Newsmonth May 2014

The newspaper of the NSW Independent Education Union and the NSW/ACT branch of the IEUA (vol 34 #3) May 2014

Print Post: 225007/0002 – ISSN: 0728-4845

Prac breakthrough p3

Activists unite p5&8

Get snapping for IEU photo comp p19

Members take stand on unprecedented threat 3Rs campaign for teachers and staff in Catholic systemic schools

Members in Catholic systemic schools are fighting the biggest direct threat ever made to their wages, conditions and job security.

With employers issuing a proposed enterprise agreement in the dying days of Term 1, members wasted no time in rallying to fight the attack. Many chapters have already met to condemn the employers’ actions.

The fight will continue from the beginning of Term 2, with Reps and their

chapter delegations meeting throughout NSW and the ACT to determine the next stages of the campaign, including industrial action.

IEU General Secretary John Quessy said the employers’ proposal had no legitimacy, because it “replaces the notion of consulting with employees with that of insulting employees”.

He urged members to carefully read the employers’ draft agreement to get an understanding of the extent of the threat

posed to teachers, support staff and school principals.

“Even if there was a need to change the existing pay structure, it was never necessary to strip away conditions, increase hours of face-to-face teaching, reduce sick leave and do all the other miserable things attempted by the authors and owners of the disgraceful document being peddled by CCER on behalf of the 11 NSW and ACT dioceses.”

Other proposals include abolishing

Assistant Principals and REC positions with the promise of a “conversation” about their future, and reducing the salaries of new support staff by between $6,156 and $17,417 per annum for the same work.

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For more information on the 3Rs campaign and employer proposals, see pages 2 and 3.

For 3Rs campaign meeting dates, see page 9.

www.ieu.asn.au on the ground

Catholic support staff pay and conditions under fire Under the document, progression reverts to reclassification. All existing Level 2 and Level 3 staff would be prevented from progressing to the equivalent of Level 4 and, as with all new employees, would be required to apply for reclassification.

Gloria Taylor Deputy Secretary

Teachers and school leaders are not the only potential victims of a proposed Enterprise Agreement (EA) launched by Catholic employers in April. The document covers almost all staff in Catholic systemic schools in NSW and the ACT and it reduces salaries for support staff through a new approach to classifications.

A comparison of the current salary rates against rates proposed by CCER demonstrates that new staff engaged to perform the same work would be paid between $6,156 and $17,417 per annum less.

The CCER claims that no employee will be worse off, but it is clear that replacement staff will be paid at much lower rates. The proposed EA also prevents automatic progression to what is presently the Level 4 classification, effectively restricting past and potential salary increases.

Automatic progression and senior appointments

The introduction of automatic progression was a hard fought condition that support staff achieved with the 2005 state award. The proposed EA reverses that gain.

A further gain in 2005 was the guarantee of the appointment of at least one Level 6 employee in the metropolitan dioceses with agreed arrangements also in Newcastle and Wollongong.

By 2009 there were agreements for all dioceses. Under the proposed EA these appointments would only occur at the discretion of the employer and the appointee would be paid less than an existing Level 4 employee (or at best only $833 more per year). The proposed EA effectively stymies career paths and higher rates of pay for staff.

An analysis of the clerical and administrative staff rates show that the EA proposed by the CCER, represents the lowest rates of pay for any school support

ACT an afterthought in CCER draft Carol Matthews Assistant Secretary

Staff in Catholic systemic schools in the ACT are hardly mentioned in the new enterprise agreement proposed to cover them.

Many existing conditions for both teachers and support staff are omitted.

Even worse, some employees covered in the existing ACT agreements would now be either in separate agreements to be negotiated some time in the future or simply languish on the existing agreements indefinitely without increases in pay.

Implications for teachers

There are no specific pay scales or classifications included in the agreement for ACT teachers.

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The CCER draft agreement states in Schedule D that it is intended that existing teachers employed by the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn in the ACT will remain on the current agreement until the new agreement is made. At some time in the future when the DEC outcome is known “the translation of classifications from the current agreement to this proposed agreement will be provided to ACT teachers”. This translocation would be a matter at the full discretion of the CEO. It is also unclear whether ACT teachers employed in the future are intended to be appointed directly to the new pay scale or some other scale (such as a version of the ACT government school teachers pay and classifications).

As is the case for NSW teachers, under the proposal all ACT promotions positions such as assistant principals and coordinators are abolished on the expiry of current contracts.

Existing workload provisions that are contained in clause 21 Student Grouping Arrangements and clause 22 Employee Workloads of the current agreement are

also removed from the proposed new agreement.

Teachers in early childhood services attached to schools would also be no longer covered by the proposed agreement, no doubt with the intention of reducing their rates of pay or precluding further increases.

Implications for support staff

As well as the changes that will impact on support staff generally, some employees currently covered by the Schools Employees Enterprise Agreement, will fall outside the proposed new agreement.

staff covered by an enterprise agreement in NSW.

Conditions

The conditions of all non-teaching staff are also reduced. The proposal includes a reduction in the minimum starts for part-timers and casual employees; greater uncertainty for parttimers; the inclusion of junior rates and the loss of a public holiday.

Catholic employers seek to dramatically reduce overtime entitlements by making employees work an additional hour before double time rates commence, by reducing overtime work for Saturday work, and by removing the minimum start for Sunday work.

The proposal increases the spread of ordinary hours for support staff at both the start and end of the day. Ordinary time would be paid from 6am all the way to 7:30 pm.

As with the teachers, the proposal does not answer the Union’s claim for recognition, respect and reward for those working in Catholic schools.

The Union urges all support staff members to join the campaign and to add to the strength by actively recruiting nonmember colleagues.

IEU Claim for independent schools agreements The agreements covering teachers and support and operational staff in independent schools represented by the Association of Independent Schools are up for renegotiation from October this year.

The Union will be sending materials to Union Chapters early in Term 2 asking members to endorse the Union’s claim for the next agreement.

We will also be holding consultative forums with Union reps in high fee schools to discuss the claim prior to circulating the material and to provide feedback on some preliminary discussions which have occurred with the AIS. Reps and Chapter Committee members are invited to these meetings and emails have been sent to reps in schools.

www.ieu.asn.au on the ground

Arrogant and insulting John Quessy General Secretary

In the past decade or so, there are a few instances of employers attempting to thwart the normal and accepted practices of collective bargaining by the radical approach of developing in secret an entire award or agreement and presenting it to employees as a "new deal" to be embraced. In every case, this approach has failed just as the current attempt by Catholic employers to do this very thing will fail.

It will fail because it has no legitimacy, because it is arrogant and because it replaces the notion of consulting with employees with that of insulting employees.

In relation to teachers, if there were a need to change the existing pay structure, it was never necessary to strip away conditions, increase hours of face-to-face teaching, reduce sick leave and do all the other miserable things attempted by the authors and owners of the disgraceful document being peddled

by CCER on behalf of the 11 NSW and ACT dioceses.

For a fuller analysis of what is proposed, including potential pay

cuts for future non-teaching staff, see pages 2, 20 and 21.

Members should read the proposed agreement carefully and should understand that this is how their employers really value them and the work they do. Their message is clear: “You are not professional, you do not work hard enough and we want to remove from you any sense of autonomy you had. In short we neither trust nor respect you”.

Those who are tempted to see a deregulated environment as an opportunity for their own advancement should consider the plight of the many hundreds of loyal assistant principals and religious education coordinators whose positions are abolished by this proposed agreement with the promise of a 'conversation' about their future.

That Catholic employers have put principals in such an invidious position is further evidence of the disrespect they display. Principals appear to have not been consulted about such significant changes to

their work and workloads. They will also be caught in the unenviable position of either trying to defend the indefensible or incurring the wrath of their employer.

The Union has written to all diocesan directors asking them the very simple question: "Do you support the document described as 'Catholic schools enterprise agreement 2014’?” The CCER has responded to the Union by confirming that all NSW/ ACT diocesan directors have appointed the CCER as their bargaining representative.

Members are encouraged to hold chapter meetings if they haven’t already done so and to ensure their chapters are represented by chapter delegations at regional meetings. These meetings will further unpack the agreement and consider the next stages of the campaign including industrial action (for dates and locations see page 9).

The Union has committed to a strong campaign to reverse the Catholic employers’ unprecedented assault on members’ salaries, conditions and job security.

“It was never necessary to strip away conditions, increase hours of face-to-face teaching, reduce sick leave and do all the other miserable things attempted”

What do employers want in this agreement?

Teachers

• Cuts to real wages • Abolish all promotions positions below the level of a principal • Align salaries to standards • Increase face-to-face teaching time • Require attendance for professional development during school holidays and after hours • Remove a guaranteed 30-minute meal break • Enforce before and after school attendance time • Impose ‘collaborative learning’ within primary RFF time • Reduce entitlements to sick and personal/carer’s leave for teachers • Less flexible Long Service Leave • Abolish existing workload provisions including restrictions on class sizes • Require additional RE accreditation/qualifications

Support staff

• Reduce rates of pay for new support staff, including new appointments to senior roles • Restrict access to higher rates of pay – automatic progression between levels to be removed • Abolish guarantee of senior admin positions in schools • Reduce minimum start time for part-time and casual employees • Reduce overtime entitlements • Remove a public holiday • Increase higher duties without pay • Require employees to come to work during annual leave • Introduce junior rates

Great progress in fair pay for practicum campaign

Mark Northam Assistant Secretary

The campaign to redress low-level payments to supervising teachers has gathered considerable momentum.

As Newsmonth goes to press the IEU is in negotiation with a number of universities to enhance the rate. Further, the IEU is seeking to streamline paperwork related to claiming the allowance. It is also hoped that BoSTES accredited relevant professional development will be developed to assist IEU members.

The IEU has successfully negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Australian Catholic University in relation to the above matters.

Initial positive discussions have also taken place with some other universities but at this stage we recommend members not engage with universities other than the ACU. It is hoped that a common rate across all sectors will more adequately acknowledge the transmission of accumulated expertise. It is inappropriate to simply rest a significant process (some 20,000 practicum placements occur in NSW annually) on teacher goodwill.The practicum provides a unique opportunity for IEU members to build on teaching students’ academic studies and help them successfully transition to the classroom.

The MoU captures a range of matters which would enhance the standing of the practicum, provide choices for teachers and ask universities to consider developing professional development packages linked to teacher mentoring.

Importantly, the understandings under discussion with the universities must be finally signed off on no later than 7 October this year. The revised payment

HSC markers award The IEU has been in joint negotiation with the NSW Teachers Federation and the National Tertiary Education Union to negotiate a new award with BoSTES.

The new agreement will be known as the Higher School Certificate Marking and Related Casual Employees Rates of Pay and Conditions Award 2014. The nominal

term is for three years commencing on January 1 2014 and expiring on 31 December 2016.

The proposed pay rises are: 2.77% from 1 July 2014 2.5% from 1 July 2014 2.65% from 1 July 2016

IEU General Secretary John Quessy signs a memorandum of Understanding with Greg Craven, Vice-Chancellor of the Australian Catholic University. Under the MoU, the ACU will work towards a competitive pay offer in line with the Union’s expectations, to be in place for 2015, and will explore a range of other improvements.

rates and other arrangements embracing professional development will apply from 2015.

The IEU will advise members as to the progression of discussions with individual universities via the website and Newsmonth. It is noteworthy that the Union is not seeking differential rates between universities or across the various

These rates exceed the NSW Government Wages Policy by 0.5% and will increase to 3% each year for the next three years if the public sector unions are successful in their salaries case.

BoSTES is seeking certain efficiencies to achieve the salary increases. These include raising the present 50% cap on screen marking.

educational sectors. A common rate which is indexed annually and reflects the demands that both the Australian Institute for Teaching and Learning and Great Teaching, Inspired Learning are seeking is both fair and necessary. A rate determined in 1991 does not fit schools or universities in 2014.

Watch the website for details.

Joint IEU and NSW Teachers Federal meetings will be held in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong to consider the proposal.

Advice regarding the venue and times for these meetings will be on the IEU website and forwarded to Reps.

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www.ieu.asn.au on the ground

UTS Education Expo

Rep Spotlight

Natural transition Tara de Boehmler Journalist

The role of the schoolbased IEU Rep is among the most important in the Union structure and the time and effort they volunteer is invaluable. Reps like Vicki Burkett from Wenona Junior School North Sydney make it look easy.

Amy Cotton Professional Development Officer

Natasha Flores, Organiser, and Amy Cotton, Professional Development Officer, attended the UTS Education Expo on Friday 11 April.

The pair spoke to final year students about the importance of union membership for the collective as well as the free professional development program the IEU provides all of its members. They

also promoted the IEU’s pre-service teacher forum Starting Strong (4 July 2014).

Many students were excited to hear about the IEU and how much support it offers teachers throughout their career. We hope to see these new members at IEU meetings and events for many years to come.

The IEU also made two presentations and held a stall at Macquarie University’s Education and Early Childhood Expo recently.

Diocese of Lismore child protection policies to be revised Carolyn Moore Industrial Officer

The Diocese of Lismore will revise its Child Protection Policy and Procedures document and its Guidelines of Professional Conduct, following a meeting with the Union.

