Newsmonth: February, 2012 (Vol 32 / No.1)

NEWSPAPER OF THE NSW/ACT INDEPENDENT EDUCATION UNION [ VOL 31 #2 ] March 2011

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

Members feed into funding review M

embers have just a few more days to ensure their schools’ needs are considered in the Federal Government’s school funding review.

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he Gonski school funding review must get the message that all schools need to provide best possible education, regardless of who runs them, says NSW Catholic Education Commission’s Brian Croke.

Mr Gonski said the Panel needed to ask whether the SES formula is the right one.

It’s worth the short time it takes to add your voice. In the words of Funding Review Panel Chair David Gonski, “Our lines are open and we are genuinely open to people submitting”.

“As we’ve said in our Emerging Issues Paper some have said very strongly that they think SES is right. Others have said that it is wrong and that it deals more on a generalistic basis. [They say] it’s out of date because … it’s based on the Census and that it is much better to distribute funding based upon the parents involved, who they are, education levels, earning levels and so on.

In an exclusive interview conducted by IEU General Secretary Dick Shearman - filmed for an IEUA National Officers Seminar in Canberra - Mr Gonski said all was still to be decided (pictured right with Dick Shearman).

“I understand that at the end of the process not everyone will agree with what we say. But what would be horrifying to me and the rest of the panel is if it was felt that we didn’t let people have a chance to talk.”

“We haven’t even got to the point of [determining] whether we need just one formula or whether there should be multiple,” he said.

Mr Gonski said the panel would be using the concept of equity as a guide

To encourage broad participation, the IEU has developed a short online survey on the IEU website. But with submissions closing 31 March, members are urged to get in quickly.

What the panel needs to know

“Differences in educational outcomes should not be the result of differences

in wealth, income, power and possessions.

“We’re not saying that every student is the same and we’re not saying that someone going into the independent school system — who may also not have the ability to pay — should not get benefits or whatever from government because they go into that system. We are leaving those sorts of questions open.”

Page 3 Public schools lobby struggles with facts NSW Greens education policy shuts schools

Speaking at a recent IEU Executive planning day, Dr Croke outlined the Commission’s approach.

“The Commission agrees that the same total funding in real terms must be available to schools in 2014 as they have at present, there’s no point in a model that causes a loss of income for any school,” Dr Croke said. “The high tide must lift up all the boats.”

Dr Croke said students in Catholic schools receive the lowest per capita funding in any system, and the review “needs to be reminded of that”.

Regarding students with a disability, Dr Croke said the same level of support should be available whatever type of school they attend.

Continued page 5

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Earth Hour 8:30—9:30 26 March

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ECS Blue Day of Action 23 March

special insert IEU women in education

Celebrating 100 years of achievement

IEU Women in education Celebrating 100 years of achievement

www.ieu.asn.au

Diversity in education Christian Schools Gloria Taylor IEU D e p u t y S e c r e ta r y

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he IEU is soon to launch our latest diversity brochure and this one focuses on Christian schools. The brochure is part of the ‘Non-Government Education Reflecting Diversity’ series that aims to celebrate the contribution of non-government schools in promoting cohesion within Australian society.

The brochure is designed to highlight the unique features of Christian schools, taking into account significant diversity within the sector itself. The brochure will be distributed to IEU members and Christian school communities, but also to broader educational stakeholders, government and journalists.

There are specific features of these faith-based schools, but they also share educational direction and common values with schools across systems. Unity within diversity is a key message.

Carol Matthews IEU A s s i s ta n t S e c r e ta r y

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Union culture and Christian schools Union culture is growing within the Christian school sector, but still varies considerably from school to school. IEU members in Christian schools recognise the Union’s role in building cohesion and ensuring fair and equitable outcomes regarding salaries and conditions.

This has become particularly important in the industrial transition from the NSW system to Fair Work Australia.

Late last year Christian Schools Teaching Staff Multi-Enterprise Agreements (MEAs) were voted on and approved in over 50 schools across NSW. The MEAs secured salaries in line with those of teachers in government and Catholic schools. They also protected teachers’ conditions.

Preliminary discussions are underway between the Union and Christian

schools’ employers to provide MEAs for non-teaching staff. Again, the aim will be to ensure that salary and conditions packages are commensurate with those of other schools.

The achievement of MEAs is an important one in the new federal system. The alternative is the new ‘modern' award that contains much lower rates of pay and conditions well below industry standards. Teachers in some schools are still without the protection of an MEA and this is likely to be the case for some support and other non-teaching staff.

Strong membership enables the Union to support staff in Christian schools and we ask members to encourage their colleagues to join.

The Christian Schools Diversity Brochure will be out soon. For copies contact iva@ieu.asn.au.

transition, there would be three days missing from a pay period, which would not be made up to employees until termination.

RIDBC runs three schools, Alice Betteridge, Garfield Barwick and Thomas Pattison, and a large number of other specialist services for children with vision and hearing impairment.

The IEU is not aware of any similar arrangement in any other nongovernment school, where employees (other than casuals) are paid five days in arrears.

In August last year RIDBC advised employees it had decided to change its pay arrangements from the following January. The last day of the pay cycle would change from Wednesday to Friday, which was not of itself controversial.

Many employees may not have seen the initial advice nor understood the implications and it was only late in the year that members at Alice Betteridge School contacted the IEU.

The IEU wrote to all members in February and explained we had legal advice that the changes were contrary to law.

We were unable to resolve the issue in discussion with the Human Resources Manager of RIDBC, who insisted that the change was necessary for audit reasons. The IEU then notified a dispute to Fair Work Australia, which was heard on 21 December.

IEU Organiser Peter Bishop visited workplaces to explain that the Union intended to initiate legal action in the Federal Court seeking orders declaring that RIDBC was acting in breach of agreements and seeking reintroduction of the previous pay arrangements.

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Attention Staff & Students We are proud to support Earth Hour. Join us, WWF and people around the world in a symbol of commitment to a sustainable future by turning off your lights for one hour.

Please join us!

Saturday March 26th, 2011 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm www.earthhour.org.au

RIDBC staff win pay argument

EU Members at the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children have won victory in a dispute about pay arrangements.

However, staff would continue to be paid on a Wednesday because the employer also intended to pay all employees five calendar days after the new finish day of the pay cycle. In the

PROUD EARTH HOUR PARTICIPANT

In conciliation RIDBC agreed to delay the pay changes for staff at Alice Betteridge only, but maintained it would still seek to implement the changes from April, by withholding one days’ pay in three pay periods. All other staff would still have the three days deducted in January.

Support of members

We also asked members to formally add their names to the legal application to be lodged by the Union.

Despite the fact that RIDBC had claimed employees were happy with the new arrangements, the IEU received many offers from teachers and support staff wishing to have their name added to the claim.

These public expressions of support for the Union’s position on behalf of members were critical and would have trickled back to RIDBC. The IEU was suddenly advised before proceedings had commenced that RIDBC will restore the previous pay arrangements.

Well done members.

NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

on the ground

L to R: Allan Meadows (Deputy Principal), Mikio Fukunaga (Principal), Megan Bruce (IEU Organiser), Nesta Luxton (IEU Rep).

Japan appeal Dick Shearman IEU G e n e r a l S e c r e ta r y

Public sector lobby struggles with facts W

here children are at stake, it is irresponsible and foolish to deny the reality that relative privilege and need exist both within and between the ‘public and private’ school sectors.

students with high educational needs will always be more expensive to operate than large metropolitan schools. Where you live is important in determining the resources available to schools.

For decades now the public sector lobby have presented any discussion regarding government funding of schools as being a black and white issue. This argument can be summed up as: ‘Private schools’ receive more government funding than public schools, and public schools promote common public values whereas ‘private schools’ entrench privilege and private advantage.

Schools located in wealthy Sydney suburbs have a greater capacity to raise private income from fees and other sources than schools in disadvantaged suburban areas. It’s about location – not the schools themselves.

The public sector lobby refuses to argue for a ‘larger pie’ in terms of education funding. Rather it consistently tries to gain a larger share of existing funding by campaigning to reduce government funding to Catholic and independent schools.

This argument has been remarkably unsuccessful in influencing governments to change direction, because it is simplistic and driven by a narrow conservative ideological position rather than fact.

What the data illustrates is that school funding is NOT a black and white issue. There are a range of complexities and it is important to understand the individual school context when assessing the amount of funding per student allocated in each school.

Small schools, rural and remote schools, and schools with many

NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

The IEU has presented a donation of $1000 to the Sydney Japanese School Terrey Hills Japan and Pacific Disaster Appeal run by the Red Cross. Principal Mikio Fukunaga expressed appreciation on behalf of the school community, who are mourning friends and relatives impacted by the disaster. Many are also enduring an agonising wait for news of loved ones living in affected areas.

Members wanting to donate to the Australian Red Cross Japan and Pacific Disaster Appeal can do so by visiting http://www.redcross.org.au/japan2011.htm or calling 1800 811 700. You can also donate over the counter at any Commonwealth Bank.

NSW Greens education policy shuts schools The IEU has written to members throughout NSW slamming Greens education policies for threatening to close schools.

The Greens policy seeks to severely reduce government financial support for all nongovernment schools, believing funding should be frozen at 2003 levels.

“This would mean a savage reduction in funding. It is no exaggeration to say it would effectively shut down many schools,” IEU General Secretary Dick Shearman said.

The policy would impact directly on staffing and on both salaries and working conditions.

For example, in Catholic primary schools NSW per capita grants would be reduced from $1809 per student to $256 per student. Similar dramatic cuts would occur in all schools.

“The IEU is not affiliated with any political party and we are not telling our members how to vote. But the NSW Greens education policy, if implemented, would have a disastrous impact on all NSW non-government schools,” Mr Shearman said.

What is inescapable from analysing the data is that these factors influence the allocation of resources in all schools and systems. To the degree that there is a divide in terms of equity, it is not only simplistic but also does a disservice to students and communities most in need to depict this as a ‘public/private school’ divide.

“This policy is not only anti non-government school. It has been developed with no thought given to the job security and work entitlements of thousands of employees.

In contrast to the public sector lobby our Union supports the allocation of government funding to areas most in need regardless of the school or system in which students are enrolled.

Comparisons in the SMH of government funding to northern suburbs Catholic schools and western suburbs government schools failed to acknowledge structural realities according to IEUA Federal Secretary Chris Watt.

This is fundamental to a fair and just system of funding. It is conservative, even reactionary, to continue to assess ‘need’ by predetermining that one whole sector is ‘privileged’.

“There is a much greater concentration of experienced teachers on higher salaries in the northern suburbs than in the western suburbs. This partly accounts for the difference in funding.

Governments have a right to assess whether students are receiving ‘value for money’. We can challenge how they might make an assessment or challenge their findings. But we should do so based on an accurate understanding of school and system context – not out-dated dogma.

“For a party which claims to be on the left/progressive side of politics this policy is a disgrace. It is anti-worker in its effects on our sector of education.”

