pay increase.

“Throughout the strike, General Mills workers were buoyed by the support of other unions,” Towson said.

“Transport Workers Union truck drivers refused to cross the picket line and turned their delivery trucks around at the gate.”

Members of the Australian Workers Union dropped off firewood to help keep the strikers warm as they maintained their picket line 24 hours a day. “Police officers who attended reportedly sympathised with the members while grumbling about the state government’s wages cap,” Towson said.

Community support for the strikers was strong, with people vowing to boycott the brands and posting pictures on social media of General Mills foodstuffs spoiling on supermarket shelves.

The IEU rejects wage stagnation. When workers have money in their pockets, they spend it in the local economy.

“We were proud to support our sister and brother workers at General Mills and congratulate them on their hardearned win,” Towson said.

Monica Crouch Journalist

Research: Lost your job due to pregnancy?

Australian National University PhD student Emma Graham is researching pregnancy and maternity discrimination at work and would like to hear from anyone who has lost a job due to being pregnant, taking parental or adoption leave or having responsibility for the care of a preschool child.

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If you’re over 18, female and lost your job after 2016 due to dismissal, redundancy, restructure, end of contract or demotion, or you experienced changed conditions and were forced to resign, contact Emma Graham: emma.graham@anu.edu.au phone 0400 369 355.

MUSTSHOULDCOULD

‘We don’t do part-time here’: Flexible working arrangements It’s that time of the year again.

In Term 3, schools start thinking about staffing arrangements for the next school year. If you are on parental leave and considering a flexible working arrangement when you return to work next year, now is the time to start those discussions with your employer.

In 2013, provisions of the Fair Work Act were expanded to provide parents returning to work after parental leave the right to request a change in working arrangements due to carer’s responsibilities. This has made the practice of returning to work on a part-time basis more accessible to parents across a number of educational settings.

It is important to note that it is your right to ask for part-time work but this does not automatically result in a successful return to part-time work. For this reason, it is important to allow enough time to sort out any potential impediments to establishing a successful part-time arrangement.

This is particularly relevant if you are hoping to return as a part-time teacher in a job-share arrangement.

Musts Things you must do: • submit your request in writing.

• set out the change you are seeking and your reasons for the change • the employer must respond to your request in writing within 21 days • the employer must tell you whether the request is agreed and, if not, the reasons for the refusal • the employer may only refuse the request on reasonable business grounds.

Shoulds As a union member you should contact the IEU to discuss your request before contacting your employer. This will enable you to get advice specifically tailored to your situation.

The union will be able to advise on the entitlements under the Fair Work Act or contained in your workplace agreement, as well as directing you to any employer policy documents.

Before contacting your employer, you should consider: • When are you planning to return?

• How many days are you available to return to work?

• Are you seeking a temporary arrangement?

• Are you looking for a job-share arrangement?

Just as every baby is a unique individual, every flexible work arrangement will be unique to the employee, their family situation and the individual workplace. As a result, there is rarely a one-size-fits-all response: which is why you should call the union before you finalise those ‘must’ items.

Coulds If seeking a job-share arrangement there are a number of things employers could suggest you do. The big one is that you could be asked to identify a suitable job-share partner.

Successful job shares quite often come down to the compatibility of the job-share partners. Basically, in some cases it will be easier to work with someone you already know and work with successfully.

This means if you have someone in mind to be your jobshare partner, you could suggest them to your employer.

Provide details of how the job share will work, taking into consideration: • division of curriculum responsibilities, reporting, parent communication, etc • plans for communication with your partner • attendance at staff meetings, PD etc.

You can make a requiest for a flexible work arrangement at any time, not just after a period of parental leave. It could be used, for example, by staff who wish to care for ageing parents.

If you have any questions about applying for a flexible work arrangement, contact your organiser on 8202 8900. Further information about flexible work arrangements and other parental leave entitlements are available to members on our website: www.ieu.asn.au Talk with colleagues If you know of a colleague who may need advice about a flexible work arrangement down the track, you could have a word to them about the union’s new member policy.

Flexible work arrangements are not an automatic right, but ‘we don’t do part-time here’ is not reasonable business grounds for denying a request for a flexible work arrangement. Should a decision need to be challenged, union assistance will only be provided to existing members.

Donna Widdison Organiser

N E P O W NO NGS Super has opened applications for passionate members of the education sector to apply for the chance to win one of six $5000 scholarships.

The NGS Super Scholarship Awards are designed to identify and fund the very best ideas in education that address current challenges and create positive impact.

Since their inception, the awards have given over $330,000 to more than 50 recipients to further their professional development while also contributing to the wider education sector.