In early March the Diocese of Lismore issued a new Child Protection Policy and Procedures document and the Guidelines of Professional Conduct. There had been no consultation with the Union and no notification that the documents were being released. The Union had significant concerns with not only key aspects of the documents, but also the apparent disregard for the usual protocols around consultative mechanisms for documents that are clearly employment related and have an impact on IEU members.

The Union called for a meeting at which, on 9 April, it canvassed the following key points with senior officers of the Catholic Schools Office:

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• some of the information contained in the document requires updating to reflect current legislation and other important child protection information and definitions have been omitted from the document • the Union wants the document to include a key stipulation that the IEU is a point of call for members who need support and advice in relation to any child protection matter that involves any member, and • updating of fair process procedures in the document.

The policies will be revised in light of the issues raised by the Union. It was explained to the Union that the Policy documents had a Diocesan wide application beyond schools and had been developed and issued on behalf of the Bishop by the Chancery Office without reference to the Catholic Schools Office.

The Union has been assured that a more considered approach will be taken in future.

Vicki has been known for her recruitment skills since she took on the Rep role four years ago but when asked about her strategy, she is surprised.

“I don’t have a strategy. The benefits of membership speak for themselves and the Union is very effective in getting the message across,” she says.

Having been in the Union since she graduated, it seemed a natural transition for her to take up the baton when the previous Rep left the school.

“I’d always helped explain the benefits so she asked if I’d take over from her.”

Aside from the comprehensive industrial service and hard won benefits, Vicki says there are a range of additional draw cards including Teachers Health, Union Shopper, the exchange program, the newspaper and magazines “that keep members abreast of what’s happening”.

Vicki says Union visits to the school always go down well.

“They are very friendly and upbeat and people get a good vibe from them. Everyone is so positive and supportive when we speak with them,” she says.

“It’s also great to have an ability to clarify entitlements such as long service leave and parental leave with the Union and our organiser is such a pleasure to deal with.”

Union membership contributes to an effective workplace, Vicki says.

“If everyone works as a team and the Union is here to support them, then we’re happy and it all works efficiently,” she says.

“For me, this has been an easy role. Most people are happy and if they have any issues they feel comfortable getting in contact with the Union.

“The Union speaks for itself.”

www.ieu.asn.au on the ground

Reps in the red Daniel Long Journalist

The Wests Illawarra Leagues club opened its doors to the IEU recently for a day that encouraged reps to learn more about new workplace procedures, legislation changes and requirements, while offering insights into the Union movement.

The Reps training day organisers, IEU Officers Marilyn Jervis, David Towson, Tina Smith and Les Porter channelled the

enthusiasm of the room, as a mix of new and experienced faces donned red T-shirts to provide a fashionable reminder of the IEU 3Rs campaign.

Young Reps Koby Allan and Brett Murphy, both primary school teachers at St John The Evangelist in Campbelltown, epitomised many Reps' first tentative steps.

“We’re learning a lot very quickly. Ours is a National Partnership School and there is a lot of accountability in that area,” Koby says.

The pair were encouraged to take up the Rep position after their existing Rep went

part time and offered to help the newbies adjust to the role.

Koby admits she was unsure about unionism early in her career.

“In the beginning, I was working between public and Catholic schools and I wasn’t committed to either,” she said.

“I stayed on the fence and didn’t join either union.

“But the support is always there and you don’t know how committed people are until you need the support yourself,” she says.

Brett had similar reservations as a young teacher. How could the Union improve his teaching career? Was it really worth bothering about? But then he started to hear troubling things about male primary teachers.

“You hear all these stories of things happening and you realise if anything happened, you could be out on your own without a Union to support you.”

Activists unite: Conference pulls IEU history and current battles into focus

“Targeting the younger age bracket is the focus for me and making sure they are really aware of what the Union has done for them in the past” Suzanne Kowalski-Roth Journalist

IEU Reps from a range of school systems gathered at picturesque Leura in the first week of the school holidays for the inaugural IEU Activists Conference.

It was a chance for Reps from systemic Catholic, independent Catholic, Christian, Anglican and other independent schools to focus on what being an IEU Rep means in 2014.

The Conference ran over three days and sessions included ‘The IEU and Australian Labor’ by conference organiser Marilyn Jarvis; ‘The Current Industrial Environment’ by IEU Assistant Secretary Carol Matthews and what the IEU’s current agenda looks like by IEU Assistant Secretary Mark Northam.

As the IEU is set to celebrate its 60th anniversary on 24 September this year, the work of generations of IEU activists was also explored. Michael Davis, former IEU Rep at Newington College, captivated the audience with his session recounting

the challenges the school’s Chapter faced under Work Choices. The Chapter was ultimately victorious but it was a long battle with many valuable lessons learned.

The IEU also launched a Rep’s iBook at the event written by Keith Heggart from McCarthy Catholic College. The iBook Fundamentals of Bargaining is the first in a series of five iBooks designed to help Reps quickly find the information they need in an interactive way.

Mark Northam says the Activist Conference was a chance to connect with highly committed Reps who are craving information.

“We felt it was an opportunity to engage with a younger audience,” he says.

“We hope the Reps will pick and choose the level of involvement they’re comfortable with whether it’s being a Rep, on IEU Council or on a BOSTES committee”.

Stephen Watkins Manning Valley Anglican College

It’s important for me to be a strong activist. We’re a small school and we’re

quite isolated. Coming to things like this helps to bring us up to date, renews my enthusiasm for doing it and gives me more awareness that we’re not on our own. The networking we can do is as important as the issues. Picking other people’s brains about what’s happening at their schools and how they approach things is invaluable.

Keith Heggart Administration Coordinator at McCarthy Catholic College

One of the hardest things about being a Rep is keeping up to date with all the terminology. This iBook presents a really easy way of understanding all the glossary words and all the things that nobody really explains to you.

Caroline Mc Caffrie Our Lady of Sacred Heart College

I’m a new Rep. I’ll have a much better way of communicating with the teachers and support staff at my school about what’s going on and what our options are and how we can best tackle this. I wanted to be a teacher for a really long time and I left my

previous career in corporate law to become a teacher. I love my job. I work similar hours to what I did in corporate law and I don’t think that teachers’ pay and conditions match the work that’s being done.

Holly Wright Wagga Wagga Christian College

It’s very interesting learning about the current status of the unions. I think it’s really important to protect rights that people wouldn’t have without the collective bargaining power the Union offers.

Targeting the younger age bracket is the focus for me and making sure they are really aware of what the Union has done for them in the past. It’s really good having the PIPs. I take a lot of young people along to the PIPS in Wagga. It means a lot being able to easily access Teacher Institute accredited workshops and people enjoy them.

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www.ieu.asn.au on the ground

New voice for support staff “I think it’s important to be involved and take some responsibility not only for myself but for other school officers.”

Sue Osborne Journalist

Support staff will have an effective new voice working on their behalf in the shape of Terrianne Ryan, a new Rep on the IEU’s Support Staff Advisory Committee.

Office Manager and Principal’s PA at Lumen Christi Catholic College on the south coast, Terrianne has been a regular at Canberra/Goulburn Branch meetings since she joined the Union in 2008.

Last year she attended the Support Staff Conference which she very much enjoyed,

and was inspired to take her Union involvement one step forward.

“I think it’s important to be involved and take some responsibility not only for myself but for other school officers,” Terrianne says.

“I’m really surprised by the lack of membership among support staff. I go to chapter meetings and hear horror stories about people made to work seven hours without a break and other stuff because they are not aware of their entitlements.

“Being a member of the Committee is just the next step for me to make people aware of what they are entitled to and

make things even better for support staff.”

The Committee looks at agreements and Terrianne says she wants to bring concerns to the table from support staff on the ground, not just at her school but all over her district.

“I hope to set up a network to communicate with other Union members or Reps in my area so I can find out widespread concerns and bring them to the Committee and try and take back some answers.”

Terrianne says her decision to “step up” has been heartily supported by her Principal and other members of staff.

“I have a good relationship with the IEU Teacher Rep, we share ideas and information all the time.

“It’s going to be my aim to keep support staff up to date with any changes and get responses for them.

“I find it very empowering to be involved with the Union to this greater extent and I’m really excited about the time to come.”

Be in it to win

“If people expect others to fight for them then they’ve got to be in it.

People put their hand out for the pay increases that the Union works for so they should all be members.”

Margo Green had to postpone her first appointment with Newsmonth because she was dealing with two children with broken bones.

While two broken bones in one day is unusual, being busy is not for School Secretary Margo Green.

“The Principal calls me School Secretary, my email says I’m Admin Manager and my payslip says I’m a Clerical Assistant. I am also the First Aid Officer,” Margo says.

“In a small school you have to do a bit of everything. I’m the only support staff member in the office, so I look after finance, enrolments, first aid and other stuff.”

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Margo has worked at St John’s Primary in Dubbo for 14 years, after a long career in banking.

“I love this job because of the constant interaction with people. I interact as much with the parents as with the students, and I really enjoy that.”

The school community is multicultural, and includes families of African and Indian descent as well as an Indigenous community. Margo enjoys that interaction, and keeps a supply of city maps on hand for the newcomers.

Margo says she always belonged to a union during her 22-year banking career, and she joined the IEU as soon she moved into education.

“There’s no point complaining about working conditions or anything to do with work if you don’t participate.

“If people expect others to fight for them then they’ve got to be in it. People put their hand out for the pay increases that the Union works for so they should all be members.”

Margo has attended a couple of IEU conferences, including last year’s Support Staff Conference.

“I got a lot out of it. The workshops were all interesting, although there wasn’t enough time to get round to all of them.

“I bought a book about creating community among staff which I brought back and showed the Principal.

“As the only support staff person in the office, there’s no one I can debrief with or discuss work, so meeting up with others at the Conference was great. It gave me a chance to share ideas and listen to what other people do at work.”

Margo says support staff are crucial to the running of a school, and need to fully participate in all aspects of the process, including being active in the Union.

“Support staff and teachers can’t do without each other, so we all have a role to play.”

www.ieu.asn.au on the ground

ACT casual teachers call for help The IEU hosted a meeting for ACT casual teachers at its Canberra office in April to discuss concerns about the ACT Teacher Quality Institute’s (TQI) professional learning requirements Professional Development Officer Amy Cotton and Organiser Lyn Caton writes.

At a previous Monaro branch AGM meeting in February challenges faced by ACT casual teachers, such as achieving the required annual learning quota of 20 hours, were recognised and a subcommittee was established to champion their needs.

In March the Union presented a variety of scenarios of casual teachers’ work and access to Professional Learning (PL), to the TQI for consideration and comment.

The Union also suggested potential resolutions to the problems to the TQI, for example a pro-rata arrangement for casuals regarding the annual 20 hours PL matching the leniency offered by other jurisdictions such as NSW. The Union also suggested the TQI could better help casuals by: • providing a regular casual-teacher specific update (eg an e-newsletter) • FAQs on website specifically for casuals The IEU notes some casuals find it difficult to access their online TQI portals as the website doesn’t support older browsers. The Union has called for employers to be more responsible for their

loyal casuals by ‘adopting a teacher’ for PL purposes.

Casuals are concerned about who will sign off their teacher identified PL, particularly as it adds an extra workload on the principal.

In NSW the IEU is an endorsed provider with NSW BOSTES (Institute), which means the Union may register any PD relating to the Standards and teaching profession.

In the ACT, the IEU is an accredited provider but must put forward each course individually to be approved, and all courses must have a student-focused outcome.

On 9 April a group of casual teacher members met with IEU Assistant Secretary Mark Northam, who gave an overview of the current climate for casuals in both the ACT and NSW. He was also there to listen to Union members’ concerns and ideas for managing the regulated professional learning requirements. This included:

Pub (PiP) program continues to offer support for ACT casual teacher members.

Mark will be writing to the TQI to restate the issues and concerns that the IEU has on behalf of not only casual teachers in the ACT but all attempting to maintain their registration.

Differences between NSW’s PD and ACT’s PL requirements:

• ensuring that PL was relevant to casual teachers’ needs • concerns that casual teachers are often excluded from PL where the employer incurs a cost for their attendance (whereas permanent teachers attend for free) • the need for a IEU casual teachers’ network to be established and nurtured through this subcommittee, and • asking that the IEU’s Pedagogy in the

• ACT has the Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) whereas NSW has the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES – formerly the Institute of Teachers and Board of Studies) • ACT uses the term ‘professional learning’ while NSW calls it ‘professional development’ • ACT ‘accredits’ courses, whereas NSW ‘ registers’ them • ACT’s legislation has an annual maintenance requirement • NSW’s legislation has provision for casual teachers to take longer to maintain accreditation. This recognises accessibility issues for casuals • ACT’s PL must be focussed on student focused outcomes • NSW’s PD can cover a range of teachers’ learning needs, not restricted to a focus on student focused outcomes • In NSW, a teacher studying a NSW

Attendees responded well to the information and said the evening was a useful exercise for them.

• The IEU has been negotiating (alongside our sister Union, the NTEU) for a new agreement with New South Global (NSG), the University of New South Wales’ Foundation Studies program. The Union has been able to finalise a number of agreements with NSG over the years.

Traditionally these agreements have been concluded quickly and cooperatively, however this round is proving more difficult to finalise. Negotiations started in November, and initially good progress was made, with new provisions relating to bullying and harassment, and improved paid parental leave.

Unfortunately, progress during 2014 has been considerably slower. NSG have only offered 2.5% per annum for the proposed two-year agreement, despite an unprecedented increase in student numbers over the last 12 months,

increases that have greatly added to workloads burdens.