Public School Lobby – Misuse of data makes for false comparisons “Age distribution of teachers across systems, both Catholic and Government is not homogeneous,” he said.

“It’s more accurate to compare neighbouring schools. One would find that Mercy Chatswood receives less than Chatswood High, Holy Cross Ryde less than Ryde Secondary and Mater Maria less than Killarney Heights High.

“If you compare schools in the government system you could ask why disadvantaged schools in the west have less spent on them by government than Sydney Boys, North Sydney Girls or Mosman High,” Mr Watt said.

“In fact, government primary schools servicing wealthy communities such asVaucluse Primary receive more government funding per pupil than western suburbs high schools such as Rooty Hill High School.”

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www.ieu.asn.au

Australian curriculum update Sandra White C o n v e n o r ,IEU E du c at i o n I s s ue s C o m m i t t ee

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he NSW Board of Studies convened the first round of Board Curriculum Committee (BCC) meetings in early March for Australian Curriculum in English, maths, science, and history.

The BCC's main task is to advise — as time goes on, and more work is done — whether the Australian Curriculum is as good as, or better than, the current NSW curriculum.

NSW Education Minister Verity Firth has said the Australian Curriculum will not be introduced until it has reached that point. Shadow Minister Adrian Piccoli has indicated the same.

The BCC's brief is to advise on refinements and adjustments to the curriculum content and achievement

standards; the development of additional support materials for teachers; developing content and achievement standards for special needs students; and finalising a clear overarching framework.

Of concern was the timing of these first meetings — each was after school hours.

The NSW BOS has for years regularly held BCC meetings within school hours and paid teacher release time. The departure from this practice casts doubt over proper allocation of funding to the implementation of the Australian Curriculum.

Teachers who are quite content with their current curriculum will understandably be reluctant to adopt a new one, with the workload that accompanies implementation, if the process is not funded properly.

{ Shorts I

f you or someone you know has had a good or bad experience within the health system or has ideas about how it can work better visit www.ourhealth.org.au to complete a survey on healthcare. The survey is the first stage of the national health reform project, which will provide information and resources about how to better navigate the health system. n On Sunday 11 April the ACT Cross Country Club is holding a women and girls 5km fun run/walk. There are prizes for the highest participation relative to school size (female entrants/ female enrolments) and prizes for age categories from under 10s to 80+. For more info visit: http://bit.ly/hZoaiV n n If you’re looking for interesting ways to use statistics in your classroom you’ll love the ABS education section. Students can complete a 2011 Census At School questionnaire, enter a poster competition, compare international statistics and look at environmental issues and associated data. All this and more at: http://bit.ly/i3KkeE

Calling all English coordinators looking to reward creative writing efforts. The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards entries are now open with an optional theme of Making Pictures. The awards offer national recognition for the best work and certificates for every child who enters. More details and resources at: www. dorothea.com.au

Teacher institutes and the national agenda National Professional Standards For Teachers The national teacher standards were formally endorsed and released by State and Federal Education Ministers in early February 2011.

In NSW, the Institute’s Quality Teaching Council was advised by the Chief Executive Patrick Lee at its March meeting that “Actual dates for commencement [for using the national standards in NSW] at different levels of accreditation will be determined by the satisfactory progress of supporting material and preparation for implementation with teachers and stakeholders”.

This excludes introduction in NSW in 2011.

The NSW QTC asked that a date be set around the middle of 2011 to assess whether progress on the documentation, support material and preparation was sufficient to allow commencement in 2012. Schools need advance notice of such changes to allow for effective management and implementation.

If the assessment is negative — materials are not ready, preparation of teachers mentors supervisors has not occurred, then the changeover to the national standards in NSW should be planned for 2013.

In the ACT, the official launch of the new Teacher Quality Institute has been postponed from Friday 11th March until the first week in May. The reasons for the short delay relate to initial administration and work organisation, such as establishing staff protocols, building preparations, and IT set up. As a new Institute, the TQI will commence its processes with the new national standards.

The ACT TQI website (www.tqi.act. edu.au/) is up and running and worth a look, providing up to date information.

National Professional Learning Flagship Program The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) has announced it will design and develop a ‘flagship program’ of professional learning (what used to be called PD) to support the Australian Curriculum.

Advertisements for writers have been placed nationally.

professional learning. The national institute has been asked to look at the design, delivery and sustainability of professional learning programs.

Consultation on the draft guidelines is proposed between February and April 2011.

National Professional Standard For Principals Around 550 responses provided feedback and comment on the draft Standard. The questions centered on: authenticity (does the Standard truly reflect the leadership requirements and professional practice of an effective principal?); coherence (does the Standard successfully communicate the complexity and integrated nature of effective school leadership?); and utility (does the Standard serve the stated purpose?).

There was overall positive support for the draft Standard. A sample of the strengths identified in the feedback included its: n clarity and simplicity, coherence and comprehensiveness n consistency with research on successful leadership n capacity for flexibility and creativity in application.

A sample of the content areas that were identified as needing strengthening included: n diversity of contexts including building partnerships with families, communities, business and indigenous Australians n the skills required to lead change and innovation in response to challenges, complexity and uncertainty n the principal's role in selfdevelopment.

There were calls for greater clarity around the purpose of the Standard, more explicit reference to the research and evidence base of the Standard and a need for support materials to assist the application of the Standard.

Next will come an exposure draft of the Principals Standard for wide consultation between January and May 2011.

The IEU will formally respond through the IEU Principals Branch, contact Pam Smith (pam@ieu.asn.au) to contribute.

National Guidelines for Professional Learning AITSL have developed a set of draft national guidelines for teacher

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NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

www.ieu.asn.au

My School lifts the lid on state school funding mess

Reprinted courtesy of The Punch magazine www.thepunch.com.au Alex Sanchez is a long standing ALP member, former Chairman of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils and former Advisor to Mark Latham. He has two children in independent Catholic schools.

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By Alex Sanchez

t would be funny if it wasn’t so predictable. The original opponents of My School — the Greens, State teachers unions, public education spruikers and the like — who at first campaigned against publishing schools performance data claiming it would lead to the stigmatisation of selected schools, have now done a complete reversal.

fee or Catholic systemic. But what of the public sector?

Now, their line is that My School confirms what they have said all along — that private schools are overfunded, and that federal funding of independent schools is grossly unfair. From being condemned at first, My School has morphed into a Trojan Horse for tired old positions on independent school privilege and State school disadvantage.

Selective schools are promoted because they are the best in class. That much is known. But what is not known is that the State educationalists practice adverse selection of their own — not by price but by supply. By taking the best and brightest students out of the system and concentrating them in given selective schools they advance their cause. The remaining schools become residual.

Typically though, what the State education spruikers conveniently ignore is that My School offers as many insights about the fairness of public funding of State owned schools as it does about the traditional public versus private debate.

Simply said, My School bells the cat on how the States have skewed their own funding arrangements — towards their preferred top end selective schools and after that, to the special needs schools at the lower end.

With this mix, it is the local comprehensive school that singularly misses out. Pity those children in State schooling who are not in a selective school or a school with special needs assistance.

The public school lobby would have you believe that schools policy is merely a private versus public construct. As one trick ponies their solution is simple — cut funding to private schools and redistribute it to public schools. But this ignores that the structure of schooling is multi-tiered. We know for example that in the independent schooling is either independent low fee, independent high

The advent and enlargement of the selective school sector has altered the fabric of public schooling fundamentally. The top selective schools are private school equivalents — their difference being that they are free to users because they are paid by the taxpayer.

State bureaucracies would like us to believe that public schooling is one and the same, when in fact, the best students are creamed off into selective schools.

It is little wonder that places at selective State schools are so highly sought. A place in a selective school is the equivalent of gaining a top class education without charge — not dissimilar to gaining a prestige university place without paying HECS. It is little wonder that the system has spawned a cottage industry in private tutoring prior to selective admissions exams. In tutoring their children for entry into a selective school, parents are acting rationally — paying private tutoring fees early in the child’s development to gain a taxpayer funded selective place later. And because the public school spruikers need the selectives as their Trojan Horse, they see no problem with parents coughing up expensive tutoring fees early on — as opposed to paying for them later with private school fees.

Of course, there would be no problem with this approach if the

State educationalists funded scarce selective school places on a needs basis, just like they demand from the Federal Government in their funding of independent schools. But they don’t.

Take for example North Sydney Boys High School, which has school socio economic index almost identical to that of Newington College and has 70% of its student population in the top 25% of household incomes. While North Sydney Boys enjoys State government recurrent funding of $8,313 per student, Macquarie Fields High School, in Sydney’s South West, receives funding of only $7,438 per student.

Similarly, NSW’s top ranking State school, James Ruse Agricultural High School with 66% of its students in the top income bracket, enjoys funding of $8,490 per student while Cabramatta High School, again in Sydney’s South West, receives the lesser amount of $7,861 per student. It is possible to go on. Fort Street selective school in Sydney’s inner west, the alma matter of so many left leaning politicians and members of the legal fraternity, receives the same as Cecil Hills High School in Sydney’s outer suburbs.

Contrary to what the public school spruikers will tell you, My School confirms that education can only ever be seen as a private, public partnership.

There is no conceptual difference between a parent aiming for a publicly funded selective school place with expensive private tuition or a parent that chooses to support an independent school directly via school fees and contributions.

Both value private education in some form. And given that State educationalists are not about to put the selective genie back into the comprehensive school bottle, the only way to ensure equity in public funding is to have student centred funding

and to allow the market to set public school fees just like what occurs in the independent sector.

There can be no fairness in allowing well-to-do families free ride the selective public school sector at the expense of those less advantaged or the taxpayer.

By providing a fixed educational entitlement covering each and every year of a student’s school life, families, irrespective of their income, are in the position to decide the educational mix that best suits their needs.

In a market based approach, public schools would see their price of service reflect their offer to students.

Administrators in the high demand selective schools would set a price based on their scarcity and their value add, much like an independent school.

Given their expected added cost of service, student families exercising their entitlement to attend such schools would need to fund the gap from private means. There can be no free ride for those able to afford it.

On the other hand, for students in the residual schools, the price of service can be expected to be lower. Accordingly, any losses of educational value from attendance at these schools could be topped up by families using their entitlements to support intensive private tuition. The combination of student centred funding and public school pricing, improves fairness by ensuring that privileged families in selective schools pay their fair share and those families in the residual schools have access to additional support outside the school.

What is needed in schooling is more market and less ideology. One can only hope that the Federal review of school funding demands as much from the public school sector as the critics demand from the independents.

continued from page 1 What the Panel needs to know Priority funding for Indigenous students was “all over the shop” and “going backwards” and must be addressed in a more systematic way.

He said any discussion about resources was mostly about teachers and teachers’ salaries.

“Schools spend their money keeping and developing quality teachers.

When schools put their fees up to pay salaries it’s a proper and prudent thing NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

to do, so don’t let people accuse your school of profiteering or wallowing in luxury.

