Volume 51.3 April 2022
The State School Teachers’ Union of W.A. (Inc.)
No more neglect. No more cuts. Public education needs a new government. - AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe
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In this edition
Volume 51.3 April 2022
In this edition Correspondence:
The Editor, PO Box 212 West Perth WA 6872 editor@sstuwa.org.au | Ph: 9210 6000
Features
2022 Western Teacher deadlines
General Agreement....................................8 Tackling excessive workloads...................11 New school funding figures pressure Labor to step up for public schools..........12 Fund public schools in line with Gonski...............................................14 Morrison’s budget fails public education..................................................15 Dud teachers or a dud minister?..............16 Why is the acting minister trying to damage education?...................................18 Public schools matching private in academic performance.............................20
Edition January
Deadline 29 November
February
31 January
April
8 March
May
26 April
Print post publication 100004470 | $4.95 ABN: 544 780 946 35
June
30 May
Authorised by Mary Franklyn, General Secretary, The State School Teachers’ Union of W.A. (Inc.) 1 West Street, West Perth WA. Printed by Vanguard Press, 26 John Street, Northbridge WA. April 2022.
August
18 July
September
22 August
October
3 October
Cover: Prime Minister Scott Morrison has done little for public education and its workers. It’s time for this current federal government to go. Read more in this issue, starting from page 4.
November
31 October
To access the digital copy of Western Teacher, visit: sstuwa.org.au/westernteacher
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Member Assist:
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Connect with us: @sstuwa
Dates are subject to change
Regulars
From the President.....................................4 From the Senior Vice President..................7 From the Vice President...........................10 Education and Training.............................32 Member Benefits......................................34 Classifieds.................................................36 Noticeboard...............................................38
Western Teacher is the official publication of The State School Teachers’ Union of W.A. (Inc.)
GET INVOLVED THIS P&C DAY 20th May 2022
#PANDCDAYWA
The WA Council of State School Organisations (WACSSO) encourages Teachers and school staff to get on board and celebrate this year’s P&C Day WA! P&C Day celebrations will be taking place on Friday the 20th of May. This also happens to be during National Volunteers Week, giving all the more reason to celebrate P&Cs as our special school community volunteers. Due to current Covid-19 restrictions, we expect P&C Day to look a little different this year. Luckily, there are still plenty of ways to Let’scelebrate celebrate and the give thanks to P&Cs.
one day dedicated to recognising what our P&C does everyday
A few simple ways Teachers and schools can get involved include: • Creating a class ‘P&C Thank You’ card. • Helping make a student P&C appreciation video for social media. • Having a P&C Day assembly item. • Encouraging the school community to celebrate the day on social media. WACSSO with the Department of Education has created a variety of P&C Day promotional materials to help facilitate celebrations. To access these, scan the QR code, or visit the WACSSO website.
Western Teacher April 2022
3
From the President
The man who should not be PM By Pat Byrne President
Normally we don’t make specific recommendations about voting to our members. The State School Teachers’ Union of Western Australia is a diverse organisation. Our members are intelligent and make their own decisions. However, for the federal election to be held on 21 May we are making an exception to say loudly and clearly that Scott Morrison does not deserve your vote. He is, to coin a recent turn of phrase, a dud. This is a man who, as Treasurer, abetted the gutting of the original Gonski recommendations designed to bring a fairer funding system into play; this is a man who, as Prime Minister, stayed silent as his former Education Minister declared himself “pleased that the school funding wars were over”. That particular lie was exposed, with the losers and winners being starkly delineated in the March budget when funding for public schools was slashed
C PUBLIO S L O SCH A R E THATPERLY PRO IRLY & FADED? FUN 4
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by $559 million over the next three years, while funding for private schools was increased by $2.6 billion over the forward estimates!
addressing an audience comprising private school representatives, who of course would never tolerate duds in their schools.
Minister Tudge was not in cabinet by the time that budget was delivered. He was on the back bench having apparently “stood aside” from his ministerial duties (but still being paid his ministerial salary) and had been replaced before Budget Day by the man who declared public school teachers to be duds.
Scott Morrison’s war on public school funding, along with the wanton destruction of TAFE across much of Australia and the blatant attacks on the public university sector, has been shameless.
This man was deemed suitable to be acting Minister for Education after repaying $39,975 that he had inadvertently claimed from taxpayers for internet usage not related to his actual job, which came five years after inadvertently accepting $50,000 Rolex watches from a businessman and three years after resigning from the Turnbull ministry for an inadvertent breach of the ministerial code of conduct. There was nothing inadvertent, however, about Stuart Robert declaring public school teachers to be duds. He was
That's not my job. Scott
We saw private schools and private universities getting JobKeeper payments while their public equivalents got nothing. Private schools got $750 million in JobKeeper payments alone and still increased their fees! Universities lost significant revenue from international student enrolments but received nothing from the government – to the point of 40,000 university jobs being lost across Australia. This was the Morrison Government flaunting its loathing for public education. While the ALP has a far better policy on school funding, there remains cause for concern; Anthony Albanese’s silence to date on the $559 million cut to public school funding in the federal budget gives us no comfort.
ian People The Austral
#MorrisonMustGo
Even with the commitment to fund 100 percent of the Schooling Resource Standard, questions of timing and of the state/federal government share of that 100 per cent are crucial and AEU members need to see the detail about this.