The Union has been insisting on an improved salary offer, as well as improvements in the areas of workloads, secure work and progression for English teachers. NSG made a slightly revised offer at press deadline, which involved a small increase in the already existing bonus payment. Members have already advised that in the absence of a greatly improved offer, they will readily consider industrial action, and this now appears to be the most likely course of action.

• It is around this time of year that many teachers will be considering working overseas for a time. For those who want to be away for a just a short time, a residential summer course may be just the ticket. There are hundreds of providers in the UK and the US (and elsewhere), and now is the time that many of them are advertising for teaching staff.

BOSTES approved tertiary course/ subject can have this recognised for all its worth and not be required to complete other PD on top. In theACT, only a tiny bit of approved tertiary study can count and the teacher still has to do more to satisfy requirements.

Professional Learning requirements in ACT

• Twenty hours annually of PL, including: Five hours Institute accredited PL

15 hours Teacher Identified PL,

of which: only 10 hours can be formal academic study or formal action research and only five hours can be other TI PL and development.

Professional Development requirements in NSW:

• A hundred hours of PD in five years, seven if casual, meeting all seven Standards (all descriptors in Standard 6), including: at least 50 hours Institute Registered PD,

but up to 100, and may include up to 50 hours Teacher

Identified PD. A teacher might instead study up to 100 hours of approved tertiary study instead of or as part of the above requirements.

Present Tense ELICOS news Kendall Warren Organiser On 7 April the IEU held its annual seminar for members working in the ELICOS and private college sector.

The seminar was well-attended, with members from a good spread of colleges, including ELICOS, university schools and community colleges.

The seminar looked at employees’ rights and responsibilities at work, including from the common law, from legislation, awards and agreements, and from policies and procedures. The seminar also included information on superannuation and bullying and harassment.

While not always the most lucrative work, it can be a great experience, and a great way to spend some time in Europe or North America, without committing to a long stint overseas, especially for younger teachers. The web is full of ads for prospective teachers, so get searching!

For those looking for a more serious addition to their CV, most English universities run entrance or foundation programs (often called pre-sessional) over the northern summer, which might appeal.

These positions usually offer much higher pay than the summer schools, though naturally the standards are also much higher. Try looking on wwws.jobs.ac.uk.

If you would like to receive the ELICOS Seminar pack or would like any further information email kendall@ieu.asn.au.

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www.ieu.asn.au on the ground

BEGINNING TEACHERS EVENT – CLASSROOM DYNAMICS Are you in your first 5 years of teaching?

This is the PD session for you!

2014

TEACH SURVIVE THRIVE The Independent Education Union is proud to present Glen Pearsall.

BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT & STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

Experienced teachers develop a range of strategies for managing student behaviour and creating engaged and motivated classes. Building up a bank of these skills takes time but in this workshop Glen Pearsall explores how doing the little things well can make a big difference to your working life. Glen will explore practical strategies for getting students to play a more active role in your lessons, for taking responsibility for their work practice and for doing this without adding to your workload.

11th June - Fairfield RSL, 14 Anzac Ave, Fairfield

4.30pm - 6.30pm

10th June - IEU Sydney Office, The Briscoe Building, 485-501 Wattle St, Ultimo 4.30pm - 6.30pm To register your participation please contact Kayla on

This event is registered with the NSW BOSTES for 2 hours.

NSW Standards – 4.2.4; 4.2.5; 5.2.5; 6.2.3 Australian Standards – 4.1.2; 3.3.2; 6.2.2; 7.4.2

02 8202 8900, email professionaldev@ieu.asn.au or visit the IEU website at www.ieu.asn.au.

Closing date: 1st June 2014 HURRY – this is a FREE event for IEU members only.

Limited spaces available.

Sponsored by

Independent Education Union – NSW Institute of Teachers’ endorsed provider of Institute Registered professional development for the maintenance of accreditation at Proficient Teacher/Professional Competence.

Scope of Endorsement • Standards 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and descriptor 2.6.2 of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the level of Proficient Teacher • Elements 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the NSW Professional Teaching Standards at Professional Competence

Authorised by John Quessy, General Secretary, NSW/ACT Independent Education Union

STARTING STRONG

STUDENT TEACHER FORUM

ARE YOU IN YOUR FINAL YEARS OF STUDYING TEACHING? You are invited to a practical forum to assist you to: l Prepare for interviews l Get a job lEase your concerns about NSW Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) lUnderstand your rights and responsibilities as a teacher.

WORKSHOP A SURVIVING YOUR FIRST YEAR – learn about practical tips for surviving your first year of teaching, including where to go to receive help, workload/life balances, your health, dealing with difficult people and working in a school environment.

WORKSHOP B

CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT – This session will look at how the Union can assist you with contracts of employment and your industrial agreement.

WORKSHOP C CYBER SAVVY – How can your online presence affect your career as a teacher? What are the dangers of social media for you as a teacher and your future students?

This workshop will showcase preventative strategies you can employ to ensure your safety as a teacher. We will also address issues such as cyberbullying, sexting and online grooming.

WORKSHOPS

DATE: FRIDAY 4 JULY 2014 VENUE: IEU Sydney Office, The Briscoe Building, 485-501 Wattle St, Ultimo TIME: 9.30am 3.00pm

This is a FREE event for IEU student members. To book your place, send your name, university, IEU member number along with your workshop preference to Kayla at professionaldev@ieu.asn.au by 27 June 2014.

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newsmonth - Vol 34 #3 2014

Palm Sunday declares peace Ann-Maree McEwan Organiser

Many IEU members, friends and their families braved wet weather on Palm Sunday in Sydney to stand up for refugees seeking asylum in Australia.

People of all ages protested against government policies that incarcerate refugees and their children in detention for lengthy periods and victimise those needing to flee their countries.

Thousands of protesters in Hyde Park listened to a range of church and community leaders, union leaders and refugees speak against the Australian Government’s hard line policies that deny freedom to human beings fleeing violence, death, lack of opportunities and oppression in their home nations and states.

The protesters then marched through Sydney’s shopping precinct voicing the

need for freedom for refugees and a desire to welcome refugees to our country.

Banners and signs captured the spirit of the peace march and the messages those present in the rain sought to send. Here is just a sample: • No kids in detention centres • You are welcome here • Close Manus and Nauru prison camps • What would Jesus do Scott?

• Stop the hate • Seeking asylum is a human right • It doesn’t matter if you’re poor or rich I will still be your friend • Mercy • Ashamed • End off-shore processing • Jesus loves refugees • Free the refugees • Students for refugees. No one is illegal • We heart and welcome asylum seekers • Stop Abbott’s war on refugees.

Union applauds refugee education fund The IEU’s Federal branch applauds the Catholic School’s Office for their commitment to establish a bursary scheme for refugee students. “The CSO’s pledge to offer free education to refugee students sets a fine example of giving people the respect they deserve, that current detention arrangements have stripped from them,” IEU Federal Secretary Chris Watt says.

www.ieu.asn.au on the ground

Union calendar focuses on 3Rs A number of PIPS and events have been cancelled to enable city and regional Reps and Chapter Delegations to attend meetings that will discuss: • further details about the proposed enterprise agreement for teachers and support staff in Catholic systemic schools, and • campaign strategies including industrial action.

Some of these meetings have already been held. The rest are listed below.

The Union encourages Reps to attend these meetings with Chapter Committee members or a Chapter Delegation including teacher and support staff representation.

Please make sure your school is represented at one of these meetings and ensure your colleagues who are non-members join the Union.

Term 2 Professional Development

3R s

Wk 3: 12 May – 16 May

Meetings of reps and chapter delegations

Wk 5: 26 May – 30 May

15 May: PIP – Teacher Development Processes, Armidale

Recognise Respect Reward

Sydney

Central Coast

Blacktown Blacktown RSL Second Ave, Blacktown Tuesday 6th May 4.15-5.15pm Ashfield Ashfield Catholic Club 1-11 Charlotte St Wednesday 7th May 4.15-5.15pm Fairfield Fairfield RSL Club 14 Anzac Ave Thursday 8th May 4.30pm North Sydney North Sydney Leagues Club 12 Abbott Street Cammeray Monday 12th May 4.30pm Hornsby Hornsby RSL Club 4 High Street Tuesday 13th May 4.30pm Maroubra Junior at the Junction Cnr Haig St & Anzac Pde Maroubra Wednesday 14th May 4.30pm Gymea Sutherland District Trade Union Club 57 Manchester Road Gymea Tuesday 13th May 4.30pm

Gosford Gosford Golf Club Racecourse Road, Gosford Thursday 15th May 4.30pm

Monaro/ACT Canberra Woden Tradies Launceston Street/Furzer Street Thursday 8th May 5.00-6.00pm

Central West Orange Ibis Styles 146 Bathurst Rd Orange Friday 16th May 6.30pm

Hunter Valley Wallsend Wallsend Diggers Club 7 Tyrrell St Wallsend Tuesday 6th May 4.15-5.15pm

North Coast Ballina Ballina RSL 240 River Street Wednesday 14th May 5.00pm Tweed Heads South Tweed Sports Club 4 Minjungbal Drive Tweed Heads South Monday 12th May 4.15-5.15pm

Mid North Coast Coffs Harbour Coast Hotel 2 Moonee St Coffs Harbour Wednesday 7th May 4.15-5.15pm

27 May: PIP – Dealing with Difficult People, Braidwood 28 May: PIP – Work Hoarse, Voice Care, Newcastle

Grafton South Grafton Services Club 105-107 Mary St Tuesday 6th May 4.15-5.15pm Port Macquarie Port Panthers Club 1 Bay St Port Macquarie Thursday 8 May 4.15-5.15pm

Wk 7: 9 Jun – 13 Jun

10 Jun: Teach, Survive, Thrive for beginning teachers – Ultimo 11 Jun: Teach, Survive, Thrive for beginning teachers – Fairfield

Wk 8: 16 Jun – 20 Jun

17 Jun: PIP – Work, Health and Safety in the Workplace, Parramatta

North West Armidale Wicklow Hotel 85 Marsh Street Armidale Friday, 16th May 5.30pm

Holidays

4Jul: Starting Strong forum for pre-service teachers, Ultimo

Riverina Wagga Wagga Cache – Store of Food 236 Baylis St Wagga Wagga Tuesday 6th May 4.00-5.00pm Griffith Griffith Ex-Serviceman’s Club Jondaryan Ave Wednesday 7th May 4.00-5.00pm

South Coast Dapto Dapto leagues Club 25 Bong Bong Road Wednesday, 7th May 5.30pm

tcard ExchangcheanPgeofrsom St Joseph’s

Time flies Time has flown and we are now on spring break. We have ventured south into British Columbia to a lovely place called Radium Springs.

My principal gave us his Condo to use for the week. He has been fantastic and has really gone out of his way to make us feel welcome.

Term 1 was very busy learning the Canadian way of doing things. The curriculum, snow, extreme cold, reports, learning journey evenings, painful parents, Australia Day celebrations . . . and that’s just school wise.

Socially we are trying to squeeze in as much as possible. Skiing is a popular past time and we have been to Jasper (twice), Lake Louise and Panorama all in the Rockies.

Another popular Canadian past time that we have embraced is hockey. We

have been to the Oilers, Oil king, Spruce Grove Saints and the neighbours’ kids games.

It is often the only thing on TV. My kids are always on the front drive hitting a puck around and we have been to the local outdoor rink to have family games.

The snow is trying to melt but mother nature always keeps on giving another dump just to drag winter out a little longer. My children have settled well into school.

Tanya is keeping busy and often is at school helping in the classroom. I have been attending rugby training just to meet more people. The only downside of my school is that I’m the only male (apart from the principal) teacher and its good to have the chance to talk bloke talk at rugby training.

on ex Daniel Evans, quarie to St ol in Port Mac ve Primary Scho in Spruce Gro entary School .

Joseph’s Elem s from Canada Alberta, report

Exchange opportunities There are still lots of exciting exchange opportunities, both primary and secondary, available for January next year. Here are a few examples: RELIGION/SOCIAL STUDIES, BRAMPTON, ONTARIO. Andrew

teaches Social Studies and Religion at St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School.

Andrew is also a Guidance Counsellor, so there is lots of flexibility for the incoming teacher, who must be a Catholic. The school is a co-ed Catholic secondary school and the outdoor facilities include three tennis courts, a football and soccer field and a running track. Andrew would ideally love an exchange close to the NSW/Victorian border as he has family there.

PHYS ED/DANCE, SURREY, BC. Lucie teaches PE and Dance at

Fleetwood Park Secondary School.

The school has a dance studio and as a dance teacher, she is involved in extra-curricular activities and sponsors the dance teams every year. Lucie is Catholic, married and has a threebedroom home in White Rock. White Rock is a city just outside Vancouver bordering Semiahmoo Bay. Check out the teacher exchange section of the IEU website www.ieu.asn. au for more exchange opportunities.

Email IEU Exchange Coordinator Helen Gregory, helen@ieu.asn. au with a brief profile or call her on 8202 8900 or 1800 467 943 to discuss opportunities.

newsmonth - Vol 34 #3 2014

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www.ieu.asn.au on the ground

Will quality early childhood education survive?

Verena Heron Industrial Officer

The current National Partnership agreement, negotiated by the previous government and agreed to by all states and territories, provides funding until the end of this year.