“I would encourage teachers to [compare] nearby schools with one another, not by sectors. Schools that are side-by-side are more like each other due to their location, unless they are selective or an old school that people travel a long way to go to.”

IEU Deputy Secretary Gloria Taylor, CEC Executive Director Brian Croke and IEU General Secretary Dick Shearman.

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www.ieu.asn.au rep spotlight:

Strength in numbers wins security J

ust a few months in as the new IEU Rep at Sydney College of English, teacher Daniel Laurence is seeing a significant membership increase. But he says it’s far from a solo effort.

“What happened clearly demonstrates how crucial a strong union presence is in any workforce. It was pivotal for us to be able to go to the bargaining table with such clear support.

The previous Union Rep Ray Gatt had already got the ball rolling, but stepped down when he became head teacher.

Then a round of industrial negotiations and a whole lot of teamwork provided the impetus and energy for a highly successful membership drive.

“We always had about 20% membership, but during negotiations we boosted it to the vast majority of staff. Our goal now is 100%."

“Some long-time IEU members and myself worked as a team, going around and approaching our colleagues. We approached non-unionised staff in a positive way about the benefits of unionism. We said this was the first time in a few years that we would be able to make these types of gains, and that we would be in a stronger position if we had more members.

Gains sought by Daniel and his workmates included a permanency clause and a clear grievance procedure, both of which were granted “as soon as membership increased”.

Daniel says having an IEU Rep in every workplace ensures there is always someone active, to be there for fellow members, inform non-unionised colleagues about membership and be a contact person with the Union.

“I believe in unionism and actively support it. It’s very important, now more than ever, in today’s casualised workforce – particularly in English language colleges.

“Having a strong union presence at the school benefits teachers and students as it helps create an atmosphere of solidarity and fosters collegiality. It also makes sense that the industries with the highest membership have the best conditions.”

IEU Rep Daniel Laurence and Member Russell Anderson practice their most convincing ‘Join Your Union’ pose.

“We only had one permanent staff member and now we have a 25% permanency clause,” Daniel says.

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Present tense

ELICOS NEWS

Kendall Warren IEU O r ga n i s e r As outlined in the last edition of Present Tense, the federal government has embarked on a review of the student visa program. The review, led by former NSW Minister Michael Knight, has now released a discussion paper, and is calling for submissions from interested parties.

The paper is seeking input in several key areas. Firstly, the review wishes to discuss the concept of 'migration risk', and how this can be best managed by government, providers and students. In April, the 'risk assessment' of several countries (including China and India) will be reduced, but is there a case for a further relaxation or streamlining of this process?

Additionally, are there too many visa classes? Currently there are eight

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"It makes sense that the industries with the highest membership have the best conditions.”

different types of student visas. Could this be reduced, or indeed expanded?

Secondly, the review is asking about visa application processes.

Is the application charge too high?

Comparative data in the discussion paper seems to suggest so. Australian visas cost $550 (including any accompanying dependents), whereas the US charges only $140 (and the same for each dependant), and Canada only $125 (and the same for each dependant).

Thirdly, the review looks at whether visa processing times are taking too long, a common complaint of many providers.

For 'low risk' countries, the times appear to be comparable, but for India, for example, an Australian visa takes about 12 weeks, whereas the US takes a bit over a week, and the UK three weeks.

The review is also considering a range of other issues, such as maximum

working hours and work opportunities for students, required funds for student visa applications (currently students must demonstrate that they have access to at least $18,000), age considerations, institutional barriers, English language proficiencyandcommunicationbetween stakeholders.

If you would like to make a submission to the review, you can do so until 15 April. Details about how to make a submission can be found on the DIAC website at www.immi.gov.au/students/ student-submissions . n n In early 2011, the IEU agreed to terms with two colleges from the College House Group, Sydney College of English and Access Language Centre.

Both of these colleges have agreed to adopt the EPIA agreement, and will be involved with that group when the next negotiation begins in the second half

of 2012. In the meantime, teachers at both colleges will see their salaries align with those of the other EPIA colleges, with 3% increases from both the start of 2011 and 2012. The agreements were overwhelmingly endorsed by teachers at both colleges.

The Union is in negotiations with other colleges, most notably Embassy College in Darlinghurst, and at TELP, which operates out of Taylor’s College in Waterloo. Both of these colleges are owned by Study Group.

Discussions have made good progress, and the union hopes to reach settlements in the near future. The Union is also negotiating with Milton College in North Sydney and Strathfield College in the city, and is about to begin discussions with Navitas English Services (formerly ACE). If you would like to hear how to begin negotiations at your college, please contact the Union.

NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

on the ground

Blue Day of action 23 March

Today is ‘Blue Day’ at our centre… …because early childhood teachers are having a ‘blue’ about their salaries.

It’s not fair that your teachers earn 20% less than teachers in schools!

Authorised by Dick Shearman, General Secretary, NSW/ACT Independent Education Union, 176-182 Day St, Sydney NSW 2000

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arly childhood teachers wavering about joining the IEU should be encouraged to sign up and take part in Blue Day action on 23 March.

It’s a chance to be part of history, to unite with colleagues in furthering the profession and to play roles in achieving wage parity.

The campaign will only be as effective as the support and action of IEU members and colleagues.

The pay parity campaign is being supported by major childcare organisations, including SDN Children Services, KU Children Services, Illawarra Children’s Services, Social Justice in Early Childhood, Community Child Care Cooperative, Early Childhood Association NSW Branch and Australian Community Childrens' Services, NSW. Every day more organisations are joining our fight.

Blue Day on Wednesday, 23 March is the major focal point for the IEU’s Teachers are Teachers campaign.

A mail out, including a poster explaining why Early Childhood Teachers are having a ‘blue’ about their salaries, stickers for supporters to wear letters to families and IEU members explaining Blue Day, has been sent to services.

On 23 March Early Childhood centres around the state will display their posters, wear campaign t-shirts and other blue clothing and accessories, and hang blue banners out the front of their centres to raise awareness of the fact that early childhood teachers receive up to 20% less than other teachers with the same training.

For more info and other ideas about how to run Blue Day at your service visit: www.teachersareteachers.org. au or email teachersareteachers@ieu. asn.au.

State Election Forum: The right noises but where’s the money?

Early childhood teachers front power brokers I

f you put up your hand to visit a pollie, make sure you do it.

That’s the message from IEU Teachers are Teachers Campaign Director Lisa Bryant.

“If you elected to visit the candidate or politician or you’re part of a group that hasn’t done it yet, don’t give up.

Ensure that you visit your MP after the election. We need ongoing pressure,” says Ms Bryant.

Here are some stories from people who have already spoken to politicians about the importance of pay equity. n Abbotsford Long Day Care Centre teachers Antonella Panuccio, Emma Cullen and Michelle Lechowski were pleasantly surprised when Liberal candidate for Drummoyne John Sidoti offered to visit their centre to get informed about the Teachers are Teachers campaign.

The teachers said it was a valuable opportunity to advocate for the campaign whilst expressing concerns about the wage disparity and the future of early childhood education.

They told him preschool teachers who worked at a Department of Education preschool up the road were paid the same salary as the teachers at the local school but long day care teachers did not get the same benefits, despite having the same qualifications, workloads and responsibilities. n Still in Drummoyne Helen Inglis, well known as the former IEU ECS Vice President, reported back that she spoke at length to Independent candidate Alex Elliot. She is busy chasing other local candidates.

n Dierdre Wilde from Blaxland Preschool, Carmel Booker from Bluegum Children’s House and IEU representative Suzanne Kowalski-Roth visited retiring Blue Mountains MP Phil Koperberg.

“I was quite nervous as it is only the second time that I have met personally with a politician,” Deidre said. “I just kept coming back to the thought that ‘If we don’t tell them they wont know’. It was really interesting how Mr Koberberg didn’t know about the pay inequity and he seemed to me to be genuinely shocked that this is the current situation.

“I felt he was very supportive of the principles behind the campaign and he contacted colleagues about it.” n Lisa Dixon and Anne Mason, CoDirectors at Caves Beach preschool, visited Robert Coombs, ALP Member for Swansea. They reported he was unaware of the wage situation but was receptive and that he committed to finding out more about the campaign.

Lisa is also writing to Kate Ellis, Federal Minister for Employment Participation and Childcare and the Status of Women, to congratulate her on her support for the early childhood teaching profession in the recent EYLF booklet and to ask her to support corresponding federal wage rises for the profession. n Cheryl Collinson-Smith and Maria Whitcher visited Kiama Labor MP Matt Brown. They were pleased they went and felt confident he understood the aims of the campaign. They said it had been an easy process to get to see him.

Do you have a story to share about your visit to a politician? Let us know at teachersareteachers@ieu.asn.au

Involvement will win wage justice

T

he State Election Forum held in Sydney of 9 March hosted Linda Burney Minister for Community Services (pictured left) , Pru Goward Shadow Minister for Community Services (right) and John Kaye from the Greens (centre).

In a rare moment of political agreement each spoke of how important the wage issue was: John Kaye supporting more funding for the sector saying that poor pay was a fast way to depopulate the sector; Pru Goward called the fight for wage equity a just and right cause but was unable to spell out coalition policy because it had yet to be released while Linda Burney acknowledged that wages are a big issue in the sector and she committed to continuing to discuss the issue.

However the bottom line is that commitment and resourcing of the wage parity sentiments remains to be made.

Member Karen McKay (above right) proudly wore her Teachers are Teachers tshirt to the state election forum. At her service in Laurieton they are wearing their tshirts during the week and instead of a Blue Day of action they’re planning a Blue Week. She says she was concerned about the average age of teachers and the lack of incentive for new graduates to enter the profession.

“They can’t afford to work in early childhood given the pay disparity – pay equity would go some way to easing the pressures of a mortgage for new teachers”.

NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

I

EU members who have negotiated agreements guaranteeing wage rises should not think the fight is over.

The IEU Teachers Are Teachers campaign aims to bring the salaries of all early childhood teachers to parity with their colleagues in schools.

Few agreements have been registered where pay parity has been achieved.

Members should be aware, those agreements can be varied to reflect pay parity when the campaign is won.

“There’s a very big difference between getting wage rises locked into an agreement and achieving pay parity,” says IEU Industrial Officer Verena Heron.

The IEU is urging all members to put their weight behind the Teachers Are Teachers campaign.

“It’s tempting to think ‘we’re alright now, we’ve got our agreement locked in’ but things can change quickly,” Ms Heron says.

“The real issue is that teachers in very few services have pay equity. We do have some early childhood teachers and directors who receive the same pay as their primary school colleagues but it’s time all teachers and directors were receiving pay equity.

“Even the best agreement in the state, if it doesn’t guarantee pay equity with school teachers, is no guarantee of ongoing wage rises."

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Education Bites

Drop out and cash in Politicians on the cutting edge of New Right theory have come up with a new way of cutting the size of the state.

New Hampshire, famous for its already low taxes, is proposing to pay parents to take their kids out of public schools.