The award categories encourage teachers, management and support staff to submit ideas in three categories – Navigating life, Sustainability and a General category.

Laura Wright, CEO of NGS Super, is looking forward to supporting the next generation of leaders in their professional development.

“Teachers, carers and workers have really stepped up to all challenges the pandemic has brought, and as a fund we’re excited to support the amazing and creative ideas that have been fostered through these tough times.

“Throughout the awards process over the years, we’ve been delighted at the quality of projects, and the passion, energy and enthusiasm education workers contribute to the sector. We’re pleased to offer a helping hand to the innovators and trailblazers who are committed to driving change and being their best.”

The 2020 Judges’ Choice winner, Michelle Forsyth, is a great example.

Michelle is Manager at the Young Parent Centre (YPC) at Port School in Western Australia, a purpose-built facility for teenage mothers, helping students navigate life.

NGS Super scholarship awards

Her award contributed to funding more activities and support staff for the YPC and Early Learning Centre’s (ELC) annual camp in Fairbridge, Pinjarra, where teen mums participate in team-building exercises, fun and games while the on-site ELC looks after their children.

With teenage mothers being at high risk of dropping out of school, the YPC gives them the chance to complete their education while their child is at the on-site ELC. The programs offered by the YPC, alongside the camp, allow the mums to form strong bonds with each other and result in the girls attending school more regularly because they have the ongoing support from staff and other mothers.

“It is so valuable to see the young mums’ interactions with their babies and with each other and to be able to provide support with strategies and programs

to help their parenting and educational needs,” said Michelle. “And NGS’s scholarship allowed us to take our offering to the next level.

“The mums and bubs camp is such a rewarding experience … it really does highlight and remind me of the challenges that these girls face. Just getting to school can be problematic with a baby, lack of sleep and catching several modes of transport — and yet these girls come every day.”

If you are an NGS Super member, you can apply for a 2021 NGS Super Scholarship Award by visiting: ngssuper.com.au/about-us/ngsscholarship-awards/entry-form.

Applications are open until Tuesday 31 August 2021, with all winners to be announced in line with Australian Teachers' Day on 30 October 2021. newsmonth - Vol 41 #5 2021

13

COVID challenges

Key issues for principals

As Term 2 came to an end, many principals were again confronted with the challenges of COVID in the Greater Sydney area and the impact on some other areas of NSW/ACT. The beginning of Term 3 will now see online learning for at least the first week, the use of QR codes in schools for staff, parents and other visitors and possibly other provisions depending on whether the COVID numbers are brought under control.

The IEU has again called for school staff to be prioritised for COVID vaccinations (see page 2). The IEU’s strong position is that vaccinating principals, teachers and support staff is in the interests of the staff, their school communities and the wider economy.

Noting the recent COVID outbreak affecting schools across sectors in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, as well as South Western Sydney there is great concern that if the situation is not contained, schools are again facing closures, with disruptions to working families and to businesses.

Consistent with the duty of employers to eliminate or minimise the risk exposure to COVID in the workplace, the IEU has written to Diocesan Directors requesting special paid leave for employees to receive COVID vaccinations (see page 1). This means up to two days’ leave (one per vaccination), in addition to existing personal/carer’s leave.

The union recognises members may have difficulty booking a vaccination appointment outside school hours.

The IEU is also very much aware of the many other

issues principals are facing, including staff shortages, curriculum changes, the NCCD, and NESA requirements for professional development. We welcomed opportunities to meet with Parramatta principal members via Zoom on 10 June and with Maitland-Newcastle principals on 15 June.

COVID permitting, the IEU has planned a principals’ breakfast meeting to be held in Newcastle on 30 July.

Opportunities for other regional principals’ events are welcome.

IEU Principals’ Sub Branch meetings will be held on 7 August 2021 (Zoom only) and 6 November 2021 at the IEU Parramatta office and via Zoom.

Pam Smith Assistant Secretary/Principals’ Organiser

Time to choose our future

Letter to the editor 14

newsmonth - www.ieu.asn.au

I’d like to thank David Whitcombe for a fantastic book review of The new climate war: The fight to take back our planet by Michael E Mann (Newsmonth, issue 4, June 2021).

I can attest to the occupational hazards of teaching Geography – it has influenced my decisions about diet, transport, finances, consumerism, even family planning. I also congratulate David on choosing a title in the climate change genre. I haven’t read the book but, judging from the review, I daresay that I would agree with most arguments put forward by Mann. I would, however, like to challenge a couple of points.

First, I’d love to know the source for the claim that “beef consumption is responsible for six percent of carbon emissions”.

