From the President

The minister has committed in the original plan to alternative learning settings and there is a need for more of those. We are also keen to see and discuss with the DoE a review of the current exclusion process to see how schools can be better supported.

Behaviour management B

This is a commitment to develop a framework to support schools to meet the needs of students with disabilities who are demonstrating complex behaviour, and which places students, teachers or others at risk. We anticipate a draft framework for discussion from the DoE by the end of this term.

Quarterly education support meetings

These will continue and will involve the union, relevant delegates, the Executive Director, Statewide Services, and other relevant DoE officers. This is the mechanism for developing the framework mentioned above.

Curriculum support and resources

This item involves the development of a K-10 curriculum, planning and moderation support materials. This will provide a syllabus document that is designed to cover 32 weeks of learning, recognising that there are interruptions in a term that may prevent 40 weeks of lessons being delivered. This new curriculum will be developed by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority of WA and ensure that all of the requirements of the Australian Curriculum and the Early Years Learning Framework are met.

The goal is to have the documents complete by the end of Semester 1, 2021. Curriculum documents will be made available as they are ready. There will be ongoing professional learning throughout the 2021 school year.

Review of Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Policy

Continued consultation with the DoE on the policy is necessary. A meeting is planned between parties in Term 4, with most of the review work taking place in early 2021.

Institute of Professional Learning (IPL)

The DoE, through the IPL, will continue to support teachers, school leaders, school administrators, school psychologists and other employees covered under the Agreement to access professional learning. The IPL will be focused on curriculum and pedagogy; provide assistance to schools identified as needing support; be the academic home for collegiate principals and support beginning teachers.

This is a significant gain which will provide professional learning and support to all DoE employees covered by the General Agreement. The SSTUWA is continuing to have regular meetings with the DoE to discuss how this major realignment of professional learning delivery will occur.

VET industry release time

This pertains to consultation with the union regarding the specification of industry release time in the schools resourcing agreement, with a commitment to monitor and gather data in 2020 on the expenditure of all schools in relation to industry release time, and providing a breakdown of that data at the end of the 2020 school year. There will be a survey in Term 4 for secondary schools.

Management protocols and OSH issues

The DoE has committed to maintain its meetings with the SSTUWA on a quarterly basis to discuss which policies are scheduled to review and for the union to state which of these it wishes to be involved in the review process with. OSH issues will continue to be examined and addressed with union involvement, and a register of OSH representatives will be provided to the SSTUWA every six months.

There is a lot for SSTUWA members to look forward to – the revamp of the IPL signals a greater responsibility by the Department to ensure the provision of professional learning, while the new curriculum documents will be a fantastic ground-level resource for teachers.

Primary school members can also look forward to the increases in Duties Other Than Teaching (DOTT) time in 2021 and the union will be available to help teachers and school leaders implement this, with our organisers and school leader consultants happy to work with schools that encounter issues such as timetabling.

Implementing some of these gains will take time and we appreciate the hard work and patience of members as we work through these issues with the Department and other stakeholders. We will keep you informed as developments occur, so please continue to meet with your union representatives and organisers, as well as staying up to date through the SSTUWA’s communication channels.