The state legislature is considering a proposal by a group of Republicans to offer tax breaks of thousands of dollars to parents who remove children from public education.

Unlikepreviouslymootedvoucher schemes that encourage parents to shop around, the New Hampshire proposal does not require the $3500 a child tax break to be spent on education.

Republican Senator Jim Forsythe and seven other supporters of the bill, say parents who take their children out of public schools should be rewarded for saving taxpayers’ money.

Childcare a nice little earner Still on taxing matters, La Neve Groves, co-founder of collapsed childcare empire ABC Learning, wants a multi-million dollar refund.

Groves, who the ATO says still hasn’t paid an $11 million 2008 tax bill, is in the Federal Court in Brisbane asking that a decade of her assessments be overturned.

Meanwhile, she is seeking $44.2m from former business partner and husband, Eddy Groves, in a separate Supreme Court action.

The pair built ABC Learning into Australia’s biggest childcare operationandexportedtheirmodel overseas before going belly up.

The federal government stepped in to protect children and parents when ABC Childcare went broke with debts of $1.6 billion.

For his part, Eddy Groves, has been committed to stand trial for breaching the Corporations Act, and is defending a criminal charge brought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

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Labour Bites

Charity begins at home One of Australia’s biggest charities pocketed nearly $500,000 of public money that was provided to fund large pay rises for community workers.

Giving evidence to a Fair Work Australia hearing, a senior executive admitted Mission Australia took the extra money from the Queensland Government but did not pass on the pay increases it was intended to fund.

In 2009, an Equal Pay decision in Queensland awarded up to 37% increases to community workers which the Bligh Government funded with a $414 million funding boost.

Mission Australia argued that as a 'constitutional corporation' it did not have to follow state based decisions although it happily paid the lower NSW rate. The spokesperson could not say if Mission Australia would pay the Queensland rates in future and was unable to adequately explain why it accepted the money in the first place.

(Source: The Age)

Israel shoots down IWD The Israeli Cabinet has decided it will not support any bills honouring International Womens Day presented to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation. Bills they rejected included

The IEU website (www.ieu.asn.au) carries regular updates of local and international news with a trade union flavour. IEU Assistant Secretary John Quessy reproduces below some recent items.

one allowing flexible working hours for mothers, an equal opportunity bill, a bill that would have introduced the role of consultant for women’s issues to public organisations.

It did however support a bill that was not on the IWD list that will stop the retirement age of women being increased from 62 to 64. (Source: Haaretz)

Unionists are everywhere Inmates at a British Columbia prison are in the final stages of applying to create a labour union. Their lawyer says organisers are trying to sign up members for the ConFederation, Canadian Prisoners’ Labour Union Local 001.

The prisoners say they want the right to assemble as any other workers would to vote about forming a union that will deal with their various complaints. They are facing resistance from the prison administration. (Source: Globe & Mail)

UK reinforces right to strike The UK Transport Union (RMT) has secured a major victory in the Court of Appeal that will pave the way for millions to take action over job cuts and the like in the coming months.

The judgment overturns an injunction against RMT in respect of industrial

action in January. This is seen as a landmark judgment recognising the right to strike in the context of the UK’s obligations under international law. Although welcoming the win, UK unions say the industrial legislation is still among the most restrictive in the western world. (Source: RMT)

Republicans energise unions When the Wisconsin Republican Governor tried to take away collective bargaining rights from state workers, he may have given the US union movement the spark it needed after years in decline.

The move was opposed by tens of thousands marching in the streets of the state capital in protests that have lasted weeks. “We’ve never seen the incredible solidarity we are seeing now," said one AFL-CIO official. "People are giving unions another look."

Governor Walker’s proposed laws started a public debate about workers rights and stripping entitlements but unions claim they are “winning that debate” and that public sentiment is on their side with a recent New York Times/CBS poll showing that Americans oppose efforts to weaken the collective bargaining rights of public employees by a 2-1 margin. (Source: Associated Press)

Wary and wise in Newcastle T

wenty-three new scheme teachers gathered at the Merewether Beach Hotel to participate in the latest Pedagogy in the Pub session 'Be Wary Be Wise'.

The course dealt with professional responses to child protection and Newcastle Organiser Carlo Rendina said “the training was well received”.

New scheme teachers must complete Institute approved professional development and the IEU is conducting seminars around the state.

For details of upcoming PIPs, please check the IEU website at www.ieu.asn. au. Marilyn Jervis, who conducted the training (right), noted the importance of teachers being able to readily access appropriate professional development.

IEU Pedagogy in the Pub workshops.were also held in Goulburn, Gundagai (left) and Young in February.

Members expressed their appreciation for this valuable service to those in rural regional areas.

NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

on the ground professioanl development:

New scheme teachers news n The IEU is conducting twohour Institute registered professional development courses around the state.

Pedagogy in the Pub workshops are held to support IEU members with maintenance of accreditation. Contact your IEU Organiser on 9779 3200 for specific details. n The 2011 Teach Survive Thrive Conference is on Friday 6 May at the Mercure Hotel, George St Sydney.

It will be registered with the NSW Institute of Teachers and will provide between 4 - 5 hours of registered PD for the maintenance of accreditation, addressing standards from Elements 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7, depending on workshops attended. See the IEU website for details of workshops and contact Iva (iva@ieu. asn.au) for registration forms & details. n The New Scheme Teachers Digital Kit is available to members only, from the IEU website (www.ieu.asn. au). Log in, and click on the button on the top left of the home page to find the kit designed to support teachers with gaining accreditation at professional competence.

The kit contains information in plain English about the Institute and teacher accreditation, about planning and preparing your evidence, and has sample documents to illustrate a

teacher’s annotated evidence across the standards.

2011 Teach Survive Thrive Conference 6 May

n Teachers who are starting their accreditation and who need some initial help – either with understanding what is needed, how to start, or just someone to look over what you have done so far – should contact IEU accreditation officer Liz Finlay, who is available to provide advice and support to members.

Phone 9779 3200 or email elizabeth@ ieu.asn.au. n Interim arrangements for Maintenance of Accreditation at PC.

The Conference is $75 for members $275 for non members

The Institute has taken into account that registered PD courses were not fully operational before 2008.

To register, contact Iva Coric on 9779 3200 or email iva@ieu.asn.au.

Therefore, teachers accredited before 1 May 2008 and who are unable to complete the 50 hours of Institute — registered continuing professional development are able to use up to ten hours per year of Teacher Identified professional development to count towards Institute Registered professional development until the end of 2008.

For a table that explains the interim arrangements visit www.nswteachers. nsw.edu.au and go to: Continuing Professional Development/Teachers/ Teachers accredited at Professional Competence (last paragraph).

NB: If accredited at PC on or after 1 May 2008, the interim arrangements do not apply.

IEU reps bag satchels Rep training A

t the beginning of every school year, the IEU calls on chapter representatives to update our records on school details and members attached to schools.

Accurate information is vital to the union Keeping track of member movements between schools is a huge job for which the IEU is enormously grateful to hard working reps.

NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

This year the first 100 reps to send in their annual update forms have been rewarded with IEU satchels. Elizabeth Pellizzari from St Therese's Primary School, West Wollongong (above) received her satchel from IEU Organiser Les Porter.

The Union received the first 100 forms in record time this year and a random 50 of the next 200 received will also get IEU satchels.

A

series of rep training seminars is being conducted over the next couple of months, dealing with the Fair Work Act and its implications.

This Act is now the central piece of federal legislation governing employer-employee relationships. It provides additional rights to the previous WorkChoices legislation but also reinforces responsibilities.

Understanding the Fair Work Act is important to reps as they seek to represent the interests of their members.

Confirmed training dates are: 1 April, Log Cabin, Penrith; 9 May, Parramatta, venue TBA; 16 May, Independent schools, Day St Sydney; 19 May, Dubbo (for advanced Reps).

20 May, Bathurst; 27 May, Dapto.

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Sustainability a winner for Steiner School HOTY W

hen 1993 bushfires charred the Orana Steiner School on Canberra’s western flank they lit the spark for a teacher to become Australia’s Horticulturalist of the Year.

Tim Edmondson reached back to a former life as a horticulturalist, contracting to the capital’s embassies and high commissions, to coordinate regeneration of the 13-hectare site.

He made it a collaborative effort with students, parents and local professionals.

The creativity of one of the latter, Paul Totterdell, was central to what has been achieved.

Totterdell’s inventive water purification procedure appealed to Tim from the start.

Drawing on an understanding of the Australian environment and its unique methods of water harvesting, it holds the school’s runoff underground in sand-filled trenches, effectively beating evaporation.

take at least another decade. It is all laid out in the Learnscape Masterplan which took two years of consultation and planning to develop.

He credits the Steiner philosophy for much of his success. Often characterised as freethinking, it encourages adherents to develop their non-material attributes.

Steiner families donate at least 30 hours a year to the “community”.

Soon after Tim’s children started at the Canberra school, he found himself on committees, working bees and, before long, on staff in a system that incorporates horticulture, then agriculture, into the core curriculum.

When it came to redeveloping the school grounds, he had a roster of 80 “community members”, including bobcat drivers, landscapers, trades people and architects to call on.

from fires that claimed lives and homes in his neighbourhood.

“Getting over something like that isn’t easy. You can go on adrenaline for a few weeks but, after a while, you should realise it isn’t a crisis any longer, it is time to stop reacting and start planning.

“I don’t think I had come to that and the writing helped me to look beyond the ground at my feet and appreciate my family, friends and colleagues at the local Institute of Horticulture.”

Very deep. But Australia’s reigning Horticulturalist of the Year just can’t resist referring to himself as a HOTY. More information is available at www.thinkwater.act.gov.au/water_ stories/orana_school.shtml and www.learnscapes.org.

"We didn’t just want to stick plants in the ground."

He said sitting down to write his award submission had helped his own recovery

Tim suspects it is the future for inland Australia because the embedded energy is “highly effective and can sustain large numbers of people”.

He calls it a combination of “good science and a bit of Dreamtime understanding”.

“When we started we were pretty clear, we didn’t just want to stick plants in the ground. We wanted it all to be sustainable,” Tim said.

Judges at the Australian Horticulturist of the Year Award, a flash ceremony hosted by celebrity gardener Don Burke in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens, were impressed.

National President of the Australian Horticulturalists Association Kim Morris described Tim, and the project, as “unique Australian identities”.

At Orana, trees planted by students in 2005 have reached sizes normally expected after 20 years of growth.

The regenerated area provides classic carbon lock-up benefits including cooling, shade and a home for hundreds of bird and insect species.

“It’s a little oasis and you can really feel it when you are in there,” Tim says.

“It is an invitation to contemplate and relax.”

IEU member Tim says it is just the first step in a restoration process that will Orana Steiner School Teacher Tim Edmondson in his award winning oasis.