From what I understand, there are two reports that are most cited about animal agriculture’s contributions to climate change.

One is the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN that claimed 18 percent in their report, Livestock’s Long Shadow.

The other is the Worldwatch Institute that claimed 51 percent in Livestock and Climate Change. Furthermore the FAO states that cattle are the animal species responsible for the most emissions, representing about 65 per cent of the livestock sector’s emissions. I would question the accuracy of all of these numbers, however, I tend to think the higher numbers are more persuasive. Why does it even matter? I think that a claim of 6 percent underemphasises the environmental impact of animal agriculture and particularly beef. There are, of course, the environmental impacts beyond carbon emissions, such as land clearing, soil degradation, effluent and inordinate water usage.

Perhaps the climate culprits are meat and food-processing corporations as well as the fossil fuel industry? It certainly has the lobbying power to collude with willing politicians. In which

case, changing our diets and consumer activism are worthwhile pursuits for which we should be held accountable by our students, who will inherit the world we are creating.

Secondly, to the point that “individual action is part of the solution … but it can only get us so far”, I tend to agree. However, I fear that this rationale could be used to excuse inaction on an individual scale. If climate change is the existential threat that scientists warn that it is, then should we not be doing everything in our power to avoid it?

The fossil fuel ship is indeed turning around, however, it remains to be seen whether the ship will turn fast enough to avoid the iceberg. Hope is essential if we are to face the challenge of climate change, however, without action on every scale, that hope may be dead in the water. In her book The Future We Choose, Christiana Figueres states “We can no longer afford the indulgence of feeling powerless. We can no longer afford to assume that addressing climate change is the sole responsibility of national or local governments, or corporations or individuals.

This is an everyone-everywhere mission in which we all must individually and collectively assume responsibility. We absolutely need to advocate for systemic climate action (with just transition or workers in affected industries), we need to eat less meat and we need to do everything else within our means to avoid a crisis, if for no other reason than to safeguard the future of the young people we have dedicated our careers to.

I may have completely missed the mark with my comments and just need to read the book myself!

Carmelo Fedele IEU member

Bruce Paine

A pandemic is no reason to push aside professional issues

Vice President Non Systemic Issues such as class sizes, casual shortages, low salaries for early childhood teachers, support staff matters, and the environment are slipping from view as we become blinded by the pandemic.

We all know what’s going on, the media barrage is taking care of that. But I’m concerned that while we’re focused on the pandemic and the restrictions it brings, we’re losing sight of the professional matters support staff and teachers will face in coming years.

Other challenges include the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD), new syllabuses, child protection, Working with Children Checks, teacher registration and lack of professional engagement. All of us in the independent sector have the need, and in fact the right, to engage in meaningful professional engagement so we keep abreast with the issues, advancements and initiatives that are floating just below the surface.

Let’s face it, professional engagement is difficult in a pandemic. Conferences may or may not occur, face-to-face workshops are ‘Zoomed’, meetings get cancelled, courses are online (if you can get on) and we are all time poor as we cope with the sector's expectations to ‘deliver a first-class educational experience’ during a pandemic (which, of course, we all are). And, for many rural schools, the looming threat of funding cuts has seen budgets for professional engagement cut and little or no PD being rolled out at all.

So, what can we do? Many of my colleagues have joined professional social media platforms, specialist staff in some schools have formed local associations, teachers and support staff in KLAs get together regularly to chew the fat, to network and to share ideas and initiatives, to plan and share programs and to discuss syllabus changes.

Music staff in a school I know meet monthly for breakfast.

But let’s be honest, a coffee at recess or lunch, a few fleeting words or chat on playground duty is not professional engagement, which must be meaningful, worthwhile and engaging.

We can find ways to connect with our colleagues, associates and the broader sector to stop the disengagement and slow ‘de-education’ of our industry.

You can start by attending a local IEU sub branch meeting, hop onto the IEU website and check out the professional engagement there, ring a friend at another school, start a group or (gasp) cold call someone in another school and get something happening. We all owe it to ourselves – don’t blame the pandemic.

Keep your details up to date As we begin this tricky Term 3, we sincerely hope you had a restful break, even with COVID restrictions.

If there are any changes to your membership in the second half of 2021, please let us know even if these changes will not occur until Term 4. Contact our membership team by phone (8202 8900 – press 1) or email membership@ieu.asn. au Your employer will not advise us on your behalf.

Union dues are tax deductible. If you haven’t submitted your tax return yet and you pay via direct debit, credit card or BPAY, email us (see address above) for a statement. If you are paying by payroll deductions, your union dues will be included on your income summary, available through your MyGov account.