From the President
Failure by the ALP to do this risks it being seen as taking AEU members for granted. Now, not everyone allocates their vote on the basis of the work they do. There are many broader issues to consider. So let’s consider Scott Morrison’s performance in other areas. When eastern Australia was on fire he was in Hawaii. He is accused by former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian of putting politics above lives during the NSW bushfires. When Queensland and New South Wales were inundated by floods he was in Canberra and WA. Then he announced financial aid to Coalition seats but not to some Labor seats, to NSW electorates but not to Queensland electorates. When COVID-19 came he went to the footy. He was dragged kicking and screaming by state premiers of all political colours to take proper action. He failed to address the concerns of teachers across Australia; refused to countenance the idea that schools should close, despite the risks posed for teaching staff. Only a letter from the AEU and IEU, backed by strong public support, persuaded him to meet with the unions representing teaching and allied staff. Even then, he lost interest within days – he did not follow up with commitments made.
As vaccines became available, he failed to secure supplies, declaring that vaccination was not a race.
Fierravanti-Wells, Jacquie Lambie, Julia Banks, Linda Reynolds, Gladys Berejiklian and Pauline Hanson.
He repeatedly attacked states such as WA which took a more stringent approach to COVID-19 management.
Other major failings have been
The Morrison Government’s performance around women’s issues has been appalling. Despite several opportunities arising for him to show leadership on these issues, he has demonstrated a complete lack of understanding. He genuinely doesn’t get it, which shows, every time he has to ask Jen. Indeed, asking his wife makes clear that he is unable to conceptualise these issues other than by how they affect the women in his family. His record is one of inaction:
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The lack of progress on supporting an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
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Zero funding in the budget for action on climate change. The man who waved a piece of coal around in parliament continues to delay and to obfuscate instead of confronting an existential threat to Australia and the planet.
Now in modern politics it is easy to say one side is as bad as another, or that the main parties are all alike.
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A long-delayed, never released, inquiry into an alleged rape, metres away from the PM’s office.
However, Scott Morrison has crossed too many lines for us to sit on the fence. Whoever you vote for, it should not facilitate his return to the Prime Ministership.
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A failure to address a march for justice outside Parliament House (instead reminding those women that, “not far from here such marches, even now are being met with bullets”).
It is no coincidence that many of his most trenchant recent critics are from his own side – they see him behind the scenes, they understand how he manages disagreements.
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A complete failure to address gender pay gaps.
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A failure to implement the most significant recommendations from Kate Jenkins’ report on workplace sexual harassment.
I will leave you with the words of Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, someone who knows Morrison all too well:
Many of those speaking out about Morrison being a bully seem to have something in common: Concetta
“By now you might be getting the picture that Morrison is not interested in rulesbased order. It is his way or the highway – an autocrat and a bully who has no moral compass.” “Morrison is not fit to be Prime Minister.” Western Teacher April 2022
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National education and union news
TAFE sector must be supported post-election
From the Senior Vice President
By Matt Jarman Senior Vice President
New data from the Australian Education Union has highlighted the Morrison Government’s failure to take responsibility for TAFE. It shows continued and entrenched underfunding, excessive workloads for staff and greater uncertainty for students. The data, drawn from the AEU’s most recent State of Our TAFE survey, shows the devastating impact of a decade of cuts to TAFE funding. Key findings from the survey show: •
Seventy-five per cent of TAFE teachers are experiencing increased workloads.
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Sixty-five per cent of TAFE teachers say their workload is unmanageable more than half of the time.
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Eighty-three per cent of TAFE teachers report that their institution had closed courses in the past three years, with lack of funding as the most commonly cited reason.
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Seventy per cent of TAFE teachers report decreases in their department’s budget in the past two years.
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Almost half of all TAFE teachers report increased class sizes in the past two years.
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Sixty-four per cent of TAFE teachers say that they had had hours “shaved” from the courses they teach with no reduction in course content.
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Eighty per cent of TAFE teachers report that they do not believe students studying today are receiving the same quality of education as they did two years go.
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Fifty-seven per cent have felt pressure from management to pass students that might not be competent.
The findings are alarming and mirror what our members here in WA are telling us, despite the TAFE sector in WA receiving more support at the state government level compared to the federal level. They are damning and shocking and show Australia’s TAFE sector under enormous strain from a decade of funding cuts perpetrated by the Morrison Government. We have TAFE teachers working excessive workloads under increasingly difficult conditions, grappling with larger class sizes and being expected to deliver content within slashed teaching hours. The data also shows how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the detrimental impact of the underinvestment in TAFE, with TAFE teachers reporting they are working up to the equivalent of a whole day unpaid each week and with little to no support from their institutions. Once again education is being resourced on the goodwill of teachers and lecturers. It is TAFE students who are impacted ultimately as their courses are cut and campuses closed at a time when the demand for vocational education is at an all-time high due to the critical skills shortages in many industries. The State of Our TAFE survey findings are based on responses from 1,563 AEU TAFE division members, and with responses received from every TAFE institution in Australia. TAFE plays an incredibly important role in our nation. Not only does TAFE help prepare students for future employment, ensure businesses have access to a highly trained workforce and help industries address skills gaps, the sector also contributes an estimated $92.5 billion to our economy every year.