There was no commitment by the previous government to ongoing funding and the current government continues to talk about slashing expenditure.

A review of the National Partnership will soon be completed. This review will assess the degree to which the agreed objectives of the National Partnership have been achieved. However, there is no guarantee that the current level of funding will be maintained.

The IEU along with other peak bodies wrote to Assistant Minister for Education Sussan Ley seeking assurances that the Federal Government recommit to the ongoing funding of Universal Access through the National Partnership on Universal Access.

At the Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood (SCSEEC) held recently, state and federal ministers announced a number of changes to the NQF and the Assessment and Rating.

These amendments relate to staffing, the physical environment of services and transitional provisions to deal with the shortage of early childhood teachers.

The current national regulations will also be under review. The Productivity Commission into the sector is also under way. The Federal Government has made a number of noises about the need for flexible affordable childcare, while making no mention of the key indicators of quality childcare – quality early childhood teachers with appropriate pay and conditions.

Teachers need to lobby for ongoing sustainable funding with their local members, both state and federal, and in the media.

To the right is a letter from peak bodies, including the IEU, sent to Sussan Ley, demanding a commitment from the Federal Government to ongoing Universal Funding.

Ley, d Dear Assistant Minister tion and care in NSW an d providers of early educa an aks W. NS in n We are the major pe ucatio iversal Access to Early Ed gements write to you regarding Un g existing funding arran rtin po sup for t en nm ver ood Go ur ildh yo Ch nk rly tha Ea to to s We wish rsal Acces hip Agreement on Unive 600 ers for rtn n Pa l tio na uca tio ed Na d oo the r ldh unde a quality early chi to ess acc l rsa ive un e Education to ensur full time schooling. tion in a quality, early hours in the year before ch demonstrates participa ear res of dy bo nt throughout their ica nif A sig ing benefits for children go on s ha e mm gra pro , particularly for those childhood learning e impact is considerable Th rs. yea nt ue seq sub in schooling and vantaged backgrounds.

NSW children from more disad d in the participation of l Partnership has assiste d is a key an nts me ree Ag the We believe the Nationa r the period of ove n tio uca ed d ement oo iev ldh chi ach l educationa children in early outcomes for children’s ve siti po ing iev ach in nt compone t to the ongoing and well-being. vernment’s commitmen Go the firm con to u yo tional Partnership We therefore ask gh the renewal of the Na ou thr s ces Ac l rsa ive Un children of NSW with an funding of cess thereby providing the mme.

Ac l rsa ive Un on nt me Agree e progra early education and car assurance of access to an Yours faithfully, ildren’s Services (NSW) Australian Community Ch Big Fat Smile Children First unity Management Children’s Services Comm -operative (NSW) Community Child Care Co NSW Branch Early Childhood Australia Co-operative Ltd and Community Services Ethnic Child Care, Family Gowrie NSW Illawarra Area Child Care Union NSW Independent Education KU Children’s Services Association Inc. Mobile Children’s Services Inc. SDN Children’s Services The Infants Home United Voice NSW Branch Services Uniting Care Children’s

Pay equity and the preservation of rates of pay The Union has made an application to the Fair Work Commission to preserve the current NAPSA rates of pay for those member who do not have an enterprise agreement in place after 1 July 2014, until such time as a decision in our pay equity case is determined.

The pay equity case will be heard in two parts, with the Commission first determining the legislative parameters and then the Union presenting our evidence to support the case.

The current NAPSA rates are currently only preserved until July 2014 when the applicable rate of pay are those on the modern award.

New industrial officers gain early insight “The way unions use employment law to benefit people really appeals.

Many law students say they want to help people and by working with unions we really can.”

Tara de Boehmler Journalist

At a time with a full and challenging agenda, new Industrial Officers Belinda Miller and Robert Seals are already making a strong contribution to the Union’s work in supporting members with industrial disputes and securing agreements.

Belinda moved from Canberra to take up the Sydney-based role while Robert has come from South Australia. He spent last year volunteering for peak body SA Unions and the experience gave him an appreciation for employment law.

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“The way unions use employment law to benefit people really appeals to me. Many law students say they want to help people and by working with unions we really can. I also like the fact that we deal with so many matters on an individual basis so we really get to connect with the people we are helping.”

Robert already has a good insight into some of the issues facing teachers. His sister teaches in South Australia, where she has struggled to get permanency.

Belinda comes from a family of teachers where education seems to be in their blood.

“My mother and most of my aunts and uncles, plus my grandparents and great grandparents have all been involved in

education. About seven of them are in the Union. It’s been a real insight seeing how the Union is approaching negotiations with the Catholic employers and how the employers’ proposals would impact my family if they were to go ahead.”

Belinda and Robert have both enjoyed meeting with members in schools, early childhood services and ELICOS colleges and it’s changed their perspective in a number of ways.

“School visits have been exciting and meeting with preschool teacher directors has shown me how much is involved in their role,” Robert says. “They are expected to do everything and for significantly less pay

than is provided for teachers in schools.”

As they drive around their new city, both feel like they are noticing preschools and schools everywhere. They also appreciate the opportunity work in an area they share a passion for.

“I have always been interested in employment law and it’s what I enjoyed most at university,” Belinda says.

“It’s easy for people to engage with and access. Employment law can really make or break people and what I really like is that it can help everyone.”

www.ieu.asn.au on the ground

Experienced teachers need better salaries Jim Hall Organiser

Teachers need to be responsible for their own professional certification.

This was the clear message from a presentation at the Hills Grammar School

by Lawrence Ingvarson called ‘Why should teaching develop its own professional certification system?’

Dr Ingvarson is the Principal Research Fellow at the Australian College of Educators.

Dr Ingvarson’s central idea is that the teaching profession in Australia needs to be responsible for its own professional certification and that such certification needs to be attached to salaries for the ‘best and brightest’.

He identified a range of other professions that had independent certification bodies and said this is the model the teaching profession needs to adopt.

According to Dr Ingvarson, our industrial models have been unsuccessful in

delivering professional salaries for the ablest graduates. Beginning salaries are adequate but salary progression does not provide outcomes that retain or attract the best candidates to teaching.

Teacher salaries in Australia are far below the OECD average and it is the salaries of experienced teachers relative to other professions that distinguish countries with higher student achievement levels.

Dr Ingvarson also said the following needs to be addressed: • ATAR scores for teaching courses are too low and help create a negative perception of the status of a teacher, he believes • no mechanism for consistent widespread implementation of successful teaching practices outside of what might occur in-house • teachers have lost the leadership role in their own profession. This is not the case in other professions like doctors, lawyers, engineers and accountants, all of

whom do retain significant leadership over their professions • AITSL lacks independence, authority, a stable policy context, and an understanding of the complexities of standards based assessment, and • the National Standards are too bland and generic to actually identify what it is that good teachers need to be doing, he says Dr Ingvarson said Teacher certification should not be in the hands of the employer and the way to address these issues is by creating an independent national certification body for teaching. This would operate in conjunction with the various state registration requirements and salary arrangements.

The starting point for teacher certification would to revisit the relevance of the 2003 national statement (agreed to in principle by unions) that envisaged a national certification system. Currently there is little consistency in jurisdiction and only NSW

has jurisdiction over the higher levels of accreditation.

Dr Ingvarson outlined a tentative plan for 2014 – 2015 to achieve national teacher certification, including: • revised National Statement, endorsed by professional associations including teacher unions • endorsement by national ‘heavies’ like political parties and significant individuals • seeking funding from philanthropic bodies to progress the proposal • championing portfolio assessment as a possible means for achieving certification, and • agreement, endorsement and emphasis on ‘how’ standards are met by teachers, rather than ‘what’ standards are met.

Readers interested in accessing Dr Ingvarson’s body of published work can do so at www.works.bepress.com/ lawrence_ingvarson1/.

Free anti-bullying training on offer “The research will allow unstandardised anti-school bullying policies to be replaced by empirically supported programs to improve the mental and emotional health of young Australians.”

Sue Osborne Journalist

Primary schools can benefit from free training to prevent bullying, and contribute to the future wellbeing of Australians by participating in a major research program.

Preventing Anxiety and Victimisation through Education (PAVe) is a collaboration between researchers from Macquarie University and the University of Western Australia, funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Government and Macquarie University.

The study will compare two anti-bullying programs, Friendly Schools Plus and Cool Kids: Taking Control, and see which is most cost effective.

Friendly Schools Plus is a whole school approach. Schools participating

in this program will receive training on implementing anti-bullying policy at staff and student level, including publicity around the school and a classroom lesson to bullying prevention.

Cool Kids: Taking Control will focus on individual children who have been identified as depressed, anxious or sensitive and therefore likely to be subject to bullying.

Their parents will receive training on how to improve their self-esteem and assertiveness. The school counsellor will be the anchor person for the training.

Macquarie University Centre for Emotional Health Director and Psychologist Ron Rapee (pictured) says the project requires more than 70 primary schools in NSW to participate to be successful.

Some schools would receive the Friendly Schools Plus program, some the Cool Kids: Taking Control program and some would

receive both simultaneously. A fourth set of schools would be used as controls, and receive no training for two years.

The control schools would receive the Friendly Schools Plus program after the two-year period, so all schools who volunteer for the program benefit eventually.

“Schools cannot nominate for which program they get, or if they are the control school. It has to be random to work properly,” Professor Rapee says.

“But all schools would benefit from free training of some kind.”

The aim of the project would be to provide government with information on the most cost effective way to roll out bullying programs in the future, thereby benefiting society at large.

“The research will allow unstandardised anti-school bullying policies to be replaced by empirically supported programs to

improve the mental and emotional health of young Australians.”

Health economics experts from Deakin University will assess the results of the research.

“The programs will help schools reduce all forms of bullying by developing student’s social and emotional learning, building positive peer relationships and empowering students to cope successfully with difficult situations,” Professor Rapee says.

More details are can be found at the website www.centreforemotionalhealth. com.au/pages/PAVe.aspx. To participate in the program, call Sally Fitzpatrick, Project Manager on 9850 8097 or email sally.fitzpatrick@mq.edu.au.

newsmonth - Vol 34 #3 2014

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www.ieu.asn.au overview

Commitment to equity “When I started out in teaching in 1976 I saw a lot of inequity. My husband worked at the same school as me, and when they handed out the pay cheques they gave mine to him.”

The combined Bathurst International Women’s Day dinner and IEU Women’s Forum has become a landmark event on the education calendar in the region.

Teachers from a wide area come every year to hear the excellent range of speakers.

IEU Organiser Jackie Groom has been a key figure in driving the event along with members of the Workplace Gender Equity Committee in the Bathurst Diocese.

Newsmonth talked to two long-serving Committee members about what makes them tick.

Marcia Kanarakis’ (pictured right) students sometime ask her if she used to be a hippy, to which she replies “no, but I’ve always been an activist”.

Marcia celebrated 30 years as an IEU member last year and has also clocked up 20 years on the Workplace Gender Equity Committee. She decided to retire from the Committee last year to give “others a chance to participate”.

Marcia has taught at MacKillop College in Bathurst since 1980. Seven years ago she gave up a full-time position as HSIE and Foreign Languages Coordinator to work part-time and “just enjoy teaching”.

The Committee has evolved over the years, to reflect changes in the workplace, Marcia says.

Initially it was called the Affirmative Action Committee and its job was specifically to make sure women had access to opportunities.

Nowadays the Committee looks at opportunities for Indigenous employment and issues around bullying which can affect all staff. The focus is equal opportunities for all, hence the name change to Workplace Gender Equity Committee. Marcia says she stayed on board so long because the Committee was achieving results.

“It’s always been very collegiate and some of our input has been turned into policy, which is very rewarding.

“The Committee has been very hands on, listening to what people in schools want and doing interviews and surveys to find out more.

“There’s never been a battle or confrontation, we’ve always been able to make a real contributing.

“I tell my students I’m an activist, but I believe activism must be tempered with good judgement.”

Marcia says a theme she’s hearing a lot at the moment from older women approaching retirement is that they are worried the younger generation won’t take up the cudgels.

“It’s the same as being in the Union. The younger generation have to realise that

everything we have now didn’t just arrive in our laps. We had to work hard for it.

“If we are not vigilant we can always start going backwards on our achievements of the past.”

Growing up with five brothers, Dianne Nugent (pictured right) was well aware of the position of women in society. But when her father died during her childhood, the message was really rammed home.

“My father died just as I was entering Year 11. My mother grew up in an era when women didn’t work outside the home, didn’t pay the bills. When I saw how she was not equipped to cope with life on her own, I vowed never to be in a situation where I couldn’t manage on my own.”

Now Year 6 Teacher at Cathedral Primary School, Bathurst, Dianne has been involved in the Diocese Equal Opportunity for Women (now Workplace Gender Equity Committee) for 10 years.

She has always been an activist, starting off with the SRC at school, and she enjoys acting as IEU Rep for her school.

“When I started out in teaching in 1976 I saw a lot of inequity. My husband worked at the same school as me, and when they handed out the pay cheques they gave mine to him,” Dianne says.

“I told the person handing them out I’d

earned the money, not him. I was a bit radical for my time I suppose.”

Dianne believes a mindset still exists that men and women can’t fulfil the same positions equally well.

“It wasn’t long ago that I worked with a Principal who thought women couldn’t teach Year 6.”