Thank you again for your support and take care during this difficult time.

Membership Team: Jody Clifford and Syeda Sultana 8202 8900 (press 1)

OUT WITH EXTERNAL OPINIONS

Bernadette Baker

Vice President Systemic Schools As teachers we are constantly buffeted by the political agenda and it is often the loudest voice that shouts over the top of the education community – teachers, students, parents and schools in general.

Workloads are increasing – as extra is added, nothing is reduced. And during the school holidays we are yet again in lockdown, limiting the opportunity to relieve stress by getting away, if that is your preference.

Workloads are being increased by those looking in from the outside.

There has been much discussion in the media recently regarding the teacher shortage across the state. The shortage of casuals puts even more pressure on teachers.

The teacher shortage has been predicted for some years. Our profession has complex and demanding workloads, stagnant wages, complex registration and maintenance, and poor take-up as a course of study. Beginning teachers are unable to secure permanency and often become overwhelmed. These are not new concepts.

Education policy (and implementation) is affected by popular opinion and causes which are not able to take in the complexity and diversity of teaching in modern schools.

The IEU has been proactive in contributing to and driving the agenda in education: at NESA; contributing to discussion regarding curriculum reform; speaking out against Mark Latham’s Parental Rights Bill (see p 4); data collection and use in diverse needs; and being a voice regarding women’s work. We are part of a collective and together we have strength and a voice. Use your chapter and sub branch meetings to share your voice and keep up to date.

More support for overnight excursions David Towson

Organiser The demands that overnight school excursions place on staff was among issues raised at a recent North West Sub Branch meeting.

Of particular concern was adequate compensation (time and remuneration) for both teachers and education assistants.

Sub Branch carried the following resolution: “Sub Branch expresses its concern over the lack of recognition in regard to additional pressure, time and workload caused for teachers attending external events, such as excursions.

Teachers should be provided with time in lieu in compensation, and an overnight allowance.

“Further, the sub branch requests that the Armidale CSO ensure that all principals are aware of the provisions of the EA relating to payment of support staff, including on excursions.”

Other issues discussed included the new curse of students vaping at school (harder to detect than old-fashioned smoking).

On the positive side, member activism at one school saw the principal reverse a decision not to pay emergency leave when

staff were cut off from their place of work by flooding in March.

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) was again a matter of discussion. IEU Professional Officer Veronica Yewdall, Sub Branch Deputy President Raelene Maxworthy and IEU Organiser David Towson met with Diocesan Director Chris Smyth and CSO staff on 28 May. Yewdall presented the IEU’s report. Maxworthy provided practical examples of how the diocese could streamline their processes to reduce workloads.

Following the meeting, the diocese confirmed their support for the recommendations and their interest in working collaboratively with the IEU. We have agreed to have a followup meeting after discussions have taken place with the Department of Education Skills and Employment (DESE) and Catholic Schools NSW. We are optimistic that positive changes will be forthcoming.

The IEU Women and Equity Committee has organised a forum to be held on 3 September at the Tamworth Hotel. The guest speaker will be Armidale Deputy Mayor Debra O’Brien.

Save the date.

Our next sub branch meeting is on Friday 30 July which will follow a Reps Training Day at the Armidale Bowling Club (as the lockdown progresses, please check our website for updates). newsmonth - Vol 41 #5 2021

15

OnSOCIAL A quick round-up of what members are saying on our social media.

Early childhood educators are at risk as we deal with many parents/carers every day at drop-off and pick-up times. We do wear masks, however it’s hard to maintain social distancing during these times. [SLK] Our teachers and support staff are some of the most vulnerable in our community.

They have had to navigate a ship through uncharted waters and in doing so, put themselves at such enormous risk. I applaud the efforts of the IEU to continually advocate for their members and doggedly persist in getting all teaching and support staff vaccinated. [SC] It is sad that we as educators were mentioned so highly during the height of the pandemic as essential workers and then mentioned again at one stage as “phase 1b” of vaccine plans. And now, unfortunately I’m under 40, so have to continue to wait. I also think we, as profession, should have been thought of by the government sooner. Thanks IEU for working for us! (As clearly others are not.) It is much appreciated! [MT] This is also a fundamental point for early childhood teachers. Teaching children who often require physical comfort (so social distancing is a challenge), teaching children who are just learning the basics of personal hygiene, and children who are often sent to early childhood services while exhibiting symptoms of cold and flu because their families need to work. None of these situations are ideal, but they are a reality. early childhood teachers have families too, and illness can spread very quickly through some services – yet all the Federal Government has provided is “thanks for your hard work during these trying times”.