Years of funding cuts by the federal coalition governments, privatisation and contestable funding settings have failed TAFE and that is having a detrimental impact on staff and students across the nation. TAFE is a high quality public provider of vocational education and it must be supported by government to do what it does best, teach the nation’s students and prepare them for work and life. The next federal government must guarantee a minimum of 70 per cent of total government funding for the public TAFE system. We need to elect a federal government that will support the TAFE system so it can be rebuilt. By restoring investment and rebuilding the system, we can ensure TAFE teachers are properly supported to deliver high quality courses to students with stateof-the-art equipment and fit for purpose facilities. That is what is possible if TAFE is recognised in its rightful place as the anchor institution for vocational education in Australia. Western Teacher April 2022
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Industrial
Agreement in Principle (schools) An Agreement in Principle has been reached following 2021 EBA negotiations Dear Member, An Agreement in Principle (AIP) to replace the current 2019 General Agreement (GA) was endorsed by Executive on 14 April 2022. Your Executive is of the view that this proposed agreement is the best outcome which can be negotiated at this time.
second year of the agreement those rises are an additional $78 p/f to $188 p/f respectively.
It is now time for all members who will be covered by this proposed agreement to vote whether to approve the terms and conditions set out in the proposed School Education Act Employees’ (Teachers and Administrators) General Agreement 2021 as well as the proposed changes to the Teachers (Public Sector Primary and Secondary Education) Award 1993.
A number of initiatives have been secured to reduce compliance requirements, including stronger direction on using SCSA curriculum support materials, a widening of the definition of TOIL available for teachers and a commitment to developing a template for school Annual reports in time for the 2023 school year.
It is important that all members register a vote. The outcome of a yes vote will result in this Agreement in Principle being registered jointly as your conditions of work and salary until December 2023. We were successful in giving the salary cap the boot at the end of 2021. The Public Sector Alliance’s initial claim was for a four per cent salary increase. The government has offered 2.75 per cent backdated to December 2021 and 2.75 per cent in December 2022, which amounts to 5.5 per cent across the life of the agreement. The state wages policy will again be reviewed ahead of our next agreement. Acceptance of this offer would see Western Australian teachers again being the highest paid in the country from December 2022. The state government offer of 2.75 per cent for each of the two years of the agreement delivers fortnightly increases ranging from $76 per fortnight (salary grade 2.1) to $183 per fortnight (salary grade 6.4) in the first year (backdated to 6 December 2021). In the
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The 2.75 per cent increase is accompanied by a series of government concessions in response to our Log of Claims.
Compliance requirements around using the negotiated performance management template and increased flexibility for school development days are also contained in the proposed agreement. Regional and remote teachers will benefit significantly under the proposed agreement. The SSTUWA has secured significant additional funding for District High Schools to broaden secondary provision, additional student vacation and travel concessions and a month-long extension of the air conditioning subsidy. The department has also committed to making the transfer pool accesible to ALL teachers, as well as strategies to allow greater movement between metro and regional schools. Consideration will also be given to enabling movement of adminstrators at level. For leaders the notional time allocation of 0.3 FTE for Level 3 deputy principals will now be specified in the General Agreement, compensatory leave for principals in recognition of work outside normal hours
Industrial
to manage catastrophic emergencies and events will be provided for in the Agreement, travel and accommodation costs for regionally-based principals attending professional development will also be provided for in the Agreement.
Workload wins
in the Agreement in Principle (schools)
These and other core benefits from the agreement are covered in a series of fact sheets available at sstuwa.org.au/GA2021
Compliance reduction Range of compliance reduction measures to enable focus on curriculum and instructional leadership.
If the Agreement-in-Principle is endorsed, salary increases will be backdated to 6 December 2021. A no vote will mean either further negotiations, or an arbitration process in the Western Australian Industrial Relations Commission (WAIRC). Either of these options could mean the withdrawal of all other negotiated outcomes.
Curriculum support Full day mandated, to come from existing school development days.
Information packs will be available online from 2 May. A series of meetings will be held over the following weeks before a ballot is conducted in early June. A small number of hard copies will be sent to all schools.
Personal leave Improved personal leave clause.
Further information to assist you to make an informed decision can be found at sstuwa.org.au/GA2021
TOIL Extra TOIL for teachers doing non-teaching related assessments.
Members are welcome, through their union representative, to contact their District Organiser or Member Assist for clarification of any part of the proposed Agreement. School and regional meetings outlining the AIP will also be held.
Graduate teacher relief Graduate teachers must agree to internal relief.