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NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

feature

Shared values at Penrith Christian School W

hen Lab Assistant John Thompson started working at Penrith Christian School almost 10 years ago, he found much to celebrate.

strongly Judeo-Christian and as time went on this changed and choice became more apparent.”

size means we tend to get to know most of the kids, at least by sight, as they make their way through.

“This was my first experience of working in a school and I quickly came to love it. We have great staff, the kids are good and we have a wonderful, supportive environment,” he says.

Penrith Christian School was established by parents wanting to educate their children with a Christian worldview as the underlying philosophy.

Bruce says the school enables students to understand how the curriculum fits that worldview.

“We have a close connection to their development and to their families. A number of staff members are former students.”

“This place gives families the opportunity to send kids to a Christian school where staff and their classmates share their values. For me, the best thing about going to work each day is being able to support the teachers and I do also enjoy some autonomy.”

“But like any school we teach a state determined curriculum, have the same registration and accreditation requirements, have the same regulations and, in educating children, we are providing a service for families,” Bruce says.

For John, another important aspect of his job is feeling supported as a member of his Union. Many would expect to take this for granted, but for John this hasn’t always been the case.

“We support the rights of parents to be able to choose, and to have their tax dollar appropriated in some way to reflect the investment in their children’s education.”

“In my first job, which was in the metals industry, I was led to believe I wasn’t allowed to join the union,” he says.

“Those of us working in labs and offices were seen as the upper class of the place. The labourers were expected to be unionists, but not us. So they would put their necks out and we would reap the rewards.”

This experience left John cold – and doubly determined to join his union at his next place of work.

Freedom to choose

Bruce says there is “always an argument around how to do that”, despite the fact that schools are notfor-profit entities, with surpluses going “back in to educating the kids”.

Open communication For Drama Teacher and IEU Rep Marnie Engel, this is her first experience of a Christian school. And with 14 years already under her belt, she is clearly fond of the post.

“In this system the schools seem to be smaller. Ours is K-12 and the smaller

Marnie says open communication is strongly valued at the school, and the IEU is part of this.

“Over the past few years, while our agreements were going through, I have been in close contact with staff and found them to be really open to our message. To know the documents were being looked at by the IEU provided a sense of safety and surety.

“Our Principal was also very receptive to communicating and consulting with the Union, and having me run things past our Organiser.”

Bruce says he appreciated the role of the IEU in negotiating a common agreement with the Christian Schools Association because it removed the complexity and “has really helped with consistency”.

“We’ve always had a very good harmonious relationship with the Union and we particularly value developments like security of tenure, common agreements and understanding of agreements across schools.”

“In my first job, which was in the metals industry, I was led to believe I wasn’t allowed to join the union.”

John Thompson, Lab Technician

mediated, with minimum disruption”, Bruce says.

With agreements for support staff in Christian schools due to be made this year, Marnie says joining the IEU has a new impetus.

“Membership across the board is so important, whether you are a teacher or a member of your school’s support staff. By joining the Union these staff members will help ensure their conditions and awards continue to improve.”

Meanwhile, if a dispute arises “the Union is able to take matters out of the school and have them independently

The ability to choose, whether to join the union or where to educate one’s children, is an important tenet of Christian schools in general, and in this regard Penrith Christian School is no exception.

“Like all school systems we have an underlying philosophy that includes supporting the environment, keeping the kids happy, well-supported pastoral care programs, good parental contact and encouraging open communications,” says Principal Bruce Nevill.

“It’s about choice. In the early federation days our country was

Left to right: Bruce Nevill, John Thompson and Marie Engel.

NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

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IEU

super foodie Allergy free baking W

hen her 10-year-old nephew was diagnosed with a severe allergy to nuts, dairy and egg products, Linda Bosnic found very few recipes that could be made quickly and easily.

So the avid cook and fresh food advocate began developing recipes that could be made in one bowl, without electric mixers in 15 minutes.

Image: Lee Blaylock (Food Stylist) and Brent Parker Jones (Food Photographer).

“It’s still quite difficult to get allergy free food in schools,” Linda says. “Any child dealing with food allergies has to be extremely careful with the food choices they make”.

Choc-chip cookies

It’s Linda’s hope that her ‘one bowl: allergy free baking’cookbook collection of 100 recipes will help schools provide safe cooking experiences for children.

“As a reaction to the increase in allergies, many schools have stopped providingcookingexperiencestominimise the exposure of potential allergens to children,” Linda says.

Her recipes don’t use nuts, dairy or egg and there are gluten-free and soy free options. The book also provides information on preparing the workspace for allergy-free baking to avoid cross contamination.

The average food label can be bewildering even for the scientifically minded, so how does a child fare?

pressings T

o John Keats, it was a “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”, to those less poetic, autumn heralds the beginning of the football season.

But for we who imbibe, it is when Penfolds release their new stable of top end wines. The famous Grange, the St Henri, the Bin 407 and my very good friend the Bin 389 all come out to play in the first blush of autumn.

It is also when the minestrone pot simmers on the stove and those Rieslings with just a little bit of age are very welcome. Even without a cellar of gently aging wines there, are a few current vintages that have both the weight and the “Germanic” quality needed to match full-flavoured minestrone.

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(nut-free, dairy-free and egg-free with gluten-free option if required) Preparation time: 15 minutes Servings: About 30 cookies “Often it is best if a child only eats the food provided from home as it takes many years before they can confidently read food labels and know whether a food is safe to eat or not,” Linda says.

Her favourite recipe from the collection is choc-chip cookies.

“They are always a hit with the kids and are so easy to make. They have a glutenfree option that works really well too,” she says.

1⁄2 cup Nuttelex (or other dairy-free spread) 1⁄4 cup caster sugar 1⁄4 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1⁄4 cup soy milk 2 cups SR flour (or gluten-free SR flour) 1⁄2 cup dairy-free, nut-free chocolate chips Preheat oven to 180ºC and grease and line biscuit trays with non-stick baking paper.

1. Mix Nuttelex and sugars together in a large bowl with a large metal spoon until well combined (use back of spoon to push mix together).

2. Add vanilla and soy milk and mix well.

3. Add flour and chocolate chips and use back of metal spoon to mix until well combined.

4. Roll teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on baking trays, allowing room for spreading. Flatten slightly with a fork.

5. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Remove from oven and cool slightly on trays before placing on wire racks to cool.

By Magnum

The current vintage (2010) of Jim Barry’s Lodge Hill Riesling ($19) is a case in point.

Difficult growing conditions created less crisp and citrus-flavoured wine than usual but one of great intensity. A tinge of green around the edges of the glass and a nose of pungent cumquat announces a true food wine. There is a generous palate of nectarine and guava, some lemon zest and an intense, bone dry finish.

I’ve never been a real fan of a straight Viognier until now. I’ve always found the variety claustrophobic but with the Ballabourneen 2009 Viognier ($25), all that has changed. Served with seared scallops and fresh fig, it is delightful.

Apricot and pear nose, rich honey and fresh citrus flavours, lime acid and a hint of spice at the end. If this is what the variety is supposed to be, I’m hooked.

Well done the Hunter Valley.

I’ve written before about The Black Jack Vineyard in Bendigo, their everyday Chortles Edge is a must try but I recently drank another from their stable, the 2008 Major’s Line Shiraz ($25).

The high quality of the fruit used in this wine is obvious from opening. Grapes ripened quickly in the hot days of March 2008 and the rich ripeness of cherry and plum dominates the nose. This is a nicely shaped wine with a good integration of red berry fruit, a touch of chocolate and peppery oak. Robust yet subtle, if such a

description makes sense, with a longish finish. The next year or two rather than long term cellaring I’d think.

For an everyday red Chapel Hill’s The Parson’s Nose Shiraz 2009 ($16) is fantastic value. One of the big chains is promoting this wine at a huge discount so it won’t last long.

I loved the 2008 version but this is a bit bigger. A warm garnet red colour with a nose of red berries and a hint of lavender, an earthy palate where sweet and tart plum flavours mix seamlessly with gentle French oak and lasting velvet tannin. A very comfortable weekday wine. Chapel Hill, I love your work.

Good Drinking.

NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

overview exchange news:

From spark plugs to dinner plates Helen Gregor y T ea c h e r e xc h a n ge C o o r di n ato r

S

parky Ron Fletcher has abandoned his plugs and fuses in favour of sewing needles and sieves, but the laid back Canadian is taking it all in his stride.

Ron is on exchange from Elmira District School in Ontario, where he teaches electronics, to Xavier College, Llandilo, where he has to teach food technology and textiles.

“You could say I’ve been thrown in the deep end, but I’ve had tons of support from the other staff.

“So far we’ve cooked hamburgers and muffins - I went for something simple.

“I just told the kids: ‘We’re all learning together, let’s have some fun’.

“Next term I’ve got textiles and I think we’re going to make an apron.

That will be a nice memento to take back to Canada.

“I think my exchange partner has it tougher, teaching only electronics.”

Twenty-six teachers from nongovernment schools in NSW and the ACT have exchanged positions with counterparts in the UK, Canada and the US. They recently swapped notes at the Sydney Welcome exchange conference, held jointly by the IEU and the DET. Exchanges can be between quite different types of schools. For instance, Hunter Chen, who teaches maths at the alternative New Vista High School, in Boulder Colorado, has exchanged to St Clare’s High School, Taree.

New Vista was set up for children who see themselves as “different” with an alternative learning style, Hunter says.

“Students can turn up to school with piercings, wearing angel wings, horns, kilts, - you name it.

“At St Clare’s, the uniform policy is strict and it’s something for me to get used to. But kids are kids.”

Music teacher Angela Southern, who’s come from a public school in Ontario to Delany College, Granville, echoed that thought.

One of her first tasks was to organise music for the school mass, and while the religious aspect of the daily routine has required a little adjustment on her

NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

Shaun Davies

Angela Southern

Hunter Chen

part, things are basically the same.

“Kids are kids, teachers are teachers and education is education – everyone is trying to do the same thing even if they call it different names,” Angela says.

Shaun Davies is really happy to be here – he had to battle a reluctant principal and 3ft of snow at Heathrow to make it to his new job at St Mary’s Primary at Armidale.

Leaving behind the minus 10 degree temperatures at Llanfaes, Brecon, in Wales to arrive to the high 30s has been a challenge, but Shaun says he and his wife and two children are loving the climate and scenery in Australia.

“I come from old south Wales, and I think you’re doing yourself down calling this New South Wales, the landscape is superb.”

From a public school, Shaun is adapting to Catholic ways at St Mary's, but he “can’t speak highly enough” of his fellow teachers and says there’s a great team spirit at the school.

“Really the philosophy is the same as at home, that the children come first.”

Applications are still being taken for 2012. Those who have already applied; your applications are in the hands of the overseas coordinators and we are eagerly awaiting matches.

Here are just some top exchange positions available: Languages/German – Hamburg Germany Christiane teaches German at the International School of Hamburg in Germany. This school has had many

Ron Fletcher

exchanges before. Christiane is married and has a house suitable for a family (with a nice garden) available for exchange see http://www.ishamburg.org.