[PR] What about the masks in schools? So we return next week and once we enter the magic fences both staff and student masks get removed but we have to use them in public! Ridiculous. [KW] Now [that Sarah Mitchell is calling for teachers to be vaccinated] she just has to allow teachers a voice in overhauling the syllabus, and shut down Mark Latham. [SG] How did Mark Latham get to be Chair of the NSW Education Committee? [CF] Surely a wages cap can’t be justified given the economic position we’re in – how shameful. [GB] Compiled by Journalist Monica Crouch

16

newsmonth - www.ieu.asn.au

It was 20 years ago: (clockwise from main) The World Trade Centre in New York in the aftermath of the terror attacks on September 11; winner of Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2001; Winner of the 2001 Booker Prize

In a semi-regular column, we delve into our Newsmonth archives to find out what was happening in the union, the education sector and the teaching profession. This issue, we rewind 20 years to 2001.

It was the year of the September 11 terror attacks on New York’s World Trade Centre. In the aftermath, there was a spike in verbal and physical attacks on Australia’s Islamic community. The IEU instigated a Workplace Harmony Campaign through which staff and students at Catholic schools sent letters of support to staff and students at Malek Fahd Islamic School.

A look back at politics tells us the prime minister was John Howard and the federal education minister was David Kemp followed by Brendan Nelson. In NSW, Bob Carr was premier and the education minister was John Aquilina followed by John Watkins.

If all the world’s a stage, it was a good year culturally for Australasia: A Beautiful Mind, a biopic based on the life of American mathematician John Nash, and starring New Zealander Russell Crowe, took out Best Picture at the Academy Awards, while Australian author Peter Carey won the Booker prize for True History of the Kelly Gang.

It was the International Year of Volunteers. While it may seem hard to believe now, the Times Person of the Year was Rudy Giuliani, who was Mayor of New York City during the September 11 attacks. The Nobel Peace Prize went to the United Nations headed

by Kofi Annan, “for their work for a better organised and more peaceful world”.

Back in Australia, the NRL Premiers were the Newcastle Knights. In the ARIA Music Awards, the kings of the power ballad, Powderfinger, took out Album of the Year for Odyssey Number Five and best single for My Happiness. The Australian of the Year was Lieutenant General Peter Cosgrove, former Governor-General and former Chief of Australia’s Defence Force.

positive and meaningful advocacy on behalf of our support staff members and for helping expand support staff membership.

Support staff In 2001, the IEU elected its first Vice President Support Staff, to Executive. In 2021, we congratulate Carolyn Collins on 20 years of

David Towson Organiser Monica Crouch Journalist

Teachers The top rate of pay for a teacher in a Catholic systemic school was $54,378.

The Ramsay Taskforce was established to advise the NSW Government on implementing its recommendation to establish an Institute of Teachers. Then IEU Deputy Secretary Patrick Lee and then Assistant Principal of St Kevin’s at Eastwood, Kathy Young, represented the non-government sector.

At the time, IEU Assistant Secretary Gloria Taylor said: “Such a body would need to be an independent, statutory organisation with practising teachers forming the majority of the governing body.”

The Carr Government introduced legislation to weaken the state’s workers compensation scheme. Union members across NSW, including IEU members, stopped work to attend meetings in bowling clubs, sports clubs and RSL clubs, broadcast simultaneously by Sky Channel (today we'd use Zoom).

Although the legislation ultimately passed, the union movement achieved important improvements. Nevertheless, workers were left worse off. And the attacks on workers compensation keep coming: in 2020, the NSW Government’s icare scheme (which replaced WorkCover in 2015) was embroiled in scandal and near collapse.

Membership In 2001, the IEU boasted a total of 21,403 members. We welcomed 2334 new members and, of these, 512 are still members who still work in non-government schools. We are pleased to have posted them 20-year certificates recently.

We are always stronger together.

If you’re a

teacher

it pays to learn what you can claim at tax time To claim a deduction for workrelated expenses

■ you

must have spent the money yourself and weren’t reimbursed ■ it must be directly related to earning your income ■ you must have a record to prove it.*

You can only claim the work-related part of expenses. You can’t claim a deduction for any part of the expense that relates to personal use.

* You can use the ATO app myDeductions tool to keep track of your expenses and receipts throughout the year.

Self-education expenses You can claim a deduction for self-education expenses if your course relates directly to your current job – eg a course in working with children with special needs.

You can’t claim a deduction if your study is only related in a general way or is designed to help you get a new job, eg you can’t claim the cost of study to enable you to move from being a teacher’s aid to being a teacher.