Voting will need to be completed by 4pm Friday 17 June 2022. My thanks go to Executive and the negotiating team who have managed to draw the bargaining process to as successful a conclusion as was possible despite the incredible pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Above all, thank you to all members who have followed the Executive Directives, taken part in the Give the Cap the Boot campaign and who have shared their workload concerns through social media. It has been hugely important in securing this offer. If you have any questions about the content of the documents you are voting on, check with your union representative first, then check the website information and, if necessary, contact Member Assist on 9210 6060.
Yours sincerely,
Principals Compensatory leave for principals working outside hours to manage catastrophic emergencies and events.
Data Data analyst positions to be developed.
Performance management Mandatory adherence to negotiated performance management template.
District High Schools Additional funding for District High School staffing.
Pat Byrne President, SSTUWA
What’s in the agreement for you? Visit sstuwa.org.au/GA2021 to view the full range of information sheets, voting materials and more. Western Teacher
April 2022
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From the Vice President
Responding to the climate crisis By Sharmila Nagar Vice President
Research shows more than three quarters of Australians are worried about climate change. Recent bushfires and widespread floods in the eastern states have highlighted the urgent need for action, which is backed up by a new United Nations report on climate change. The latest report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) takes a disturbing look at the most up to date science on climate change. Written by leading climate scientists, the latest IPCC report emphasises the ongoing damage that climate change is already causing and how it will worsen if not acted upon.
Online panel discussion on IPCC report An online panel discussion was held recently by Australia’s Climate Council organisation to present and discuss this report, particularly chapter 11, which covers Australasia and the current climate crisis in the Torres Strait Islands. The findings from chapter 11 of the report include:
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The impact on some natural systems experiencing irreversible change in Australia. For example, the Bramble Cay melomys (pictured below) is the first mammalian extinction due to human induced climate change.
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An increase in the frequency and/or severity and/or duration of extreme weather events.
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Changing flood risk – pluvial (flash flooding from high rainfall) and fluvial (river).
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Escalating impacts and risk of wildfire and other extremes – frequency and severity of dangerous fire weather conditions will continue to increase.
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Loss and degradation of coral reefs, kelp forests in South Australia and alpine biodiversity.
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Increase in heat-related mortality.
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Disruption and the decline in agriculture production (southern and eastern Australia).
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Failure of institutions and governance systems to manage climate risks.
Impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people Torres Strait Islanders are on the front line of the climate crisis and urgent action is needed so that they can remain on their islands. Our Islands Our Home is a campaign led by Torres Strait Islanders to protect their island homes. Eight claimants from Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait Islands), also known as the #TorresStrait8, have brought a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee over the federal government’s inaction on climate change. The claimants want the federal government to: 1. Fund adaptation programs that will allow Zenadth Kes communities to adapt to climate impacts. 2. Commit to 100 per cent renewables in Australia in the next 10 years. 3. Support Zenadth Kes communities to build community-owned renewable energy. 4. Transition away from fossil fuels as rapidly as possible through a just transition for workers. 5. Push the world to increase global ambition and keep warming to less than 1.5 degrees. We encourage SSTUWA members to share your views about how the union should support these claimants and address climate change in general.
The SSTUWA response Your union is already gearing up for further action in relation to education and climate change. A list of 15 recommendations from the SSTUWA’s 10
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Professional
response to the Education and Health Standing Committee – Inquiry into the response of WA schools to climate change was endorsed at December 2021’s Executive meeting. These include: •
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•
•
•
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SSTUWA support of the framework outlined by Education International and a call for the Australian government to deliver on our commitments to climate change education and education for sustainable development in the Paris Agreement (article 12) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (targets 4.7, 12.8 and 13.3). The establishment of a joint consultative committee with SSTUWA representation to develop and progress climate change education and action and sustainable practices for infrastructure and maintenance of public school and TAFE sites. That the diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) understandings about sustainability and caring for country be actively sought and used to guide the design and implementation of local, regional and national climate policies and initiatives. That genuine and on-going consultation is held with ATSI communities to ensure that their knowledge and understanding of climate, climate change and sustainability is incorporated into curriculum resources and teacher education. That the Department of Education assist and support all schools and require them to include sustainability in their operational plans as an area of priority. This should involve the setting of targets to reduce our ecological footprint through consumption of resources, the recovery and reuse of existing resources and by encouraging more sustainable consumption and waste management. Staff and students in WA public schools and TAFEs being provided with opportunities to engage in meaningful climate change education and sustainability activities to assist in managing eco anxiety.
The SSTUWA has established a working team that is looking at implementing these recommendations and will continue to provide updates to members.
Tackling excessive workloads ddd
By Cyndi Tebbel
Excessive workloads are more common than not these days, stretching out the nine to five and even encroaching on our home lives due to family demands. The pandemic hasn’t helped, but we all need to find a way to take back our time, says Joy Coates, a music teacher at Beaconsfield Primary School in northern Tasmania. “Too often we conspire against ourselves by not being able to say ‘No, I will not do this extra work or attend this function’,” she says. Coates says this is common in many professions, and tends to occur among people who see themselves as peacemakers and don’t like confrontation or conflict, or where empathy is a prerequisite for being good at the job. One skill worth perfecting is the ability to set boundaries at work, which can give teachers room to reflect and reset so they’re more positive about their ability to achieve professional and personal development, says Coates. It’s a common problem among teachers, especially women, and she’s seen it often during her 25 years as a teacher in primary and secondary schools and as a union delegate. Coates was able to put more meat on the bones of her anecdotal thesis when, in 2018, she was awarded the AEU’s Rosemary Richards Scholarship, a $10,000 grant for women aimed at increasing skills and experience in the union’s work.