Media & Design/Communication Technology – Westlock Alberta Colleen is an experienced teacher at Richard F Staples Secondary School in Westlock (just out of Edmonton – the city of festivals). She is Catholic, married with three children and has a four bedroom home available for exchange 2km from school. Her husband has been on exchange previously. Look up http:// www.westlock.ca/ and http://www. albertatourism.com/ab/home.do English/Drama – Edmonton Alberta Katherine teaches at Archbishop Jordan Catholic High School in Sherwood Park (she can also teach Spanish).

She is Catholic, single and has three bedroom home available for exchange in Edmonton (home of the biggest indoor shopping mall in the world, West Edmonton Mall). Look up http://www. discoveredmonton.com/ and http://

www.strathcona.ab.ca/ Visual Arts – Red Deer Alberta Sheena teaches at Ecole Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School in Red Deer (also qualified to teach RE and has excellent references). Sheena is Catholic, married with two children and has a three bedroom home in Red Deer available for exchange. Sheena’s husband is also a Social Studies teacher, so this could be a double match. Red Deer is located one hour from Calgary and 80 minutes from Edmonton; a great location in Central Alberta. See http:// www.reddeer.ca/default.htm and http:// www.reddeer.worldweb.com.

Other secondary and primary positions to Canada (all provinces) and the UK will be posted on the website shortly.

Please call Helen Gregory on 9779 3200 for information or email Helen@ ieu.asn.au for with an expression of interest.

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www.ieu.asn.au [ report from ] President

[ report from ] Independent Schools

Chris Wilkinson

Michelle Omeros Vice President, Non Systemic Schools

We've come a long way

Make sure you know the basics

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EU women celebrated International Women's Day in style and rightly so.

We have come a long way in the last 100 years, but still there is some way to go.

The IEU has fought long and hard for improved conditions and needs to be congratulated for its efforts. Through the work of the Women in Education committee and the dedication of Pam Smith womens' issues are constantly on the IEU's agenda.

Women now enjoy maternity leave, part-time work, the opportunity to job share, family friendly workplaces and access to promotions and professional development.

Teaching in a Year 7-10 girls secondary college, it is very rewarding to celebrate our girls’achievements in external exams,

H

especially the HSC, and then to track their entry into further education and employment.

ave you checked your payslip against the rates in your industrial agreement?

The choices are very different to those offered in the past. Who would have thought that we would have a woman prime minister, a woman governorgeneral, a woman state governor and a woman premier? They are fabulous role models for young women today.

If you teach in an independent school in NSW, there is a better than 90% chance your salary and conditions are regulated by one of the two IEU/AIS negotiated Multi-Enterprise Agreements (MEA’s Catholic Independent Schools’MEA or the IEU CSA/CEN MEA concluded towards the end of 2010.

Not to mention the Cannonisation of Australia's first Saint — Blessed Mary MacKillop.

On the other hand, at a recent diocesan staff mass, it was very obvious as the new principals and deputy principals were presented, the majority of the principals were male and the deputies were female.

Come on ladies you can do it!

If you are a support staff member, you are also likely to be covered by a union negotiated agreement.

The capacity for the Union to negotiate solid industrial agreements is directly related to membership density in schools.

I urge you to have conversations with your colleagues making them aware of their rights, entitlements and the importance of union membership.

Perhaps someone you work alongside with every day is not covered by a

union-negotiated agreement. If this is the case their salaries and conditions will deteriorate in line with modern award provisions.

Most independent schools think of themselves as more than schools.

They like to think of themselves as communities.

My school is no different. An effective, well-functioning community is typically proud of how it treats all of its members. A community that cares for all of its members would not accept that individuals within the community experience a decline in their working conditions relative to others in similar circumstances.

So I ask you to have that conversation with colleagues within your community: “Have you checked your payslip against the agreement? Do you have an agreement? Have you joined your union?”

[ report from ] Principals Branch Pam Smith Principal's Organiser

Key issues for 2011 Key issues at the last Principals’ Branch meeting included new Catholic sector federal agreements, national curriculum and assessment, the My School website, National Partnerships, and resourcing and support for students with special needs.

Principals look forward to contributing to the Federal Government’s funding review and welcomed the IEU’s online submission opportunity for schools.

Early career seminar Following last year’s successful Early Career Principals Seminar, the IEU is holding a twilight seminar for ‘beginning principals’ on 9 May at its Parramatta office. It will feature a range of speakers and there will be opportunities to discuss key challenges facing new principals.

More info is available from the IEU.

Aspect principals The IEU is continuing to support its members employed as principals in Aspect schools to achieve an agreement to improve their remuneration and working conditions.

14

Workplace safety A major priority for the IEU is the safety and wellbeing of all staff in education workplaces. This includes protection against threatened or actual verbal or physical violence from parents, students or clergy.

In 2010, the IEU dealt with several instances where principals felt unsafe and the Union intervened to ensure compliance with OHS laws and antiharassment policies. Discussions are underway between the IEU and MaitlandNewcastle CSO for a seminar on dealing with challenging parent issues.

Branch office holders for 2011 are: President,DougGarnett;DeputyPresident, Michael Philpot; Joint Secretaries, Des Fox and Jude Ryan. Branch committee: Sidonie Coffey, Carolyn Blanden, Margaret Hogan and Patricia Burgess.

Principals’ Branch meetings have been set for 14 May, 10 September, 5 November and 18 February 2012.

Principals Marian Bell, Peter Murphy, Michael Philpot, Yasmin Gamieldien, Steve Lemos, Margaret Hogan and Lou Single.

NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

overview [ report from ] South Coast

[ report from ] ECS

Mark Smith Branch President

Gabrielle Connell ECS Vice President

Counsellors battle for fair deal

Day of action March 23

T

A

he Branch welcomes experienced IEU Organiser Tina Smith to the South Coast region. As well as her role in ECS, Tina will be working with Les and Pam in South Coast and Southern Highlands Schools.

n Teacher appointments still causing problems with some schools not advertising positions or following fair process.

Hopefully, 2011 will be as successful for members as 2010 when federal agreements were finalised in nearly all schools for both teaching and nonteaching staff.

n Class sizes in Catholic systemic schools exceeding limits in the enterprise agreement without suitable consultation or support.

We negotiated a multi-enterprise agreement that covers the five South Coast Christian schools. RFF conditions for teachers in Catholic primary schools were improved. Now, the Catholic schools enterprise agreement is due for renegotiation.

Our 9 March Branch meeting unanimously supported CatholicCare counsellors in their quest for fair wages and conditions.

Other issues included:

n Not all teachers getting appropriate RFF time allowance.

At the last IEU/CEO meeting the IEU raised the appointment of middle leaders and how some schools appeared to avoid advertising positions. The CEO said the policy has not changed and supplied the IEU with a copy of its policy on advertising jobs. The CEO agreed to speak to several IEU members to get accurate feedback on the specifics of problems with its electronic payroll system.

Our next Branch meeting is on the 18 May at Shellharbour Workers Club, dinner at 6pm for a 6.45 pm start.

ll early childhood service workers are being urged to take part in a NSW day of action on teachers’ wages.

It is the next step in our Teachers Are Teachers campaign for pay parity with primary school colleagues.

The IEU wants all centres and services to participate on Wednesday 23 March.

The aim is to spread awareness of the fact that early childhood teachers are poorly paid, to get their stories out and to bring our families on board.

We are aware that the beginning of the year has seen most services grappling with multiple issues. Firstly, the National Quality Framework and the work involved in preparing our services, staff and communities for the many changes ahead.

We are also implementing the Early Years Learning Framework as part of the Framework and this means extra time and money spent on training, discussion, reflection and documentation.

The new Information Paper on the Education and Care Services National Law and the proposed National Regulations has also arrived on our doorsteps for consideration. Services have the opportunity to attend forums and consultations in NSW as part of a national process.

Many services are still finalising Workplace Agreements, and some are finding that with a change in committee they are back to square one with the threat of the modern award still hanging over the heads of staff.

But the Teachers Are Teachers campaign is the most important thing on our agenda right now – for us, our children and their families. It is vitally important and we hope all members will support us in this important action, leading up to the NSW State election.

Our sector is losing good staff on a daily basis and we need to act now.

n Pressure in some independent schools for staff to take large blocks of long service leave, restricting flexibility.

[ report from ] Newcastle Mark Northam IEU Organiser

FWA training timely Twenty-nine Hunter Valley Reps attended a Fair Work Australia training day on 2 March at Newcastle’s Crowne Plaza Hotel (see image below).

There were updates on employment agreements and Reps were trained in how to support members with school-based issues. Training in 2011 is critical as Catholic schools will be bargaining later in the year.

IEU Assistant Secretary Gloria Taylor provided an overview of funding arrangements and why IEU members should respond to the Gonski Review of school funding.

NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

15 15

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Terms and conditions: Only available to current full-time and part-time TAFE teachers registered in NSW and ACT where normal Herald home delivery exists and is limited to one subscription per TAFE teacher. A deduction will be made upfront for a minimum delivery period of 52 weeks. Cancellation fees may apply for subscriptions paid upfront and terminated prior to expiry. Price is inclusive of GST. Delivery to addresses in security apartments or office buildings is subject to delivery capability. To check if delivery exists please call 13 66 66. Subscriptions are for individual use only and cannot be on sold. This offer is separate from any other subscription offer for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald. Offer expires 31/12/2011. Fairfax Media Publications ABN 33 003 357 720.

overview [ report from ] North Coast

[ report from ] Central Coast

Marty Fitzpatrick North Coast Branch President

Jim Hall IEU Organiser

Greens on the menu

N

orth Coast members will notice a change in the way their area is being organised, designed to improve service levels.

As a result of the Newcastle Office expanding, with more personnel, experienced Organiser Mark Northam is going to ‘service’ schools in the lower end of the Lismore Diocese, from Port Macquarie to Macksville.

Members will still call the Lismore office for information but Organisers, Steve and Mark, will both deal with general Branch work. This will allow Steve to concentrate more on schools north of Macksville.

Teachers in Catholic systemic schools received a pay rise in January. The support staff award expires in the middle of this year. This finalises the round of ‘awards’ negotiated over the past few years, covering the transition from state

to federal systems. Our Union is now preparing a campaign to negotiate the awards for the next two to three years.

Our strength in these negotiations is driven by membership support. The core role of our Union is the maintenance and improvement of wages, conditions and security of our jobs.

Now is a good time to encourage nonmembers and make them aware of the advantages of being a member.

At the North Coast Branch AGM the following office holders were elected: President, Marty Fitzpatrick (St Francis Xaviers Ballina); Deputy President, Kath Egan (St Francis Xavier's Ballina); Secretary, Sue Core (Holy Family Skennars Head). Committee members: Richard Ryan, Jeff Pratt, Peter Cassidy and Meg Cottee.

The Central Coast AGM continued its long tradition of attracting first class candidates for nominations for key branch positions. Congratulations to Mark Taylor (President), John Heffernan (Deputy President), Chris Wilkinson (Secretary) and Bill O’Connell (Committee Member) on their unanimous election.