Car expenses You can claim a deduction when you: ■ drive

between separate jobs on the same day – eg travelling from your job as a teacher to a second job as a musician

■ drive

to and from an alternate workplace for the same employer on the same day – eg driving from your school to another school to moderate exam results.

You generally can’t claim the cost of trips between home and work, even if you live a long way from your usual workplace or have to work outside normal business hours – eg parent-teacher interviews.

In limited circumstances you can claim the cost of trips between home and work, where you were required to carry bulky tools or equipment for work and all of the following conditions were met: ■

The tools or equipment were essential for you to perform your employment duties and you didn’t carry them merely as a matter of choice.

■

The tools or equipment were bulky – meaning that because of their size and weight they were awkward to transport and could only be transported conveniently by the use of a motor vehicle.

■

There was no secure storage for the items at the workplace.

If you claim car expenses, you need to keep a logbook to determine the work-related percentage, or be able to demonstrate to the ATO a reasonable calculation if you use the cents per kilometre method to claim.

Home office expenses You can claim a percentage of the running costs of your home office if you have to work from home, including depreciation of office equipment, work-related phone calls and internet access charges, and electricity for heating, cooling and lighting costs.

If you are required to purchase equipment for your work and it costs more than $300, you can claim a deduction for this cost spread over a number of years (depreciation).

You generally can’t claim the cost of rates, mortgage interest, rent and insurance.

Other common deductible work-related expenses As long as the expense relates to your employment, you can claim a deduction for the work-related portion of the cost of: ■ phone

and internet usage

■ excursions, ■ first

school trips and camps

aid courses

■ seminars

and conferences

■ protective

equipment such as sunglasses, sunhats and sunscreen aids

■ technical

or professional publications

■ union

You can claim a deduction for the cost of buying, hiring, mending or cleaning certain uniforms that are unique and distinctive to your job, or protective clothing that your employer requires you to wear.

You can’t claim a deduction for the cost of buying or cleaning plain clothing worn at work, even if your employer tells you to wear it, and even if you only wear it for work – eg sports clothing.

and professional association fees.

You can’t claim a deduction for the cost of: ■ gifts

you purchased for students

12:34 PM

Carrier

100%

Add expense

SNAP!!

SAVE STORE

SNAP!!

SAVE STORE Cost

$45.00 Date

10/04/2018

■ meeting

students’ personal expenses – for example, paying for lunch, excursions or school books.

Description

Travel expenses

Is this partly a private cost?

Yes

No

What can you claim on your tax return?

100%

OR

$0.00

Car

Other car expenses

NAT 75029-06.2020 DE-20630

Clothing expenses

■ teaching

This is a general summary only.

For more information, go to ato.gov.au/occupations newsmonth - Vol 41 #5 2021

17

IEUA NSW/ACT Branch Executive Members

Secretary Mark Northam Eora Nation

Deputy Secretary Carol Matthews Eora Nation

Assistant Secretary Liam Griffiths Eora Nation

Assistant Secretary Pam Smith Dharug Nation

President Christine Wilkinson St Joseph's Girls High School East Gosford Kuring-gai Nation

Deputy President Tina Ruello Catherine McAuley Westmead Dharug Nation

Vice President Non Systemic Bruce Paine Kinross Wolaroi School Orange Wiradjuri Nation

Vice President Systemic Bernadette Baker St Mary’s Cathedral College Sydney Eora Nation

Vice President ECS Gabrielle Connell NESA Accreditation Officer Wiradjuri Nation

Vice President Support Staff Carolyn Collins St Michael’s Primary School Nowra Yuin Nation

Vice President ACT Angela McDonald St Thomas Aquinas Primary School Charnwood Ngunnawal Nation

Financial Officer Denise McHugh NESA Liaison Officer Kamilaroi Nation

General Executive Members

Financial Officer Peter Moore De La Salle College Cronulla Tharawal Nation

18

John O’Neill Carroll College Broulee Yuin Nation

Anna Luedi Marist Catholic College North Shore Eora Nation

Suzanne Penson Mackillop College Port Macquarie Biripi Nation

Helen Templeton Presbyterian Ladies College Armidale Nganyaywana Nation

Phoebe Craddock-Lovett Marist College North Shore Eora Nation

Simon Goss Holy Spirit Primary School Lavington Wiradjuri Nation

Libby Lockwood St Joseph’s Primary School West Tamworth Kamilaroi Nation

Kylie Booth-Martinez Assumption Catholic Primary School and St Stanislaus College, Bathurst. Wiradjuri Nation

Glenn Lowe St Joseph’s Catholic High School, Albion Park Dharawal Nation

newsmonth - www.ieu.asn.au

Your Future, Your Super Bill legislated with amendments Most of the so-called “landmark reforms” (in the words of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg) in the original Your Future, Your Super Bill were nothing more than a concerted attack on our world-class superannuation system by the Federal Government.