Give yourself time to think Coates examined the inclination for women to acquiesce more often than men. “Women are primed to be agreeable and to keep accepting more and more requests,” says Coates, who believes the trait is partly to blame for high levels of stress in a profession known for high rates of attrition and workers compensation stress claims. She has some practical tips for teachers ready to put limits on extra-curricular activities.
First, delay your response. “We often get flustered when someone asks us to do something, so we say yes without thinking,” says Coates. “Instead, practice a phrase like ‘Let me think about that and get back to you’.” Another approach is to think how you might advise a friend under pressure to take on, for example, staying late to help organise a fete. “We’re often wiser in our advice to friends than to ourselves,” Coates says. When you do decide to say no, Coates recommends replacing “I can’t …” with the more assertive “I don’t …”. “For example: I don’t check my emails when I’m not at work, I don’t do school stuff on the weekend because that’s my family time, or I don’t have any extra time now,” she says.
Say yes to self-care Assertiveness also applies to knowing when to ask for help. “Don’t wait until you’re at breaking point,” says Coates. “If you’re stressed out and overburdened, you can’t be the teacher your students need. Because of the complex needs of so many of our students, self-care is crucial to ensuring you’re at your best in the classroom.” Additional funding would, of course, ease the burden for many public school teachers. “Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions,” says Coates. “It’s not a selfish thing when we fight for better conditions. We want the best for our students.” This article was originally published in the Australian Educator, Summer 2021. It is reproduced here with permission. For more information on applying for the 2022 Rosemary Richards Scholarship turn to page 25. Western Teacher April 2022
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Issues
New school funding figures pressure Labor to step up for public schools By Trevor Cobbold Convenor, Save our Schools
New school funding figures show that government funding for private schools increased by nearly five times that for public schools over the last 10 years. They put pressure on Labor in the lead-up to the federal election to end the chronic under-funding of public schools. Public schools face a funding crisis because they will continue to be massively under-funded over the rest of the decade under existing arrangements. The new figures published in the 2022 Report on Government Services show that government (Commonwealth and state) funding of private schools, adjusted for inflation, increased by $3,338 per student between 2009-10 and 2019-20 compared to $703 per student for public schools (See Chart 1). The contrast is even worse in percentage terms. Funding per private school student increased by 34 per cent compared to only five per cent for public schools, that is, nearly seven times the increase for public schools. The funding policies of both the Commonwealth and state governments have favoured private schools over public schools. Commonwealth funding for private schools increased by $3,001 per student compared to $1,181 for public schools. State governments cut funding for public schools by $478 per student while increasing funding for private schools by $337 per student. The new figures put pressure on Labor to deliver a better funding deal for public schools. Labor’s recent school funding policy announcement is only a drip in the bucket of what is needed to fully fund public schools. 12
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Source: Report on Government Services 2022. The figures have been adjusted to exclude book entry items (user cost of capital, depreciation) and other items (payroll tax, school transport) which are included in the report’s data for state/territory government recurrent funding of public schools but are not included in the figures for private schools.
Labor pledged $440 million to schools for better ventilation, building upgrades and mental health support, to provide a COVID-safe learning environment. The funding will go to all schools – public and private. The program includes $240 million for upgrades to improve ventilation and air quality by buying air purifiers, upgrading heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and other facilities. Another $200 million will be used for more school counsellors and psychologists and extra funding for camps, excursions, as well as sporting and social activities that improve student well-being.
It would be catastrophic if this were Labor’s sole commitment on school funding in its federal election platform. As a result of the funding changes over the past decade and more, public schools have far fewer human and material resources than Catholic and independent schools despite having to cater for the vast majority of disadvantaged students. Moreover, these inequalities in funding will worsen over the rest of the decade under the current arrangements. (Editor’s note: As reported in February Western Teacher, ALP leader Anthony Albanese has stated that “Labor remains committed, working with state and territory
Issues The cumulative under-funding of public schools over 2019-2020 will amount to about $74 billion. This is an average of $6.7 billion per year over the 11 years. Under-funding of public schools in NSW, Victoria and Queensland will be nearly $60 million (See Chart 3). In contrast to this massive under-funding of public schools, private schools will be over-funded by about $5 billion. The disparities in income levels between public and private schools translates into large differences in the availability of human and material resources.