Being the ‘Principal’s wife’ has been a perennial problem for Dianne, and she has found it hard to find work in some areas because she was ‘the Principal’s wife’.

She was once asked what it was like to ‘be in the shadow of her husband’. Nevertheless, Dianne has fulfilled an Assistant Principal’s position during her career.

“Women still need to stand up and fight for what they want and believe in. Younger women don’t realise how hard we’ve had to work, not just for pay equity but recognition for what we do.

“There’s still the attitude that women will only be teaching until they start a family or women with children can’t do as good a job as men.”

Proud legacy Sue Osborne Journalist

One of the proudest moments in Bob Green’s 46year career was when he attended a Union meeting with five of his former colleagues, all Reps in their respective schools.

“I like to think I had an influence on those people. I always tell people it’s no good complaining if things aren’t right, you have to get involved.”

Bob is still spreading that message. Although no longer teaching full time, he engages with younger colleagues while doing casual work at St Joseph’s Primary School, Newcastle.

“I speak to all the young teachers about the past and what has been achieved by the Union. One of the most significant changes was the introduction of equal pay for women in the late 70s or early 80s.

“A lot of the young teachers assume it’s always been the same. They are quite surprised when I tell them women used to earn 75% of the male wage.

“Equal pay was one of the greatest achievements of the Masters and Mistresses Association (now known as the IEU).”

Bob trained at Newcastle Teachers College and worked in the public system for four years before joining the Catholic system in 1973.

He joined the Masters and Mistresses Association immediately, and was one of the few members from a primary school.

“My father died when I was 17. He was a staunch unionist who had a strong influence on me.”

Bob says the introduction of long service leave, super and pay parity with state school teachers were significant historical events.

For primary teachers, the introduction of relief from face-to-face teaching was also important.

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Bob has been a Union Rep in many Hunter Valley area schools, and has sat as an IEU Trustee on the Maitland Diocese Superannuation Board.

He was also the Catholic Schools Office Rep on the Newcastle Maths Competition committee.

“It’s more important than ever to be in the Union these days, especially with the types of government we have federally and state, “ Bob says.

“It’s good to see more primary and early childhood teachers getting involved with the Union.”

Since 2005 Bob has been an on-call casual teacher working a day or a week, depending on the needs of the school.

“I’m a positive person and I feel I can still add something to children’s education.”

It has not been unusual for Bob to be the only male at a school during his career and he says it is crucial for schools to have a male presence.

“It makes a lot of difference in terms providing positive role models, especially to the male students and the general atmosphere of the school.”

When Bob retired from full-time work he had many years experience as a primary coordinator and had done stints as acting assistant principal and principal, but his first love was teaching Year 6, which he did for 17 years continuously.

“You can enjoy a higher level of communication with the kids but still have fun.

“I think teaching has got a bit too serious these days, which is understandable because of all the reporting and programming that is required, much of which is of no benefit to the children.”

Bob was presented with a 30-year IEU membership badge at a recent Hunter Valley Branch meeting. Bob is thinking of retiring completely at the end of this year.

www.ieu.asn.au feature

St Therese’s: Early intervention worth investing in

Joanne Scanlon

Karen Ray

Sarah Barnes

Tara de Boehmler Journalist

The addition of a speech pathologist and occupational therapist at St Therese’s Primary School New Lambton has had an immediate positive impact on students, and the school community is singing their praises. It’s close to perfect but for the lack on an appropriate agreement.

There’s nothing quite like early intervention for giving children with additional needs a fair chance at reaching their potential and St Therese’s Primary School is passionate about getting it right.

As a large school catering for “upwards of 100 students with a huge variety of learning and support needs”, Learning Support Teacher Sarah Barnes says they need to work closely with the relevant health professionals.

“More and more, teachers are being asked to provide for such a diverse range of kids and as the complexity of disabilities increases our support needs also rise,” Sarah says.

“We have eight learning support assistants and two learning support teachers but we can’t do this in isolation.

Having Karen and Joanne on staff is imperative.”

Occupational Therapist Karen Ray and Speech Therapist Joanne Scanlon are two university trained practitioners who bring a wealth of experience to their roles.

Karen has 20 years experience in occupational therapy and a strong background in child mental health, while Joanne completed her degree as a mature age student after working in office, technical and managerial roles.

They enjoy seeing how their skills are put to work in the school setting.

“I’ve done many project based roles for mental health organisations and it has helped me in the school setting because it’s really about working in a very collaborative manner,” Karen says.

“There are many stakeholders – parents, teachers and the students themselves.

Then we have the whole picture of the

curriculum and our own knowledge about how health feeds back into it.”

Joanne and Karen work two days per week at the school, running groups, implementing school programs, meeting with parents, providing feedback on screening assessments and giving recommendations that can include further therapy outside of the school, liaising with students’ private practitioners, helping teachers adapt recommendations for best effect in the classroom, and working in conjunction with the Learning Support Team.

Karen says it’s vital to be flexible and to work closely with colleagues.

“A big role for us is taking general, broad recommendations and really honing in on a practical level, thinking about how this would work and what it would look like in a classroom with a busy teacher catering for many other students.

Joanne says feedback from teachers has been positive.

“Last year when we started the Kindergarten early intervention program, the feedback from teachers was that those children got there earlier and their sense of self worth and confidence as learners was maintained.

They didn’t start to see themselves as falling behind, which we wouldn’t want in Kindergarten. We want them to feel really confident.

“Teachers appreciate it when we can demonstrate how we target development of a particular area of language and can give them a few extra skills.

We can help them identify the children that aren’t following instructions and the ones they really need to monitor.”

Karen is grateful for the opportunity to ensure continuity.

“Even though I’m here just two days a week, when I run groups with a Learning

Support Assistant they can follow it up in class every day. In this way there is a lot of transfer of skills into the classroom.”

Sarah says it has been important to have the occupational therapy program “running alongside our normal literacy development of the students so that as they are learning the sounds, the class teacher sees that the fine motor skills are matching”.

While some students already see private specialists, many families can’t afford it and the addition of the two specialists on staff benefits all.

“Our parents are overwhelmed with the amount of support their kids are given in terms of speech and occupational therapy, and how that has really improved student outcomes,” Sarah says.

“One parent who saw a big improvement when her son went through the Kindergarten program told me he is now writing at home and enjoying it,” Karen says.

“He’ll colour in, write her little notes, put them in her bag and cut out pictures for her. She said he’d never done these activities before.

This is down to a combination of people’s efforts.”

School Principal Duilio Rufo has a passion for learning support and Sarah says it is his commitment of energy and resources that made the speech and occupational therapy programs possible.

He has witnessed a significant return on investment.

“The impact has been quite immediate,” Duilio says. “With occupational therapy, I’ve seen that those kids who were just fidgety and couldn’t sit for long are having the opportunity to get the energy out in the right way. So it’s been a really great experience. If you chat with the teachers they’ll tell you that when the boys come

“It’s like everything else. If you want quality you shouldn’t just be relying on the goodness of a person’s heart.”

back from their session they are more settled and more inclined to be focused and they are less inclined to be hands-on in the playground.”

But Duilio says the industrial arrangements are letting them down.

“Unfortunately there is no agreement for these specialists in schools so unless we hire them on a consultancy basis – which is about $120 per hour – the only agreement is the current support staff agreement,” he says.

“We’re talking about people who are university trained and if they were outside of school could be asking for significantly more to work with children in small groups or one-on-one and here we are offering them a pittance to do a fabulous job.”

As occupational therapy and speech pathology are registered professions, Karen and Joanne are expected to maintain their registration by continuing their professional development and meeting clinical supervision requirements.

They must also keep up to date with the current evidence base.

Karen says the requirements are harder to meet in a school setting – “if you’re in a hospital or community setting you’ve got a clinical structure around you”. But she says the school has been supportive in paying for her to see a supervisor for a couple of hours per term.

Duilio says he would strongly recommend that other schools consider specialists like Karen and Sarah but would also like to see wages better reflect their role.

“It’s like everything else. If you want quality you shouldn’t just be relying on the goodness of a person’s heart.”

Sarah would also like more schools to be able to hire speech and occupational therapists.

“The more that schools become aware of the sorts of supports they can bring into their team the better equipped they will be to help the kids.

“You’ve got to think outside the box.”

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Vision for a secure future “The government wants to focus on a narrow skill set that business has advised they need.

What we actually need are people with broad, creative, cognitive-type skills because the workforce of the future needs to be able to adapt quickly.”

Against the backdrop of State and Federal Government attacks on wages, services, education funding, workers compensation and trade unions, the NSW union movement is staying focused on the issues that matter to members, Unions NSW Secretary Mark Lennon tells Newsmonth Journalist Tara de Boehmler.

“The fundamental issue for working people is economic security and the best way to obtain this is via secure, permanent, well-paying jobs,” Mr Lennon says.

While governments cry poor, Unions NSW points to demographic mapping that shows opportunities for jobs growth, and the investment in services which would make them viable.

Unions NSW has established a number of Community Union Groups in regional areas focusing on the loss of many public sector and manufacturing industry jobs.

Community Groups have been established for example in the following areas: Bathurst/Orange, Goulburn, Maitland, Grafton, Central Coast.

In areas such as western Sydney – which is predicted to grow to about 2.5million within the next 10 years – jobs are already in high demand.

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“In areas like western Sydney, people are struggling to find the type of employment they want and the follow-on from this is that they have to travel a long way to find work in the central business district. So the issue for us is not just about job creation but ensuring the jobs are developing in the right areas,” Mr Lennon says.

Unions NSW is firm in its support for an airport at Badgery’s Creek, and would also like to see more manufacturing and information technology firms attracted to the west.

“Airports in themselves are employment generators plus there are indirect jobs that come about as a consequence,” Mr Lennon says.

“But also if you look out to the corner where the M4 and M7 meet there are employment lands which have been set aside for many years to grow jobs and house businesses. We believe the government should look at things like developing a manufacturing centre of excellence there, supporting and developing manufacturing and information technology firms that can work in clusters, innovate and grow together.”

Unions NSW would also like to see aspects of southern and northern Sydney industry extended back towards the west.

“The knowledge economy runs from Kingsford Smith Airport through the CBD up into Macquarie Park,” Mr Lennon says.

“It should then swing around and keep running through Parramatta towards Liverpool, because this is where the jobs are going to be and knowledge workers don’t want to travel long distances.”

In terms of transport infrastructure, he says planned light rail around Parramatta is “a big winner” and any additional road and rail that might come with building the airport would assist with job growth in the west.

“The maximum commute time for most people is about 20 minutes each way and in the knowledge economy many people aren't willing to travel more than five or 10 kilometres to work.”

Investment pays

Investment in education, health and childcare services would pay dividends by supporting and contributing to growth,

according to the Unions NSW roadmap.

“Growth represents a great opportunity and this would need to be reinforced by educational institutions – universities and the TAFEs in particular,” Mr Lennon says.

“There are 800 jobs to go in TAFE yet we need to ensure people have access to appropriate vocational education and training, including HSC for those who need an alternative pathway or want to retrain.

“The government wants to focus on a narrow skill set that business has advised they need. What we actually need are people with broad, creative, cognitive-type skills because the workforce of the future needs to be able to adapt quickly and those with narrow technical skills may not be able to cope in five or 10 years time when the nature of their work has changed significantly and their skill base is redundant.

“In terms of health spending in this country and the need for additional healthcare, we should be building concentrated areas of healthcare research and development around places such as Nepean, Westmead and Liverpool hospitals,” Mr Lennon says.

Quality of life

Reducing commute times, increasing access to childcare with the rebate targeted towards those on lower incomes, ensuring workplaces are respectful and bully free and increasing investment in the arts not only make economic sense but also contribute to quality of life.

“Creative arts is another area not being funded yet arts is a growth industry that attracts people to Sydney. Whether they are visiting art galleries or cultural events, in a mature economy with increased leisure time and more people in the service sector, creative arts is very important.”

Electing our government

As NSW prepares for the 2015 State Election and then a Federal Election likely in 2016, we can expect to hear more about these issues plus the attack on workers compensation and the growing inequality in this and other states.

“As we head to the State Election, we’ll be getting the debate going around key issues for workers such as workers

compensation and trying to restore the balance after the changes the State Government put through in 2012.

“The three key issues we’ll be pursuing are: restoration of journey claims; restoring access to medical expenses (at the moment if you go back to work but still need medical treatment the system will only fund the treatment for one year, yet many problems are not resolved within that time); and bringing in a proper appeals process for those who undertake work capacity assessments and are told they can do 15 hours work so must return to the workforce. These people must have a right of appeal to the Workers Compensation Commission.

“Overlaying all of this is the enormous fight we as a union movement have around the growing inequality in Australia. This is why it’s concerning when the Federal Government starts talking about attacking penalty rates and only allowing minimal rises to the minimum wage.

“One of the great levelers when it comes to inequality is having a high minimum wage relative to average weekly earnings.

It’s down to about 43% of average weekly earnings compared to 50% some years ago and the gap is growing.

“This is just one indicator of the growing equality in this country and the second one is when the Federal Government starts talking about co-payments to Medicare.

There are other reforms that could be undertaken within the system to help lower the cost without disadvantaging low-income earners.”

Strong support for 3Rs

Unions NSW has also pledged its support of the IEU 3Rs campaign, with delegates at a recent Unions NSW meeting enthusiastically passing a motion to “endorse and support this campaign for a fair outcome for thousands of Union members across Catholic systemic schools”.