There was animated discussion on a number of issues, from upcoming negotiations for new Catholic agreements, kindergarten class sizes and responses to NAPLAN data to the validity of compulsory NSWIT accreditation for pre-October 2004 graduates who have not taught for five years or more.

Organisers reported on the likely outcome of the state election for the region (two out of three seats currently held by Labor have retiring members, while the Liberals will retain the seat of Terrigal). Aspects of the Greens education

[ report from ] Landsdowne Branch

[ report from ] Central West

Dave Towson IEU Organiser

Jackie Groom IEU Organiser

policy with implications for private schools were discussed and the IEU’s Professional Development agenda for 2011 was tabled.

2011 also sees a change in branch organiser. Donna Widdison has been a wonderful advocate for the IEU and the Branch thanks her for her support and expertise over the years. New organisers Jim Hall and Carlo Rendina will be responsible for the Central Coast and you will see them out and about visiting schools in the near future.

Finally, the Branch would like to extend an early invitation to members for the next branch meeting at 4.30pm on 26 May at the Gosford Golf Club. This will be an excellent opportunity to engage with fellow members on a range of professional and industrial issues.We look forward to seeing you there.

PIP and sausage rolls on comeback trail

C

ongratulations to Bernadette Hawthorne, from John the Baptist Primary School, Bonnyrigg who was elected President of the Lansdowne Branch at the 24 February AGM.

members who wanted to attend but were attending the Sydney CEO regional mass on the night. Organisers are promising sausage rolls will return to the finger food menu.

Luke Breen, of All Saints Catholic School, Liverpool, who has served as Branch President for the last three years was elected Deputy President for 2011.

Coming branch meetings, all to be held at the Fairfield RSL between 4.30 and 6pm, are scheduled for Thursday 19 May, Thursday 4 August and Thursday 10 November.

On Thursday 3 March, 29 members attended a Pedagogy in the Pub workshop on conflict resolution. Some of those have now attended three PIP sessions in less than six months, clocking up six hours of Institute registered PD in the process.

This was the first time the IEU had presented this topic and feedback was positive. We will be repeating this session in May due to the large number of

There will be a rep training day from 9am until 3.15pm on Friday 10 June.

Three Pedagogy in the Pub sessions have also been scheduled, from 4.30 until 6pm on 26 May, preceded by drinks at 4pm.

One will deal with conflict resolution and the other subjects have yet to be determined.

R

esponding to concerns over support for teachers when students with special needs are integrated into classes, the IEU arranged for Dr Michael Flood, Bathurst Diocese Special Education, to address a forum on special needs funding.

students with special learning needs, the Bathurst Diocese has developed guidelines for the enrolment of these students. Prior to enrolment, the principal must contact the CEO so consideration can be given as to how the school can meet the students' needs.

Dr Flood gave a comprehensive and detailed explanation of the funding process. Funding for students with special needs is currently provided through Commonwealth Government targeted programs, the NSW State Government and Catholic Education Office Bathurst. All funding goes to the Catholic Education Commission and the Commission allocates money to the dioceses.

To ensure that schools have the capacity to meet the educational needs of all students, the IEU, through its national body the IEUA, has argued for the development of a framework of teaching and learning resource standards for high quality teaching and learning conditions for students with special needs.

Allocations for particular students are based on their personal, curriculum and teaching needs and their level of functioning.

In order to encourage procedural fairness and clarity when enrolling NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

n Reps training resulted in a consensus around the need for IEU Chapters to form committees that are representative of the various sectors of membership.To support this initiative the Union will conduct further Reps training in Dubbo on 19 May, and Bathurst on 20 May (prior to the next Branch meeting in Bathurst on the same day).

17

overview

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NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

overview

Bernard O’Connor NGS Super

Absolutely Super:

Improved NGS benefits Income Protection and Death/ TPD (Total and Permanent Disability) insurance through an industry superannuation fund provide a low cost alternative to retail insurance policies which operate on a 'for-profit' model.

As there are no sales commissions paid to advisers, the Fund’s group life policy can be purchased at wholesale prices for the benefit of the members. As a nation, Australians are underinsured because a large number of people only think about insurance when it is too late, after an illness or accident has occurred.

After negotiations with the NGS insurer, CommInsure, the Fund is pleased to introduce insurance enhancements starting from 1 April.

The following is a brief summary of the major improvements, but a more detailed explanation can be found in MoneyWise which can be downloaded from the NGS Website (www.ngssuper. com.au).

The default Income Protection benefit will now include a 10% superannuation contribution in addition to a 75% salary continuance payment (assuming the member’s salary is fully insured). This will advantage members during any claim period by keeping up the super contributions.

The default waiting period for the payment of IP insurance has been reduced from six months to three months.This is because not all members have adequate paid sick leave to wait for six months until their Income Protection payments begin.

Guaranteed insurability without the need for medical evidence for life events such as marriage, the birth or adoption of a child, a new mortgage for residence, divorce, death of a spouse or a child’s first day at school. For Income Protection this means that the member can automatically increase their cover or reduce the waiting period without medical evidence. For Death/TPD insurance this means that a 'trigger' event enables them to automatically increase their level of cover.

New members are able to request up to two units of additional Death/ Disability cover (above the default cover) and additional IP cover without health evidence if this is done within 120 days of joining the Fund.

A one-off offer during the month of April enables existing members to request up to two extra units of IP NEWSmonth – Vol 31#2 2011

cover to reflect their salary without a full medical declaration. Please note that the standard unit for IP is now $20,000 and the default of four units covers a salary of up to $80,000 per year. Any salary over this amount will not be insured unless the member has taken out additional units. Two additional units of Death/TPD above default cover without health evidence will also be available as part of the offer.

A separate option for TPD Only will now be available.

From 1 April 2011, the weekly cost of default cover will be $3.96. This represents four units of Death/TPD at $2.16 ($.54 per unit) and four units of Income Protection at $1.80 per week ($.45 per unit).

NGS Super members will receive detailed information regarding the insurance improvements and an insurance fact sheet will be available on the website from 1 April, 2011.

Another important insurance option for NGS members to consider is fixed cover which allows a 40 year old, for example, to keep the four units of Death/TPD insurance worth $238,080 without being subject to the age-based reductions over time.

It is also important to note that IP insurance for five years and to age sixty-five are options worth considering. Knowing that a percentage of salary will be paid in the case of a serious illness or accident should provide some peace of mind to those who take up the extended income protection benefits. Within the NGS insurance design, IP benefits may continue even if the member is eligible for a TPD benefit.

Please feel free to contact the Call Centre on 1300 133 177 if you have any insurance related questions, or better yet, organise a school visit with your NGS Relationship Manager.

Bernard O’Connor: NGS Super (Important information:The information in this article is general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before making a financial decision, please assess the appropriateness of the information to your individual circumstances, read the Product Disclosure Statement for any product you may be thinking of acquiring and consider seeking independent advice from a licensed or appropriately authorised financial adviser.)

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

Editor: Dick Shearman (General Secretary) for and on behalf of the

IEU Executive and members.

Journalists: Suzanne Kowalski-Roth, Tara de Boehmler, Sue Osborne and Jim Marr.

Produced by: Wendy Rapee, Tara de Boehmler, Sue Osborne, Jim Marr.

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 GPO Box 116 SYDNEY NSW 2001 The IEU office is located at: 176-182 Day Street, Sydney Telephone: (02) 9779 3200 Toll free: 1800 467 943 Facsimile: (02) 9261 8850 email: ieu@ieu.asn.au On the net: www.ieu.asn.au

NSW/ACT IEU EXECUTIVE Dick Shearman General Secretary

Gloria Taylor Deputy General Secretary

Carol Matthews Assistant Secretary

John Quessy 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 Columbkille's Primary School,Corrimal Carolyn Collins Vice President Support Staff

St Michael's Primary School, Nowra Gabrielle Connell

Advertising inquiries to Kayla Skorupan on 9779 3200. 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.

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 Peter Mullins St Francis Xavier College, Florey Patricia Murnane Emmaus Catholic College, Kemps Creek Kevin Phillips Primary School St Francis Xavier’s College, Hamilton Michael Hagan Mater Maria College, Warriewood

Vice President ECS

Albury Preschool Kindergarten Francis Mahanay Vice President, ACT

Holy Family School, Gowrie, ACT Peter Moore Financial Officer

De La Salle College, Cronulla Marie MacTavish Financial Officer

St Joseph’s Primary School, East Maitland

19

The program A series that is unique and timely. A must-have resource

at a glance

Your students will feel connected. They’ll be informed, challenged and entertained.

for all Australian classrooms.

novelS

family dentity f law land i amily law land identity land identity

family law

family

Focus question How does identifying where we come from help us to know who we are?

Links to Key Learning Areas science Students investigate Torres Strait Island climates and weather patterns. Students should consider the way in which the natural environment impacts on people’s social and cultural lives.

Text type

Themes

Kin Island by Jaiki Pitt and Terri Janke is a narrative text.

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w Importance of family in self-understanding w Links between family and place w Discovering a sense of belonging

Jake, who lives in Sydney, is in trouble at school.

He doesn’t tell his teacher parents that he behaved or badly to cover up his inability to tell the class his totem is—because what he doesn’t know. Jake, whose mother is a Torres Islander person, is not Strait interested in his cultural identity or heritage. when his family visits However, Thursday Island, he learns much about Torres Strait culture and history. He also braves a cyclone to photograph a tree nana. Jake returns home for his and proudly acknowledges his Torres Strait Islander background and tells the class that his totem is the shark.

f

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Language strand Text structure and organisation

Literature strand

Behind the stories DVD

Creating literature

Literacy strand Creating texts Interpreting, analysing, evaluating

58

DVD and CD-ROM

anthologieS

law land identity family law land identity fam amily ily law land identity f

Lesson plans … with background information

se

For teachers ... comprehensive and practical support that will inspire you to have a go.

graphiC novelS

novelS

e,

Hands up if you overeat, smoke, drink too much, don’t exercise, overspend, have too many lustful thoughts, get angry too often, gamble way too much or have some other kind of addiction?

Right – almost everyone then.

This book is a highly amusing look at what challenges the ‘self’ in self-control faces in today’s mad western world of excess.

What happens when temptations multiply ‘like fast-food outlets in suburbia’ in an age when ‘crucial social constraints have eroded’?

This book could well have you nodding your head in agreement and experiencing more than a few ‘ah-ha’ moments. Highly recommended.

family law

anthologieS

Us

Giveaway 1 We Have Met the Enemy: Self-Control in an Age of Excess Author: Daniel Akst Scribe Publications ISBN: 978 1 9216 4088 9 Three copies to giveaway

graphiC novelS

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Give Aways

To enter one of these giveaways put your name, membership number and current address on the back of a stamped envelope addressed to Newsmonth Giveaway 1, 2 or 3 – NSW/ACT IEU, GPO Box 116, Sydney 2001 by Friday 15 April. Please note envelopes received that have not been clearly marked with which giveaway they are entering will be disqualified.