Fortunately, several important elements of the legislation were amended or rejected after negotiations with independent MPs in the Senate.

Significantly, the proposal to allow the Treasurer to override any investment decisions made by fund trustees was removed.

This keystone measure was considered to be ‘government overreach’ designed to attack industry funds and their investments at the behest of the Treasurer.

Businesses such as The New Daily, which is owned by a number of industry funds, have been hotly criticised by the hounds on the government backbench seeking to make a name for themselves.

Could it be because the content of The New Daily may be critical of federal politicians or short-sighted government policies? Imagine Josh Frydenberg having the final word on how your retirement savings are invested?

And in an ironic twist, some National MPs argued that this provision would enable a future treasurer (says Labor) to block investments in the coal or gas industry.

In the House Anthony Albanese pointed out the government’s ideological opposition to compulsory superannuation and their view that it is “time to kill superannuation stone dead . . . and that is the view of the Liberal and National parties when it comes to workers having decent retirements and having dignity in their later years”.

An important provision of the bill which did get through was the idea of ‘stapling’ a super fund to a person throughout their working life. The clear intent of this measure is to reduce the number of extra super accounts to save money in fees.

In practice it means that if a worker changes jobs, he/she is ‘stapled’ to their previous fund. This is all well and good if the fund they are stapled to is not a dud fund in which case they will lose a substantial part of their retirement savings. It will place extra pressure on APRA to ensure members are not stapled to an underperforming fund.

An immediate problem with the stapling initiative has to do with workers moving

into hazardous jobs who rely on insurance policies specific to their occupation such as in the building and construction industries.

Stapled members may not be covered for their new occupation as many group insurance policies contain exclusions for occupations such as labourers, bricklayers and scaffolders.

Industry funds welcome the introduction of the performance test which constitutes a section of the new Act aimed at holding underperforming funds to account.

However, one would assume that all funds providing superannuation services would be subject to the same review, but this is not the case. It will not apply to non-default retail funds. AIST CEO, Eva Scheerlinck, said, “The changes, while removing an element of serious overreach, have done nothing to address that more than one third of their super savings will not be subject to scrutiny and disclosure and does not prevent members from being stapled to funds that have not been tested or have failed the test”.

An annual objective performance test will be applied to default MySuper products and funds that fail will be required to inform members and chronic underperformance will result in the funds not being able to take on new members.

The members’ best interest test has also been changed to a best financial interest test and the obligation to provide better information regarding how their retirement savings are invested is further imposed on trustees. This ‘reform’ has been passed in spite of the fact that trustees already have direct responsibilities under trust law, the Superannuation Industry Supervision(SIS) Act 1993 and corporations law. And the normal onus of proof has been reversed to require a trustee to prove why any decision taken – without materiality threshold – was in the best financial interest of members.

It will be interesting to see how these changes play out and nice to see that the government’s attempt to take over trustees’ investment decisions was thwarted.

And, hey, it’s 10 percent super from 1 July 2021! First increase since 2014!

Cyber safety and classroom security Today’s students are more connected than ever before.

While devices, apps and internet connectivity allow school children to engage with syllabus material and pursue their own passions and interests, they also open the door to a range of potential issues.

With artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality commonplace, and laptops and handheld devices becoming more powerful, the prevalence of technology in the classroom will only continue to grow.

Keeping students and devices safe With students and staff gathering and submitting data and information through a combination of secured and unsecured networks, schools are exposed to three main types of attacks: • Trojan: also known as a Trojan horse, is a type of malware that is disguised as legitimate software that can give cybercriminals access to your devices and personal information.

• Adware: scripts hidden in online advertising so that when an advertisement is clicked, malware is downloaded to the user’s computer.

• Ransomware: malicious software that is designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid.

Schools that haven’t implemented programs and systems to protect their networks are particularly vulnerable to these threats.

In their 2016 White Paper, the International Society for Technology in Education warns that “giving students devices without context does more harm than good”. It recommends that parents and teachers encourage discussion about appropriate behaviour on and offline. This may be achieved in many ways, including the development and delivery of a “robust digital citizenship curriculum” and ensuring students are provided with a current guide for online behaviour.

Learn more about how Teachers Mutual Bank keeps its members safe at: tmbank.com.au/security

Fostering good digital citizenship In their last census, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data showed that people aged 15 to 17 years were the highest

Upcoming conferences and events

Environment Events 2021 Food: Different by Design Canberra Friday 6 August 2021.