Mr Lennon has first hand experience of the great work IEU members do.

“I wish IEU members well with the 3Rs campaign for better pay and conditions and I thank you for your work in educating the children of NSW, including my own.”

www.ieu.asn.au feature

TeachMeet goes green

Sue Osborne Journalist

The Union’s Wattle St office was the venue for the inaugural IEU TeachMeet in March.

TeachMeet is a freewheeling, quick-fire professional development event run by teachers for teachers. Anyone can attend and present on any topic for either two or seven minutes.

The IEU’s Environment Committee chose the theme for this TeachMeet, as part of its promotion of sustainability.

TeachMeets are free and open to teachers from all sectors or school types.

Public school teachers were welcome at the IEU event.

IEU Member Matt Esterman (pictured top left), who teaches at St Scholastica’s College in Sydney, is one of the principal proponents of TeachMeet.

The idea originated in Scotland, where teachers gathered in a pub to share ideas in an informal and relaxed environment.

The idea soon caught on with Henrietta Miller and Matt hosting the first two TeachMeets in Sydney, which has now become a network of active educators called TeachMeet Sydney.

Building on the momentum of these first few events, TeachMeets have been hosted by the State Library, Taronga Zoo, the PowerHouse Museum, the Sydney Theatre Company’s Wharf Theatre and many schools and other locations.

TeachMeet communities now exist in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and are being encouraged in regional areas. IEU

Professional Development Officer Amy Cotton got the IEU’s TeachMeet accredited with the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES).

Matt says accredited TeachMeets are a new trend.

“TeachMeets are informal and unregimented. It’s simple: you’re an awesome teacher and you want to share ideas, resources and advice with other teachers.

“But some hosts like the Australian Catholic University and the IEU have decided to get the TeachMeets accredited as they have the capacity to do that, and offer that as a service.

“I say ‘why not’.

We’re open to anything, as long as the emphasis stays on fun and free.

Most people find that they don’t need accreditation as the sole motivation to participate once they have experienced a TeachMeet.

“There’s a risk, as the presentations are not pre-ordained, but then again you can go to an accredited two-day conference and come away with very little that’s relevant to you, or spend an hour at a TeachMeet and get something great.

“Most people walk away from a TeachMeet with either a new idea they can apply straight away in their school, a new colleague to share ideas with or a bit of inspiration. Many people say they get all three.”

Matt says the power of TeachMeets is that they allow teachers to network with others and share great ideas, links and resources.

“The break is often when the good stuff happens,” he says.

“A ‘Teach Eat’ usually follows a Teach Meet."

NGS Super also came on board to sponsor the IEU event, providing hospitality and presenting a $100 gift voucher as a door prize to Daphne Palucci of Cerdon College, Merrylands (pictured bottom centre).

TeachMeet organisers are constantly looking for venues for TeachMeets and are open to offers from schools.

“The IEU has done what any good large organisation would do. They have been asking us all along ‘do we need anything, are we getting this right’?”

The presentations during the IEU’s Teach Meet included one by Sylvia

“TeachMeets are informal and unregimented.

It’s simple: you’re an awesome teacher and you want to share ideas, resources and advice with other teachers.”

Choi from Arthur Philip High School at Parramatta who described how her school’s environment committee was “paperless”, using Google community for communication.

Visual Arts Teacher Maggie Borger from Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College, North Sydney shared some “conversation starters” or resources on You Tube with an environmental theme.

Geography Teacher Bill Cohen of North Sydney Boys High highlighted Urgent Evoke (www.urgentevoke.com), a game in which students have to change the world using sustainability principles.

Mandi Randall and Rolfe Kolbe from Newington College, Stanmore, explained how environmental activism was used to empower the boys and give them a chance to be agents of change (Details: bit.ly/ nc-cbl).

Environment Consultant Phil Smith encouraged teachers to think about why they went into teaching in the first place, and draw on that to drive their sustainability teaching.

Amy says the IEU may host further Teach Meets in 2014, at a variety of locations.

If you’d like to host a TeachMeet, send Matt an email via learning.esterman@ gmail.com or join the Twitter conversation at #tmsydney or #teachmeet.

For Teach Meet information visit www. teachmeet.net (national) or tmsydney. wikispaces.com (NSW). There is also a Facebook group: https://www.facebook. com/groups/tfcsydney/. For IEU PD events see www.ieu.asn.au. newsmonth - Vol 34 #3 2014

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Labour Bites John Quessy General Secretary

The world game

IT Wizard Online game replicates real life for students Daniel Long Journalist

Grab your avatar and go online like never before – that’s the message from scientists at Australia’s CSIRO in their latest project, 3Deduction.

Ever wanted to travel without leaving the computer? Teachers now have another option for this year’s excursion.

The CSIRO 3D Online Education partnership is a team-up between a number of science education boffins at 3P Learning, in their bid to design an immersive learning environment that aims to make the game as realistic as real life.

The key to this technological wiz bang? Avatars.

Like the James Cameron film of the same name, students will be able to adopt a character as their own avatar and go deep inside the game’s world to experience hyper-visual real life settings such as The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Jenolan Caves – just to name a few of the spectacular software simulations of existing landmarks that could be rendered.

The ‘learning environments’, as they are called, will feature high-definition panoramic video and 3D models that have been scanned and mapped into the software.

As we try to imagine walking around the Pyramids of Giza or climbing down the Grand Canyon in our avatar simulation, the software lends itself to an elaborate tutorial.

Utilised in the right way, there is potential for it to be a rewarding classroom exercise combining geography with technology, physics and other sciences.

Link: http://www.csiro. au/3Deducation

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Controversy, Finnish style

Misplaced. Misguided. Out of touch.

These aren’t the words you would usually use to describe students and computers – but one Finnish educator isn’t afraid to say it like it is.

Finnish teacher and digital publisher Heikki Karjalainien has put the boot into school computer roll-outs, calling the devices unnecessary without first understanding and learning the content that will be used on the device.

In the face of an almost slavish loyalty by tech cheerleaders in our education sector, the Finn has a warning and a solution for Aussie teachers.

Karjalainen’s thought process is rather simple: computers don’t make kids smarter; teachers do. Or simply, don’t waste money where you don’t need to.

Mr Karjalainen worked for 11 years designing digital learning tools for the classroom and now earns his living as a paid consultant on how schools can better utilise technology – even if that means buying less of it.

So what can we do about it?

In an interview published in The Australian newspaper, Karjalainen maintained that a hybrid solution was the best way to integrate technology into the classroom without the need to remove traditional classroom materials such as books.

With all the buzz and excitement surrounding new technological learning tools, teachers might decry some of the new technologies and sing the praises of others.

And that’s the real crux of the argument says Karjalainen. A ‘three planks’ approach which encompasses hardware, software and maintenance should all form part of the ‘hybrid’ classroom. It’s better suited than a one size fits all approach to classroom technologies, he says.

The football authorities must act to end the “sub-human” conditions of migrant labourers working on 2022 World Cup facilities in Qatar, says UK Labour MP Jim Murphy, who recently visited the country.

He said that many migrant workers had signed contracts in countries such as Kenya and Bangladesh in which they were “promised wages they couldn’t earn at home”, but when they arrived in Qatar their contracts were “torn up”.

“Many of them have their passports seized from them by their employers” and were left “living and toiling in conditions that are sub-human”, he said.

Labour groups have previously raised concerns after dozens of migrant workers reportedly died working on construction projects in the country. Murphy says the sport would be “embarrassed” and “ashamed” forever “unless FIFA and the football authorities act on workers’ rights".

(Source: BBC)

Junior rates appeal

The Australian Retailers Association will contest the Fair Work Commission’s decision to abolish junior wage rates for 20-year-old employees.

The decision would see 20-year-old employees paid the same as 21-yearold staff if they have been with a company for six months.

ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said retailers are “outraged at the decision” and that it will severely hit retailers financially, will “kill jobs” and hinder skills developments.

He said the ARA is looking into “all possible appeal options” and will be raising this matter directly with Employment Minister Eric Abetz. He said the ARA will also be instructing its legal team to look at all options to address the decision.

(Source:SmartCompany)

April and May in labour history

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21.4.1856 A full day strike in Melbourne wins stonemasons the eight-hour day.

23.4.1914 First publication of The Ragged Trousered Philantropists.

19.4.1937 Canadian postal workers begin a seven-day strike that wins women the same pay as men.

21.4.1967 New York Governor Rockefeller allows unions in the public sector but bars strikes.

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28.4.1984 Canadian Labour Congress proclaims the first national day of mourning for workers killed or injured on the job.

On 1 May 1886 400,000 workers strike in Chicago, demanding an eight hour day. The American Federation of Labour later adopts an historic resolution saying "eight hours shall constitute a legal day's labour from and after May 1st, 1886".

On May 1 1891 of the first May Day marches in Australia occurred in Queensland, with more than 1000 participants, many carrying banners, the Eureka flag and wearing blue sashes.

Asbestos concern a beat-up

The man credited with deciding in 1978 to eliminate asbestos from James Hardie products said he thought at the time widespread health concern about its use in building materials was a "media beat-up’’.

David MacFarlane was the Managing Director of James Hardie Industries between 1978 and told the Dust Diseases Tribunal in Sydney that on taking the top job he received a brief from the Hardie board. "My job was to get rid of asbestos … just to do it as quickly as possible,’’ he said.

The directive was issued because "asbestos was getting very expensive’’.

In extraordinary evidence to the tribunal, Mr MacFarlane said that at the time he thought "the risk side of it was overdone’’ and "there was a lot of talk about it but I didn’t think it was as dangerous as people said, if it was properly controlled’’.

(Source: Fairfax Media)

www.ieu.asn.au overview

Lisa sorts WHS (and colour codes it too) Tara de Boehmler Journalist

IEU member Lisa Davies has put her organisational skills to good use, developing an online WHS database that makes it easier than ever to meet and track obligations.

The project began in 2010, with a visit from a Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools Office Work Health and Safety Professional Officer.

“I was the head of the WHS Committee at St Brigid’s Primary School Raymond Terrace when the CSO Officer carried in a big folder containing information about all the elements we had to meet,” Lisa says.

“At the time we found it difficult to get the folder around such a large school so I came up with an online framework that set out all the elements we needed to meet, in a spreadsheet format with hyperlinks.

“It meant we didn’t have to go to the office to get things and we could easily share material with everyone, such as the minutes from our meetings.”

Lisa says it was thanks to St Brigid’s Principal David Palmer that she was able to create the database.

“It was great that our Principal was able to see the value of it and got involved as a member of the WHS Committee. He put a lot of resources in and gave me time off class to work on it. “ It took about 12 months to develop the database – which can be accessed at school or

remotely – and Lisa says staff at the school have added to and improved on it ever since.

“Once I established the framework I trained others and a number of people were given responsibility for various parts. We were now able to log everyone’s training records, student activity plans, risk assessments, management plans, policies and procedures, and could easily see what we needed to do to keep up-to-date with compliance.

“Our Principal also got the word out and a number of other schools put it into place.”

For the past two years Lisa has worked at St Peter’s Primary School Stockton, and as the WHS Chair she is in the process of implementing it there.

“We’re putting in the same system but in a different context because we are a small school with 85 students, four teachers and our Principal.”

St Peter’s Primary School Principal Denis Prendergast has also been supportive, Lisa says.

“What’s been wonderful is the support I have received with this and the participation of staff.

“I basically fell into doing the WHS role because I’m a very organised person – I saw the framework needed to be done so I got it sorted and colour-coded it too.

“It’s such a teacher thing to do and it’s been well maintained because we’re all organised people.”

For more information, contact david. palmer@mn.catholic.edu.au.

Education a political football in New Zealand “Schools are the sacrificial lambs in this ideologically driven policy.”

Sue Osborne Journalist

New Zealand’s current administration is risking one of the world’s most successful education systems for the sake of political ideology, according to Matthew Fitzsimons, General Secretary of that country’s Independent Schools Education Association, who addressed the IEU’s March Council meeting.

Mr Fitzsimons says there is a salutary lesson to be learnt from the New Zealand situation by Australian teachers.

In New Zealand there has been a strong push towards the privatisation of education through the foundation of charter schools.

Mr Fitzsimons says the Government justifies this by saying teachers and schools were failing students from low

socio-economic backgrounds, whereas the statistics actually show New Zealand schools were performing well on the world stage prior to this change (one of the top performing OECD countries in PISA rankings).

Mr Fitzsimons says the new charter schools will do nothing to address the problems of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Rather, the move is about undermining the country’s most powerful trade unions, the ones representing education workers.

“Schools are the sacrificial lambs in this ideologically driven policy,” Mr Fitzsimons says.

Mr Fitzsimons’ message is similar to one that was conveyed to the IEU by UK National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) President Mick Lyons who visited late last year.

IEU General Secretary John Quessy with Matthew Fitzsimons.

Mr Lyons explained how the quest for deregulation in the UK has led to a retail chain called Harris Carpets owning 27 schools in London, all called Harris Academies.

Other academies had created bogus ‘unions’ to undermine the traditional representatives.

Mr Fitzsimons says the same thing is happening in New Zealand. Charter schools are also employing non-registered teachers.

“ISEA opposes Charter Schools because they promote the employment of unregistered teachers. This threatens the professional standing of teachers and introduces for the first time two tiers of teachers into the profession,” he says.