Background Information

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives In Kin Island, Jake risks getting into trouble because he is embarrassed at not being able to answer a question about ‘his culture’. His teacher, knowing that Jake’s mother is a Torres Strait Islander person, simply assumes that he knows the answer.

Her assumption is based on two misguided beliefs: There is a misconception that any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person must know everything about their own culture, including history, song, dance, language and country.

Most Australians do not know everything about Australian culture, and certainly most young people don’t know everything about their own culture.

There is a misconception that there is a homogenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

Most people do not realise that, for example, a Yugambeh person (from South-East Queensland) will not automatically

know all about Yolgnu (North-East Arnhemland) language or culture.

the torres strait isLands: a contemporary reLationship

The Torres Strait Islands is the group of islands between Papua New Guinea and the mainland of Australia. The name ‘Torres’ stems from Luis Vaez de Torres, who sailed through the region in the 1600s.

While today the area is referred to as the Torres Strait and the Torres Strait Islands, it’s important to remember that each island has its own language, name and customs. Modern day Torres Strait Islander communities are not one community, but many. And many modern day Torres Strait Islander families live outside the Torres Strait.

This is illustrated in the novel, in which Jake comes to strongly identify as a Torres Strait Islander boy, despite living in Sydney. Other members of

family Characters Jake stephanie mum dad miss stone nanna JJ bede uncle dana granny betty shane

Forward planning A Year 7 boy in living in Sydney Jake’s big sister Jake and Stephanie’s mum Jake and Stephanie’s dad Jake’s teacher Jake’s grandmother Tour guide Cultural and language expert Jake’s great-grandmother’s sister Jake’s best friend

As a whole class, review the cover of Kin Island. Tell students that Jaiki Pitt, one of the authors, is the boy on the front cover. How many students know what the term ‘kin’ means?

Note that the novel has two co-writers.

Discuss any possible complications.

Turn to the end pages and read the author profiles for background knowledge about the authors.

Many students may have very little knowledge about the Torres Strait Islands.

Conduct a class brainstorming session his family (his mother, to gauge what students his nana) also know about of a large family—he live outside the Torres now knows the Torres Strait Islands.

Strait Islands, he is part of his ‘Kin but still have a knowledge Island’. He also of cultural understands Encourage students to that while he may not find out more practices and beliefs. information using the know everything about internet, atlases, life and symboLs of identity text books, music and language on Thursday visual arts.

Island, he can still be a proud Torres Identity is intangible.

Review the Yarning Strong Strait Islander Symbols of Family boy. His journey to understanding identity—body markings, anthology and decide clothing, how you might the symbols of his identity hairstyles, body posture—give use the variety of content was throughout worth taking. identity a tangible expression. the unit as stimulus for discussion and Sometimes symbols of debate. Useful anthology understanding ‘kin’ identity are material is bound up in places and suggested on the following locations, in page.

‘Kin’ is a term used widely objects and artifacts, in and sometimes Review the content offered discussions about Torres in songs, texts or images. in both the: Strait This is Islander and Aboriginal w Yarning Strong Professional particularly relevant people. It when we think Support is of course an English CD-ROM (Family) and about symbols of national term that identity. has been appropriated It is important to examine and given w Behind the Stories the additional layers by Torres DVD (Family) source of some symbols Strait and consider Islander and decide how you and Aboriginal peoples. how they may impact will use this The on different authors use the term material in your lesson members of society.

‘Kin’ in this planning.

For example, the book’s title to capture a fundamental Australian flag is used increasingly principle of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal identity—that is, the relatedness of family and place.

Identity is derived not just from Jake’s journey back to place—a rock, a mountain Thursday or a river— Island provides him with but from the relationship an between opportunity to explore place, families and communities. aspects of In his ancestral history. this case, the author’s By the end of ‘kin island’ the story he better understands is Thursday Island. For the others, ‘kin culture that he has inherited island’ may be elsewhere. from his mother, and also his place as part as a sign of nationalistic pride, but for some Australians it is a symbol of exclusion and oppression.

59

History Students research Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal peoples’ involvement in the Second World War. Students consider the popular perception of ‘Australians at War’ and research whether Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal servicewomen and servicemen have been included. Research well-known Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal servicewomen and servicemen. Research the Australian Defence Force in the Torres Strait Islands and Cape York Peninsula today. the arts Have students act out the Kin Island play in the Yarning Strong Family anthology. Video the performance and store on the class blog. multimodal opportunities Students can create a blog or wiki, collecting all their resources about the Torres Strait Islands to share with the whole school.

Students can photograph their own works and upload them to the wiki as a way of sharing their knowledge with their peers.

Teaching and Learning Strategies Linked to the Australian English Curriculum

Language strand text structure and organisation Students learn how texts are structured to meet particular purposes; how texts with more specialised topics contain more complex language patterns and features; and how the effective use of these patterns aids readers’, viewers’ and listeners’ understanding. w Have the students use the Kin Island text to explore the generic structure of a narrative text. w Discuss the generic organisational structure—orientation, complication, sequence of events, resolution, coda.

NOTE: coda, or making clear how the character has changed and what has been learned, is an optional element in a narrative text. w With the students working in groups and using Research Sheet 1, ask them to break the story up into the generic organisational structure. w Have each group display their organisational structure on one display board. Conduct a whole class discussion to review and analyse the results. w Compare the narrative generic structure with that of a recount.

Show and discuss an example of a recount text. w Have students choose a chapter from Kin Island and write the chapter in the recount genre.

w Conduct a whole class discussion to evaluate how effectively the same content was delivered via the two literary text types.

assessment ideas w Are students able to identify the organisational structure of a narrative text?

ideas. Encourage them to think laterally.

content and information they have gained from the Kin island text.

w Have students create an art exhibition with each student producing an artwork consisting of flora and/or fauna which is symbolic of their family.

w Students must use facts sheets to plan and format their content and use as cues for their presentation.

w Each artwork should include an interpretive panel. The panel should comprise: the title of the work, the materials used and an artist’s rationale (a description of the work and why it was created). w Use Research Sheet 2 to prompt students’ first draft of their work.

w How effectively can students present the same information in a different literary genre?

w Each student could add their artworks and rationales to the class website.

w Do students understand the generic differences between the organisational structures of narrative and recount texts? Can they apply this knowledge of the two text types in their own writing?

assessment ideas

Literature strand Creating literature Students learn how to use personal knowledge and literary texts as starting points for creating imaginative writing in different forms and genres and for particular audiences.

Jake’s journey to Thursday Island led him to understand more about who he is and where he belongs. He created an artwork for the school art exhibition. Lead a whole class discussion about the concept of creating a visual piece to represent family. They must use only flora or fauna to symbolise their family and their feelings for their family. Have students brainstorm some creative

w Are students able to think laterally and creatively? w Can they think symbolically and create a visual piece without human characters to represent their family? w Are they able to articulate the symbolism of the piece in their written rationale?

LiteraCy strand Creating texts Create with clarity, authority and novelty a range of spoken, written and multimodal texts that entertain, inform and persuade audiences. interpreting, analysing, evaluating Students develop more sophisticated processes for interpreting, analysing, evaluating and critiquing ideas, information and issues from a variety of sources. w Have students plan oral presentations to inform an audience about the Torres Strait Islands.

They should base their topic on the

w Model the process by presenting a speech using fact sheets as cue cards for your presentation. Talk through the processes you went through to prepare, plan and execute the speech. w Brainstorm some ideas the students could follow up as topics to research for their speech. Such things as: w What is a wongai tree? w What was the involvement of Torres Strait Islander communities and people in the Second World War? w How often are there cyclones in the Torres Strait Islands and Cape York Peninsula? When is cyclone season? w How many islands are there in the Torres Strait? What are the names of the islands? How many people live there? w What is pearl diving? w Have students create fact sheets that include an introduction, three key facts, and a concluding statement. Encourage students to use technology and/or props to support their presentation.

Pedagogical Approach w Literature circles Literature circles provide opportunities for students to engage in critical thinking and reflection. Collaboration is at the heart of this pedagogical approach. Students add to their understanding as they construct meaning with their classmates.

Encourage students to discuss the characters and events in the novel, the author’s technique, and their own personal experiences.

Links to DVD Use the DVD content as a catalyst for discussion about Elders, totems and the strengths of extended family.

Links to CD-ROM Review the Torres Strait Island map. Review the complexities of the ‘kinship structure’.

Links Anthologies w Family anthology: p. 10 What’s it all about: Family; p. 21 Aboriginal Kinship structure; p. 26 Jabanbi; p. 33 Kin Island play.

w Select five students to present to the class.

w Identity anthology: p8 Torres Strait Islander flag.

assessment ideas

w Land anthology: p. 13 Torres Strait Island map.

w Do students understand the features of a fact sheet text type? w Can students search for, organise and collate information on a set topic?

w Law anthology: p. 22 The Coloured Digger; p23 Indigenous Diggers.

w Can students use their fact sheets to prepare and present an oral presentation to the class?

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… and links to the Australian English Curriculum

+ Research sheets

37 mm

8

Giveaway 2 International Student Security Authors: Simon Marginson; Christopher Nyland; Erlenawati Sawir; Helen Forbes-Mewett Cambridge University Press ISBN: 978 0 521 13805 5 Two copies to giveaway The publishers have organised for a 20% discount for IEU members 1. Go to www.cambridge.edu.au 2. Search for the book and add to your basket 3. Enter discount code STUDENT at the check out This book is a must read for anybody involved in ELICOS and the provision of education at any level to overseas students. It breaks new ground in its examination of the lives of international students while they study in Australia. While the education industry has become a major income source for Australia the book argues the ‘no frills’ commercial provision of tertiary education ‘leaves many students feeling under-protected and disenfranchised’. Subjects covered include personal safety, language proficiency, finances, abuses at work, sub-standard housing and issues of loneliness, racism and segregation.

116 mm PRINT ON WHITE BASE

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Giveaway 3 Yarning Strong Series Authors: Various Oxford University Press Contact: diane.harris@oup.com Two complete series to giveaway Billed as a confronting Primary school literacy series this is sure to fill the gaping hole in upper primary children’s literature that looks at issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.

The series was developed with a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consultative Committee and all novels were written by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander authors. The series is broken into Law, Family, Identity and Land modules. Each module contains: 1 x anthology, 3 x 64-page fiction novels, 1 x 48-page graphic novel and the series comes with a teacher support manual, CD Rom and a Behind the Stories DVD. It has been trialled extensively in schools and has links to the Australian Curriculum.

NGS Super Scholarship Awards 2011 Up to six $5,000 scholarships will be provided to NGS Super members working in teaching, school management or ancillary staff positions.

Non Government Schools Superannuation Fund ABN 73 549 180 515

For more information and to download an application form, please visit our website www.ngssuper.com/scholarship-awards