Source: Senate estimates. These figures include projected funding under the new Direct Measure of Income approach to assessing the financial need of private schools and the Choice and Accountability Fund. They do not include other special funding for private schools.
governments, to getting every school to 100 per cent of its fair funding level”.) Public schools face a funding crisis over the rest of the decade. Public schools in all states except the ACT will be funded at 91 per cent or less of their Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) until at least 2029 (See Chart 2). The average funding share of their socioeconomic status (SES) will be only 90.4 per cent by 2029. In contrast, private
schools in all states except the Northern Territory will be funded at 100 per cent or more of their SRS by 2022 and through to 2029. Their average funding share will be 101 per cent in 2029. These differences in government funding shares of the SRS have huge implications in terms of the funding available to public and private schools. Public schools will be massively under-funded for the rest of the decade while private schools will be over-funded.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development data reveals a shocking misallocation of teaching and physical resources between public and private schools in Australia. Much higher proportions of students in public schools have their learning hindered by inadequate resources. Nearly one-quarter of public secondary school students have their learning hindered by a shortage of teachers and one-fifth by inadequately qualified teachers, generally reflected in the high proportion of teachers having to teach out-of-field. There are vast differences in the quality of school infrastructure. Public schools do the heavy lifting in our education system. They enrol 80 per cent or more of disadvantaged students – low SES (80 per cent), Indigenous (84 per cent), extensive disability (86 per cent) and remote area students (82 per cent). Also, over 90 per cent of the most disadvantaged schools are public schools. International and national test results show huge inequities in school outcomes. Disadvantaged students are two to four years behind high SES students. There also large disparities in Year 12 outcomes. Unless there is a dramatic change in school funding policies, the vast inequity in school outcomes will continue for the rest of the decade. Labor must step up for public schools in this election campaign.
Source: Save Our Schools estimates
(Continued on page 14.) Western Teacher April 2022
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Issues (Continued from page 13.) Labor’s Shadow Minister for Education, Tanya Plibersek, has said that “the inequity at the heart of our funding system absolutely has to change” (Geelong Advertiser, 11 December 2021). She said that every public school student should get 100 per cent of their SRS. This should be the central feature of Labor’s school funding election platform. There can be no reneging on this or it will be seen as a betrayal of public schools by Labor. The Greens also say they will ensure that public schools are fully funded to 100 per cent of their SRS. Unlike Labor, they have announced what this means in dollar terms. They will increase funding for public schools by $32 billion over 10 years and will increase the Commonwealth contribution to the SRS to 25 per cent to ensure that all public schools are funded at 100 per cent of their SRS. The Greens have also announced they will revise the Commonwealth-state school funding agreements to remove the special allowances that defraud public schools of billions in funding. They will also abolish the Morrison Government’s $1.2 billion Choice and Affordability slush fund for private schools and end the special deals that are keeping private schools overfunded for most of this decade. Labor must stand “shoulder to shoulder with public schools” to ensure they are fully funded. It must commit to a large boost in Commonwealth funding for public schools and to re-negotiate the Commonwealth-state funding agreements to ensure public schools are funded at 100 per cent of their SRS. It has to come up a better plan for public schools than its recent announcement if it is to regain the confidence of public school teachers, parents and community members who see a strong public school system as fundamental to improving equity in education. This article was first published on the Save our Schools website and is reproduced here with permission. The opinions expressed in this article are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of the SSTUWA or AEU. 14
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Fund public schools in line with Gonski The Australian Education Union (AEU) is calling on the next federal government to deliver urgent funding for public schools in line with the recommendations of the Gonski review delivered a decade ago. The book Waiting for Gonski: How Australia failed its schools, written by Tom Greenwell and Chris Bonnor, highlights the federal government’s failure to implement the recommendations of the Gonski report and the detrimental impact that has had on Australia’s public schools. AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said the clear recommendations of the report have been ignored by successive coalition governments and educational inequalities in Australia have continued to escalate as a result. “The Morrison Government has failed the public schools of Australia by repeatedly shirking their responsibility to properly and adequately fund public education,” she said. “By arbitrarily imposing a funding cap on Commonwealth contributions to public schools, the Morrison Government is ignoring the additional needs of students from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds. “The 2022 Report on Government Services revealed that the Morrison Government currently provides only 16 per cent of public school funding, at least $2 billion per year below their already sub-standard 20 per cent cap. “In sharp contrast, per student government funding for private schools
has grown at 2.5 times the rate of public schools in the last decade. “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequities in education at an accelerated pace. Without substantial investment in public school funding, buildings and equipment, public students will be left behind by the Morrison Government. “Increased investment in public school funding will provide long term educational and economic gains that the broader Australian community will benefit from for generations. “The upcoming federal election is an opportunity to elect a federal government that fairly and adequately funds public schools and prioritises quality education for all Australian children, no matter their background or circumstances. “It is an opportunity to restore the vision for fair funding for every school and every child laid out in the Gonski review.”
Morrison’s budget fails public education
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The Morrison Government has once again failed public school, preschool and TAFE staff, students and parents across the nation with this year’s federal budget. “The 2022-23 federal budget has put public education last,” Australian Education Union Federal President Correna Haythorpe said. “This budget is incredibly disappointing, but not surprising given the blatant preference for private schools and private VET providers that the Morrison Government continues to show at the expense of public schools and TAFEs.” The federal budget, delivered by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, contains the following: •
Funding for public schools has been reduced by $559 million over the next three years.
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Funding for private schools has increased by $2.6 billion over the forward estimates.
• •
No funding has been allocated for capital works in public schools. No additional funding has been allocated for preschools.