Charter schools can negotiate salary levels and employment conditions directly with employees, employ a CEO who is not a teacher to run the school, decide their own length of school day and year, and set their own curriculum.

“The Charter schools are sold to the public as an expansion of choice,” he says.

Mr Fitzsimons says recent controversy in the media, where it was revealed charter schools receive $19,664 of government funding per student compared to $7000 per student in state schools could swing public opinion.

“The three opposition parties Labour, Green and New Zealand First have all promised to scrap charter schools if and when they form the next Government.

This is going to be a short lived experiment,” he says.

The New Zealand general election is on 20 September this year. It's one to watch with interest.

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Time for change demonstrate how collective bargaining is in people’s interests. Doing that is, and will always be, important. I’m right about that stuff. They are the ethically correct positions. You all agree with me. But it’s not enough for us to be right if we don’t take people with us.

We need to be right on the values, correct on the facts and be able to bring people with us. As people have said in many different ways, there are no easy years when you are trying to change the world – or at least if there is an easy year, you’ve probably given up and not admitted it.

And to win we need to change.

Photo courtesy of ACTU Tim Lyons, ACTU Assistant Secretary Tim Lyons, made a rousing closing address to the Australian Unions Organising Conference in Melbourne in February. Newsmonth prints an extract below.

Our principles need to inform our action in two ways. First, our ideas and our program for a changed society needs to be real, evidence based and actually work.

If we just make stuff up we are no better than the worst sort of Tea Partier, with their flat taxes and rants about invisible gasses. If we think all that matters is abstract values and reality we damned, we make this whole thing an exercise in moral vanity, and not a movement designed to really change anything.

Second, communications strategies without a moral compass and an anchoring in a real-world program are cynical and anti-democratic.

Put another way, I can explain why it’s good to have a strong minimum wage. I can make the case for a mining tax. I can

If organised labour is to have a longterm meaningful future, we must experiment, adapt and change. We must do so quickly and collectively. We need to start now, including by taking advantage of the important strengths we have. Our movement remains large, has national reach, and has significant resources which can be harnessed. The alternative is managing decline. I’m not much interested in managing decline.

Experimentation and change cannot be centrally controlled, but it does require determined leadership – in branches, national unions and peak councils.

We need to bust open our movement, and find a way to let more people in. Our structures are antiquated and bureaucratic.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Our movement (here and overseas) has always been at its best, our movement has grown, our movement has been its strongest and most effective, when we’ve been outward looking, encouraging, and welcoming. When we have given workers who are ready to move in support of their own interests encouragement and support.

Our opponents want us tangled up in IR law because we end up telling people what they can’t do, instead of helping them do what they want to do. We’ve been at our best when things are experimental, a bit chaotic, even (heaven forbid) radical or militant.

Bust open

We need to bust open our structures in way that makes our organising more sustainable in more places. The traditional model of trade union organisation – a union shop with a collective agreement, remains a powerful force for good. It has changed millions of workers lives for the better and it still can. We need to make

New South Wales

Independent Education Union Income And Expenditure Statement for year ended 31 December 2013

Correction: The NSW IEU income and expenditure statement on p10 of Newsmonth Vol 34 #2 2014 listed the 2013 total income as $3,376,975.

The correct figure was $13,376,975. This does not impact the rest of the statement, which was correct.

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that work everywhere we can, and break down barriers – within unions and between unions - to making it work But we also need to recognise that we need different models as well – that we can’t make that traditional model work everywhere. We need to have different models of membership and organisation.

The ACTU is thinking and talking with union leaders about how we move a program of change: in traditional organising, in alternative membership and organising models, in how we do politics and influence public policy, and in how we influence capital markets and be better stewards of workers’ capital. Your thinking and talking at this conference is an important contribution to that.

I think you can test the quality of a proposition by the identity of its enemies.

Our enemies, the enemies of the proposition that workers are entitled to a measure of power over their lives, are autocrats – people who have power and are used to getting their own way. Autocrats of all stripes -whether they are Communists, people who run major corporations, or Mugabe - all oppose free trade unions and all fear workers having power.

And we must be unafraid of conflict and controversy. We have a media environment that both thrives on conflict and is horrified by it. Controversy as blasphemy. We can’t buy into this. If we do we risk sterilisation. We anaesthetise ourselves if we don’t accept the reality of conflict and talk about power. Put another way, it’s ok to want a decent pay rise, and RDOs, and it’s OK to go on strike if the boss will not give it to you.

And in an environment where powerful forces are challenging the basic role of trade unions and the legitimacy of an organised worker voice, I say that an accommodation is not possible. Frankly, any concession we make will be pocketed and they will resume their fight. We can’t make a concession that will make them stop, although you might get a pat on the head.

Think about how our enemies have moved the debate.

The old argument that ‘unions have too much power’ has effectively become an argument that unions are a bad thing per se. Complaints about small groups

of ‘over-paid’ workers has become a wholesale attack on both the safety net and bargained outcomes. Calls for ‘wage restraint’ have become calls for significant reductions in nominal wages, that is, cuts to today’s take home pay.

In a very real sense, the Royal Commission is designed to be a trial about the legitimacy of trade unionism.

Allegations of corruption and other misbehaviour can be as damaging to reputations as the reality. The Royal Commission will unfold at the same time as a long Productivity Commission inquiry which amounts to trial regarding the nature and scope of the industrial relations system.

Both processes will feed into the next Federal Election, and policy afterwards.

The aim is to present the ‘end’ of unions as a good thing and reduced rights at work as an economic necessity (and both as inevitable).

But I think there’s an opportunity, particularly coupled with the Audit Commission and a coming tax review (which will end up being mainly a push about the GST).

There is a powerful message to take to working people.

A Royal Commission to destroy your voice, a PC inquiry to destroy your rights at work and reduce wages, an Audit Commission to destroy parts of the social wage, and a tax inquiry to shift tax off corporations and onto households.

Success requires more than possessing ethical superiority and practical justification. Being right is necessary but insufficient. Success requires economic power and popular support – this is the challenge for all of us, and the key to achieving our objectives. We need strength on the ground, growing diverse and vibrant unions, and workers on the move in support of their own interests.

Put simply, you get legitimacy when you can’t be ignored. You take it, you don’t get given it.

We need to build popular support and economic power, every day in all our work.

Working people rely on us to get this stuff right. Let’s get on with it.

To read Tim’s speech in full go to www. actu.org.au/Media/Speechesandopinion

2013 2012

INCOME Membership Subscription 12,418,189 11,762,088 Other Income 958,786 1,161,904

13,376,975 12,923,992

EXPENDITURE Administration Expenses 4,889,722 5,300,141 Donations 2,022 2,400 Capitation and Affiliation Fees 652,298 607,595 Professional Fees and Services 471,249 528,005 Salaries and Allowances 6,832,427 6,399,925 Superannuation and Associated Costs 823,131 763,909

13,670,850 13,601,975

SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FOR YEAR (293,875) (677,983 ACCUMULATED FUND AT BEGINNING OF YEAR

14,846,882

15,690,049

Movement in reserves

ACCUMULATED FUND AT END OF YEAR

0

(165,185)

14,553,007

14,846,882

www.ieu.asn.au overview

PhotograPhy awards 2014 Quality education WHat We do: WHo We aRe IEU members are invited to submit photographs which illustrate the every day activities in the delivery of Quality Education.

BRANCH FINAlIStS First Prize $500 Second Prize $300 third Prize $200 Highly Commended Awards will also be presented in each branch.

Submit your entry online at www.educationforall.com.au or your IEU Branch website Competition Closes 31 July 2014

NAtIoNAl FINAlIStS First Prize $1000 Second Prize $500 third Prize $250 All branch finalists will go into the national competition.

National Finalists will be announced on 4 october 2014 for World teachers' Day 2014

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www.ieu.asn.au overview

3Rs for the long haul

Chris Wilkinson President

Over the Easter break I had the pleasure of attending our first-ever IEU Activist Conference which was held from Sunday 13 April to Tuesday 15 April. Enthusiastic participants from all sectors and regions attended.

Topics covered included ‘Union Activism in 2014’, ‘What is a Union?’, ‘The IEU and Australian Labour’, ‘The Industrial Environment’, ‘Our Current Agenda’, ‘Campaigning’ and ‘Anatomy of a Dispute’.

The event launched an IEU Reps iBook which will be a great resource for all members of the IEU. On the final day we heard from Christian Bombig from Victorian/Tasmanian branch of the IEU. Christian spoke about the struggles and challenges that IEU VicTas members

faced during their recent wages campaign.

I would like to thank Marilyn Jervis for facilitating this very successful Conference and look forward to meeting more of our young activists next year.

You are probably all aware of the challenges we face in the coming months as we mount our 3Rs campaign to fight for the conditions that we have all fought hard over many years to achieve.

We cannot allow the conditions and wages for teachers and support staff in NSW and ACT schools to be eroded.

I urge all of you to stand united, hold chapter meetings, attend branch meetings and make your voice heard.

The IEU will keep you up-to-date with the latest developments.

We may be in for a long haul, but I assure you we’ll all be involved and committed to this very important campaign.

The Term 2 professional development program is available to all members, as are reps training and branch meetings.

I hope that you have the opportunity to attend at least one of these events throughout the Term.

I wish you all a very good Term 2 and hope to meet you at one of our events.

Disaster in the making

Gabrielle Connell Vice President Early Childhood

Once again the early childhood sector has been thrown into a state of uncertainty. There has been talk that the Universal Access money will not be continued in the next Federal Budget.

This money was to ensure that all children have access to 15 hours of an early childhood education in the year before school, delivered by a degree qualified teacher.

What will this mean for NSW? In NSW the funding to preschools over the last 25 years has been so poor that we have seen fees skyrocket, participation rates fall, teachers' salaries stagnate and qualified staff leave the sector in droves.

The Universal Access money was used to alleviate these problems – in the short term while we waited for NSW to increase their investment in the sector in line with all other states. If we lose the Universal Access money it will be a disaster. The IEU and other peak bodies such as Community Childcare Co-operative have once again gone into bat for us.

Teachers throughout the sector have also been contacting their federal MPs and writing letters and emails. Two of our members, Ariane Simon and Louise Murfet, have been to see Federal Assistant Minister for Education Sussan Ley to plead our case. They were armed with many

personal stories sent from teachers in the sector as well as the results of a survey sent out to families throughout the state.

Hopefully this will have some impact on the decision.

In Canberra recently the education ministers from all states met. One topic of discussion was the National Quality Framework.

Ministers have agreed to a number of reforms to the Education and Care Services National Regulations, to improve the operation of the National Quality Framework. These amendments relate to staffing arrangements, the physical environment of early childhood services and transitional provisions to deal with workforce shortages for early childhood teachers in remote and very remote areas.

I wonder how these changes will affect quality and all the great things that have happened in early childhood because of the NQF. Is this a backward step?

As well as this, we learn that there is a new assessment and rating timeline This was announced by ACECQA in early April. A service is now informed that the assessment and rating process is starting and given a four-week window for an assessment visit.

The time to submit the QIP is now three weeks (previously six) after receiving notice. A service is now given at least five days notice of the actual assessment visit date. The draft assessment report will now be provided 3-5 weeks after the visit.

For more information you can go to the updated page 9 and 10 of the ACECQA Assessment and Rating Guide.

We deserve everything we achieve Bernadette Baker Vice President, Systemic Schools

Our Union’s battle to improve the working conditions of teachers ramps up this year. We can never abandon our ideals.

The Union has made significant improvements on working conditions for teachers because they are deserved. These accomplishments are deserved. These achievements reflect our progress as teachers and professionals.

However, if we feel that they are not deserved, that we are not entitled to them or if we don’t truly believe, then we are impostors and we prevent

ourselves from moving forward and making further progress.

Our fight to constantly improve working conditions is worthy. It is not a frivolous campaign. The claim on Catholic employers reflects the concerns raised by teachers across NSW about increasing workload, the changing context of education and schooling. It deserves our attention and support. It deserves our action.

We are in a struggle with employers who are powerful and well connected. They intend to test our resolve. We can and will stand for fairness, good and practical working conditions and above all support each other industrially and professionally.

I am confident that we can achieve our goals. We need to work together and remain active to achieve professional respect, recognition and reward.

Stay informed: have a chapter meeting, go along to your branch meeting and keep in contact with your organiser. If you’re reading Newsmonth, you’re halfway there.

Serious concerns about employer proposal

key agenda item at the Term 2 Principals’ Branch meeting.

Practicum payments

Pam Smith Principals’ Organiser

The IEU has been contacted by many principal members in NSW and ACT systemic schools in relation to the Enterprise Agreement document recently received from the Catholic Commission for Employment Relations (CCER). Despite submitting a claim to Catholic employers in November 2013 and seeking to commence negotiations, the IEU had no prior knowledge of the proposed document or its contents.

In particular, principals have noted the apparent lack of reference to an agreement for them but also the general erosion of working conditions for all staff in Catholic schools. Many principals have raised with the Union the proposed abolition of all promotion positions other than principal and how that will affect the structure and operation of schools. There are also significant concerns about support staff classifications and salaries.

This proposal comes at a time when there are increasing workload pressures on principals and staff because of the expectations of governments and employers and associated compliance requirements. The CCER document does not seem to recognise this changing context and its workload implications. In particular, the IEU is concerned that the focus is on diminishing conditions rather than recognising and rewarding the vital work of school leaders and staff.