Merici College, Braddon ACT Other events Byron Bay 3 September and Sydney 10 September

Support Staff Conference 2021 CHANGE - The new normal 2022 IL Friday 13 August, 8.45am D UNtoT4pm E N O P T POSCentre, UTS Building 10, Level 7, 235 Aerial Jones Street, Ultimo

Early Childhood Conference 2021 We are all in this together: 22 Support, resilience, recognition NTIL 20 U D E N Saturday 7 August 8.45am to 4.15pm POSTPO Aerial UTS Centre Building 10, Level 7/ 235 Jones Street, Ultimo

with Professional Development and Reps Training

www.ieu.asn.au

Bernard O’Connor NGS Super

(Important information: The information in this article is general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making a financial decision, please assess the appropriateness of the information to your individual circumstances, read the Product Disclosure Statement for any product you may be thinking of acquiring and consider seeking personal advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Any opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS Super.)

proportion of internet users at 98%. This is just one reason why it’s important for students to develop the right skills to reduce the risks of unwanted cyberattacks and learn to be mindful of how they engage with others on digital platforms.

To become good digital citizens, students need to learn fundamental concepts such as: • understanding what a digital footprint is and how to develop and protect theirs • the use of privacy settings and how to identify higher risk websites and platforms • how to protect their devices from cyberattacks • generating safe usernames and secure passwords to protect their information, and • how to communicate and collaborate effectively online.

Our locations

Sydney 485-501 Wattle Street, Ultimo NSW 2007 8202 8900 Parramatta Level 2, 18-20 Ross Street, Parramatta NSW 2150 8202 8900 Newcastle 8-14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2302 4926 9400 Lismore Unit 4 Lismore Professional Centre 103-105 Molesworth Street, Lismore NSW 2480 6623 4700 ACT Unit 8, 40 Brisbane Avenue, Barton ACT 2600 6120 1500 newsmonth - Vol 41 #5 2021

19

Why First-Borns Rule the World and Later-Borns Want to Change it Publisher: Penguin Life Author: Michael Grose

Let’s Build a House Publisher: Hachette Australia Author: Mike Lucas Illustrator: Daron Parton A step-by-step look at how a house is constructed from digging the foundations and laying the bricks through to fitting the drains and painting the walls. Let’s Build a House is a high-energy, gorgeously illustrated picture book written by a real-life engineer.

There are many factors affecting a child s personality and the adult they become, yet the least understood but most emphatic influence on personality is birth order.

Why is it that children in a family can share the same gene pool, a similar socio-economic environment and experience similar parenting styles yet have fundamentally different personalities, interests and even different careers as adults? Birth order!

The implications for parents, teachers and adults involved with children are many. This book also provides answers to all your questions about the personality and behaviour of your colleagues, life partner, friends and siblings.

And perhaps explains some of your own ambitions and quirks. Addressing multiple births, special-needs children, genetic engineering, blended families, gender balance, single children and birth-order balance in the workplace, parenting expert and father of three Michael Grose challenges parents to raise each child differently according to his or her birth order.

Super Geeks 1: Fish and Chips Publisher: Puffin Books Author: James Hart The story of two best friends’ quest for world domination!

Illustrator James Hart makes his authorial debut in this hilarious, action-packed graphic novel series! Perfect for fans of Real Pigeons, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dog Man. Zeek and Arnie are best friends. They do everything together. They love solving problems, inventing, playing video games, coding, reading comics, cooking (mostly Arnie) and planning world domination (mostly Zeek).

But when Zeek puts a microchip in Arnie’s pet fish, Eleanor, things go horribly wrong. A super-intelligent Eleanor decides she’s going to become the supreme ruler of the world.

How will Zeek and Arnie stop Eleanor’s fish-bot army and prevent this power-hungry fish from achieving world domination?

Email entries to giveaways@ieu.asn.au with the title of the book you would like to receive in the subject line. Write your name, membership number and postal address in the body of your email. All entries must be received by 23 August 2021.

CREATING BRIGHTER FUTURES For our members

ngssuper.com.au 1300 133 177 Got a great idea for a project or program in education? In 2021, we’ll award six $5,000 scholarships to NGS Super members.

At NGS Super, we’re committed to supporting our members. Our annual Scholarship Awards are designed to give six winners the funds to help them maximise their contribution to the sector and foster their professional development.

Visit our website ngssuper.com.au/scholarships for more details and to apply online.

Issued by NGS Super Pty Limited ABN 46 003 491 487 AFSL No 233 154 the trustee of NGS Super ABN 73 549 180 515

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Entries close 31 August 2021.