The cuts to public schools’ funding from this year’s budget are $139 million in 2022-23, $193.9 million in 2023-24 and $226.9 million in 2024-25. “Mr Morrison’s blatant favouritism for the private school sector comes at a great cost for public schools and their students, staff and parents,” Ms Haythorpe said. “Treasurer Josh Frydenberg boasts about delivering ‘record funding’ for schools but does not make the distinction that they are delivering record funding for private schools at the expense of public schools every year. “It is public schools that are witnessing booming enrolment growth and have the
greatest need for capital spending on new buildings and state of the art facilities. It is public schools that need additional funding for more teachers, support staff, smaller class sizes and learning programs for students. “It is public schools that provide a highquality education for every child regardless of their background or circumstances. Yet Mr Morrison has shamelessly shirked his responsibility to ensure that public schools have the resources they need to cater for their students. “Year after year, Prime Minister Morrison has failed to deliver the funding needed for public schools for additional teachers, support staff, small class sizes and learning programs for students.”
Budget fails TAFE and Early Childhood Education Ms Haythorpe said that despite Australia’s national skills pipeline being in complete disarray after a decade of funding cuts to VET, the Morrison Government did not see the nation’s worsening skills crisis as a priority and the federal budget failed to mention TAFE at all. “Instead, the newly announced ‘Australian Apprentices Incentives Program’ will do absolutely nothing to address the structural challenges with the national skills pipeline and certainly does not prioritise TAFE,” she said.
“Since 2013, TAFE has suffered $8 billion in cumulative funding cuts. This year’s budget should have addressed those funding cuts but Scott Morrison only sees TAFE as a high vis photo op. “The early education of our children is critically important, and this budget has failed to deliver on universal access of preschool for the two years before school. “Mr Morrison has shown yet again his preference for privatisation at the expense of Australia’s excellent public education system.” The next federal government must urgently address the following recommendations made by the AEU in its pre-budget submission: •
A minimum 70 percent of all government VET funding to TAFE.
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A minimum of 100 percent of the Schooling Resource Standard for public schools.
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Establishment of a capital fund for public schools to help meet rising enrolment growth and infrastructure needs.
•
Universal access to preschool for the two years before school for our children. Western Teacher April 2022
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Dud teachers or a dud minister? By Associate Professor Rachel Wilson University of Sydney
Minister Robert’s comments last month at an Association of an Independent Schools event which claimed public schools are held back by “dud teachers” do more to expose his own bias and failings than it does to reflect on the teaching profession. The minister has the wrong target. Teachers are not to blame for the sorry state of Australian education. The problem lies with system failings that Minister Robert has responsibility for. I feel sorely tempted to analyse the bias, political motivations and the unfounded and illogical reasoning demonstrated by the minister and apparently his advisors and speech-writers. However, I will stick to my strengths and instead look at evidence and some killer facts. There is no data to support the assertion that government schools have weaker teachers. Repeated, and recent, research suggests that government schools’ performance is similar to nongovernment schools in terms of lifting student learning outcomes. Furthermore, there is no data on teacher ability that supports the minister’s assertion. The national and embryonic and incomplete Australian Teacher Workforce Data does not include measures of literacy and numeracy, there are no published analyses of LANTITE (Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teachers) tests. There is just one recent report on adult literacy and numeracy levels among Australian teachers – it doesn’t compare sectors, but I shall explain its significant findings later in point three. Sectoral (government/non-government) comparisons on teacher workforce have not been done and would be an unhelpful, and potentially inflammatory, distraction 16
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from the central problem of inequality in Australian schooling.
provisions. Monitor and report all educational data for social equity groups.
There is, however, plenty of evidence, and some killer facts, that show the real system-level challenges in Australian education and the solutions they require.
2. Australia’s national educational goals have been grossly neglected.
These are the system problems to which Mr Robert needs to attend rather than sling mud at teachers and inflame sectoral infighting:
1. Australia has a problem with educational equity in funding, resourcing and curriculum which, alongside school choice policies, has led to increasing school segregation. Both the OECD and UNICEF have identified this as a key weakness in Australian schooling. School segregation has left many government schools carrying increasing concentrations of disadvantaged students. Within the current context of teacher shortages, iniquitous school funding, increasing workloads and difficult work conditions, many schools find it difficult to staff their classrooms. In a survey of 38 wealthy nations Australia ranked 30th on educational inequity and was in the bottom third of nations on each of the schooling stages – preschool, primary and secondary. See figure one on page 17. Solutions: Lift early childhood participation and duration to ameliorate inequity. Enact the Gonski school funding reforms, fund all schools to their required Schooling Resource Standard. Address structural problems in schooling, e.g. develop sector blind school obligations, operations and accountabilities for all schools receiving government funding. Provide reforms for curriculum equity, including through online/remote
There is little, or no, alignment between the goals education ministers put their signatures to in the Mparntwe statement and what is measured in schools and reported in our National Reporting on Schooling. This is a gaping hole in educational policy and accountability; matching goals with monitoring and strategy development is foundational to System Accountability 101. While governments have been busy over the last decade developing frameworks for teacher and school accountability, much needed system and ministerial accountability have been ignored. It is a simple fact that there is currently no monitoring of national goals in students’ confidence, creativity, orientation to lifelong learning or preparation to be “active and informed” citizens (with the exception of a small amount of sample data available on citizenship education, showing disappointing results). What is even more surprising is that equity has not been adequately monitored. Although excellence and equity are generic aspirations, and can be assessed against any data indicator, there is very little analysis and reporting against the equity goal in national reporting documents. The Measurement Framework for Australian Schooling (MFAS) identifies equity as a key goal and challenge, and suggests that all educational data will be disaggregated and examined in relation to a series of identified equity groups: “… with a focus on: Indigenous status, sex, language background, geographic
Issues location, socioeconomic background, disability.”