The Union will be consulting further with our members, including principals, and the Catholic sector campaign will be the

Join the online conversation

Following discussions at the Term 1 IEU Principals’ Branch meeting, principals have welcomed positive discussions with the Australian Catholic University (ACU) and the signing on 9 April of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ACU. The MoU will see the ACU make a competitive pay offer later this year for implementation in 2015 and the IEU and the ACU will work towards achieving a range of other benefits to members and to the University.

Efforts will continue to seek positive discussions with other universities to achieve a similar outcome.

Key professional issues

As per discussion at previous Branch and diocesan or regional principals’ gatherings, the emerging professional agenda continues to engage principals and staff, including the relationship of national, NSW/ ACT and employer requirements. Some of these issues include:

• emerging use of the AITSL Principals’ Standard for principal appointment, appraisal and performance review purposes • RE accreditation requirements and how this intersects with other current and future AITSL/BOSTES expectations • lack of clarity about funding, especially for Indigenous students and students with special needs, and • the vocational education agenda, including workload issues at school level and the stresses associated with VET courses, especially in rural areas.

The IEU thanks principal members for their contribution and looks forward to being of support during the diverse challenges ahead.

Join the IEU social group & keep up to date with us... www.facebook.com/ieunswact 20

newsmonth - Vol 34 #3 2014

www.ieu.asn.au overview

Challenging times ahead

Michelle Omeros Vice President, Independent Schools

Welcome back to the beginning of Term 2. Many challenges lay ahead for us all and the IEU needs your backing. Firstly we lend our support to the Catholic systemic schools, whose employers are threatening to erode their conditions. These schools should be commended for their commitment to maintain their present conditions and secure their job security.

Secondly, as the IEU enters into negotiations with the AIS, we will require solidarity from our members to gain the best possible outcome.

It was wonderful news that the Australian Catholic University was first to sign a MoU with the IEU to help ensure that teachers supervising university students are paid according to the increasing amount of work required.

Supervising teachers play a vital role to provide the university student with a teaching experience that will allow them to grow and develop into an effective teacher. It is hoped that the other universities recognise the importance of the work carried out by the supervising teachers and assist to reward them with the appropriate pay.

Women, work and wellbeing

First chapter of a long story

Carlo Rendina IEU Organiser, Hunter Valley

The Central Coast’s newest Catholic school, St Brigid’s Catholic College Lake Munmorah, held its inaugural IEU Chapter meeting on 26 March 26.

Understanding the important role the Union plays in every workplace, the school invited me, as St Brigid’s IEU Organiser, to assist in setting up a strong chapter.

Keen to establish a Union structure that would serve the school well, members

Back row: Michelle Millar, Paul Landrigan, Mark Peterson, Janice Peel Front Row: Julie Terry, Monique Smith, Carlo Rendina, Chris Stevens decided that a committee format would share the workload and encourage greater involvement.

The Chapter and Branch would like to thank and congratulate Monique Smith and Janice Peel for taking on the role of Co Reps.

2014 IEU Women‘s Conference

WORKPLACE EQUITY AND DIVERSITY Current and emerging issues in work, life & care.

Mercure Hotel 818-820 George St Sydney Friday, 15 August, 2014 9.00am - 3.30pm

AGENDA 9.00

REGISTRATION

9.30

WELCOME AND OPENING

$50 members $130 non-members

Christine Wilkinson – IEU President Pam Smith – Convenor IEU Women in Education Committee Diat Callope – IEU Indigenous Officer John Quessy – General Secretary 10.00

KEYNOTE ADDRESS Dr. Muyesser Durur, Campus Director, Charles Sturt University, Port Macquarie “The Future – Changing Paradigms of Diversity”

Tina Smith Organiser

Poor weather didn't deter 20 participants from attending the annual South Coast's Women Forum held in Kiama in April at St Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary School's Parish Hall.

Psychologist and Education Officer at Wollongong CEO’s Pastoral Care and Learning Support team Kerrie Hayes Williams gave an inspiring presentation on self-compassion and managing stress in the workplace.

Kerri emphasised that a small amount of stress in our lives is healthy, but how our brain interprets these events can influence how we manage stressful episodes in the workplace.

Practical strategies in managing stress were explored and each participant received their own ‘stress scale’ to manage their own stress levels in the workplace.

Workplace Gender Equality Committee Member Shirley Jancetic from Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School concluded the forum with an update on gender equality within the Wollongong Diocese and presented a short video, Relaunch, that she made to highlight the legislative move from Women in the Workplace to Gender Equality in the Workplace. (You can view Relaunch at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=hzNpLdY7Dmk) Unfortunately IEU Assistant Secretary Pam Smith and Executive Member Bernadette Baker could not be present at the forum on this occasion as they were representing the IEU at the Education International Global Women’s Conference in Dublin. They both sent their good wishes for the success of the event and will provide a future update on the EI Conference which was attended by 300 delegates from around the world.

11.00

MORNING TEA

11.30

WORKSHOPS

12.30

LUNCH

1.30

KEYNOTE ADDRESS Emma Maiden Assistant Secretary, Unions NSW “What should be the priority for the modern feminist movement?”

2.15

PANEL SESSION/DISCUSSION Sharing experiences of work, life and care

3.30

CONCLUDING COMMENTS/CLOSE Bernadette Baker/Michelle Omeros IEU Vice Presidents

Sponsored by

Please contact Franca/Jody at the IEU on 02 8202 8900 or email franca@ieu.asn.au to register or Pam Smith pam@ieu.asn.au for further information

newsmonth - Vol 34 #3 2014

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newsmonth - Vol 34 #3 2014

www.ieu.asn.au overview

Newsmonth NGS Super to introduce new insurance arrangements

Bernard O’Connor NGS Super

Industry superannuation funds are clearly not insurance companies, but they do have the ability and scale to negotiate good value life and income protection insurance for the benefit of their members.

The NGS Super Trustee has taken the view that it is in the best interest of the majority of members to have default insurance in place in the case of illness, accident or death. Income Protection pays a percentage of salary for a period of time ensuring that basic bills can be paid; a TPD or death payment lump sum represents the salary lost as a result of the total and permanent disability or death for the surviving family members and can help them in times of both emotional and financial distress.

NGS Super has recently undergone an extensive review of its insurance arrangements with a view of providing the best possible cover for members at the fairest pricing and to ensure the Fund continues to offer market leading insurance products. As a result of the review a “needs based” design has been developed to align with member needs at specific ages. As the cost of providing cover has increased across the industry to the degree that some commentators are calling it an “insurance crisis”, the review and restructure sought to make premiums fairer across all age groups by removing cross-subsidisation.

Prior to the introduction of the new arrangements (1 July 2014), all NGS Super members will be provided with a personalised statement outlining individual levels of cover and premiums under the new insurance scheme. If members are not happy with the new conditions and premiums, they will be able to opt out or reduce their cover by simply filling out a form.

Some of the features of the “needs based” design include:

with 80% of pre-injury income and 10% super payment. The current default benefit period is two years so the improved benefit payment period should provide greater peace of mind to members who are unable to work due to illness or injury. The quantum rises to 90%.

• Income protection premiums will be age based in line with greater risk of claim occurring as members age. The current flat weekly rate will no longer apply as the age-based scales provide greater equity across age groups. This is a user-pays model.

• A new Income Protection option to age 67 subject to acceptance by our insurer. The maximum income protection insurance available under this option is 70% of salary with no super contribution.

• A reduction of TPD quantum for some age groups as Income Protection will now extend to five years cover for eligible members. Other age groups will have an increase in TPD/Death payments.

• Life cover will be expanded from the current age 70 to age 75.

The philosophy which underpins the “needs based” approach is that at different life stages individuals will require different levels of insurance. Life Cover, therefore, has been increased for certain age bands on the advice of the Fund’s actuarial consultant to provide the best possible cover, at the right time for the fairest premium.

The new design provides significant benefits which result from group cover for over 105,000 NGS Super members. Flat rate weekly premiums will be removed and will be replaced with age-based premiums for both Group Life and Income Protection policies. Existing conditions such as IP waiting periods will be maintained and the new cover will be subject to the “actively at work” test being met on 1 July 2014.

A full explanation of the changes will be sent to all members for their consideration prior to the introduction of the new scheme and a reduction, increase or opting out function will also be explained.

Insurance is important! The first of July 2014 is your opportunity to organise your new insurance cover through your industry super fund to suit your life circumstances and protect you and your loved ones.

• Up to a five year Income Protection payment period for eligible members (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 professional advice.)

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

Executive Editor: John Quessy (General Secretary) for and on behalf of the

IEU Executive and members.

Managing Editor: Tara de Boehmler Journalists: Tara de Boehmler, Sue Osborne and Daniel Long.

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 Fax: 9211 1455 Toll free fax: 1800 804 042 email: ieu@ieu.asn.au On the net: www.ieu.asn.au

Advertising inquiries Chris Ruddle on 8202 8900. Such advertising is carried out to offset production costs to members and at commercial rates. It does not in any way reflect endorsement by the NSW/ACT IEU.

PRINT & MAIL PTY LTD 23 - 25 Meeks Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204 PO Box 6132, Marrickville South NSW 2204 P.02 9519 8268 F.02 9519 8264 M. 0412237233

NSW/ACT IEU Executive John Quessy General Secretary Gloria Taylor Deputy General Secretary Carol Matthews Assistant Secretary Mark Northam Assistant Secretary Chris Wilkinson President St Joseph’s Catholic College East Gosford Michelle Omeros Vice President Non-Systemic St Euphemia College, Bankstown Bernadette Baker Vice President Systemic St Mary’s Cathedral College, Sydney Carolyn Collins Vice President Support Staff St Michael's Primary School, Nowra Gabrielle Connell Vice President ECS Albury Preschool Kindergarten Leah Godfrey Vice President, ACT St Jude’s Primary School, Holder Peter Moore Financial Officer De La Salle College, Cronulla Marie MacTavish Financial Officer St Joseph’s Primary School East Maitland

General Executive Members John O’Neill Carroll College, Broulee Ann Rogers ASPECT South Coast School, Corrimal Pat Devery St Mary’s Cathedral College, Sydney Marty Fitzpatrick St Francis Xavier’s Primary School Ballina Ralph Hunt The Armidale School, Armidale Denise McHugh McCarthy Catholic College, Tamworth Patricia Murnane Sacred Heart Primary School Cabramatta Michael Hagan Mater Maria College, Warriewood Louise Glase St Patrick's College, Campbelltown James Jenkins-Flint St Brigid's Primary School Marrickville

Our Locations

Sydney 485-501 Wattle Street, Ultimo NSW 2007 P (02) 8202 8900 Parramatta 12-14 Wentworth Street, Parramatta NSW 2150 P (02) 8202 8900 Newcastle 8-14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2302 P (02) 4926 9400 Lismore 4 Carrington Street, Lismore NSW 2480 P (02) 6623 4700 ACT Unit 8, 40 Brisbane Avenue, Barton ACT 2600 P (02) 6120 1500 newsmonth - Vol 34 #3 2014

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www.ieu.asn.au giveaways

Tadpoles in the Torrens Poems for young readers Edited by Jude Aquilina Published by Wakefield Press Three copies to give away

Tadpoles in the Torrens is alive with people, places and creatures from our everyday lives and from the quirky imagination of poets. There are talking dogs, migrating spiders, old horses, fairy tales, bike rides and adventures in city and country. The poems, aged at ages 7-14, are by some of Australia’s best children’s writers.

Ginger for Pluck

Roadshow Entertainment Three DVDs to give away

The Life and Times of Miss Georgina King Authors: Jennifer MT Carter and Roger Cross Publisher: Wakefield Press Two copies to give away

Russell Crowe narrates this fascinating documentary about Bordeaux. The almost mythical wine’s fortunes are linked to global economies, and as UK and US demand falls away, China is taking over in a big way.

But this comes with its own problems, and producers must weigh the risk of turning their backs on traditional markets and courting the new ‘silk road’.

Georgina King showed promise as a geologist from a very early age but being born in 1845, she battled male prejudice all her life, struggling to gain recognition for her work. There are claims that Edgeworth David, Professor of Geology at Sydney University, appropriated some of her work. Ginger for Pluck tells of her determined quest for fair play and scientific recognition.

Red Obsession

To enter one of these giveaways, write your name, membership number and address on the back of an envelope clearly marked with which giveaway you wish to enter and send it to Newsmonth, GPO Box 116, Sydney, NSW 2001 by 20 May.

THERE IS NO WEALTH LIKE PEACE OF MIND. OK, LOTS OF MONEY WOULD BE NICE TOO. We all know money can buy us freedom.

But nothing can free the mind like knowledge.

That’s why we’re dedicated to educating our members. It’s all about empowerment.

By this we don’t mean sending you a yearly letter stuffed with information.

From the start of your career through to retirement, our people are there to guide you along the way.

We have dedicated professionals available to talk over the phone even late into the evening.

Our online education tools and services will also allow you to build your knowledge at a pace that suits you.

We offer seminars and workplace sessions right across the country. If you wish, we’ll even come and talk about your financial plans in person at your workplace.

True wealth, as our members will tell you, starts with a wealth of knowledge.

For more information visit ngssuper.com.au or call 1300 133 177.

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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newsmonth - Vol 34 #3 2014