Figure 1: Rankings of equality across three stages of education
However MFAS qualifies this, saying: “With the exception of retention to Year 12 by Indigenous students, which relates to COAG targets for Closing the Gap, equity measures are not separately listed in the Schedule of Key Performance Measures but are derived, for reporting purposes, by disaggregating the measures for participation, achievement and attainment where it is possible and appropriate to do so. Measures are disaggregated as outlined in the SCSEEC Data Standards Manual.” Which is to say, there is no follow through on accountability systems for these goals. If we examine the pursuit of the educational equity goals in the annual National Report on Schooling, produced by ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority), we see glaring omissions. The report does acknowledge some equity groupings and, like the MFAS, suggests there will be analysis but, again, only “where it is possible and appropriate to do so”. In the most recent 2019 annual report measures, analysis and reporting are not linked to national goals. Equity is mentioned just six times in the 138 page document, mostly just in preamble. There is no comprehensive analysis against excellence, equity or any other national goal. There is no reporting against disability, LBOTE (language background other than English), SES (socioeconomic status); and extremely limited reporting on Indigenous students and geolocation. There is more frequent reporting by gender. Further reference to equity for social equity groups directs interested readers to the ACARA data portal to conduct their own analyses of equity! Is that reasonable, diligent attention for our foremost national goal for education? Solutions: Include comprehensive analysis of social equity groups within the annual report on schooling. Strategise to address trends, through funding, resourcing and teacher workforce strategy. Develop measures/ indicators for all Australian education goals. Commission research to explore key practices in progressing toward educational goals.
Source: UNICEF Office of Research (2018). “An Unfair Start: Inequality in Children’s Education in Rich Countries”, Innocenti Report Card 15, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti, Florence.
3. Australian teacher workforce management makes us an international outlier. The 2018 OECD report Effective Teacher Policies makes it clear that current teacher workforce management (methinks a lack of management) is directly impacting upon schooling outcomes – excellence and equity. This study used OECD, PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies) adult literacy and numeracy data to explore the strategic placement of teachers. Among wealthy nations, Australia sits apart as we send our most experienced, literate and numerate teachers to our most advantaged schools. Other country systems deliberately strategised to send their best and brightest teachers to the most disadvantaged schools. This has been an imperative for educational equity, effectiveness and economic efficiency, understood and implemented for many
decades, but sadly neglected in Australia. Teacher reports from the same survey also make it clear that disadvantaged schools have worse resources compared to advantaged schools when it comes to: •
Experience and seniority levels of teachers.
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Proportions of teachers who are trained or certified in all subjects they teach.
•
Proportion of science teachers with temporary teaching contracts.
As the majority of disadvantaged schools are within the government sector, this data suggests that suitable allocation of teachers to disadvantaged government schools is lacking. It does not provide any basis for comparison of government and nongovernment school teachers. (Continued on page 18.) Western Teacher April 2022
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Issues (Continued from page 17.) What is more, this represents a structural policy issue, and a ministerial responsibility requiring urgent attention. Solution: Australia needs a national teacher recruitment, retention and allocation policy to address this problem, not to mention teacher shortages and workload issues. Without one, we are the international outlier here too. Unfortunately, the recent Commonwealth review failed to present a cohesive strategic framework oriented around key values and principals. A national strategy needs to highlight these (e.g. due respect and recognition of teachers, pursuit of educational goals, equity, etc.) and lay out aims for how teachers are recruited, trained and distributed to schools. The strategy would also need more effective monitoring, data, research and reporting on the teacher workforce [building on the ATWD (Australian Teacher Workforce Data)].
How to break the cycle of neglect? With better data, reporting, transparency and system-level accountability frameworks, future education ministers can be less ignorant and more informed, as they comment on issues relating to teachers and how we can all work together to strengthen school education. The current failings in our education system are now clear and reflect many years of neglect, particularly in relation to teachers and equity. We urgently need national, politically neutral and collective attention to address the system-generated problems currently being faced by schools, teachers, students and parents. With ignorance and misinformation at the helm, I wonder if, as with aged care and disability services, we will need a Royal Commission into education in order to make that happen. It certainly looks like we are heading there. Rachel Wilson is Associate Professor at The Sydney School of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney. She has expertise in educational assessment, research methods and program evaluation, with broad interests across educational evidence, policy and practice. She is interested in system-level reform and has been involved in designing, implementing and researching many university and school education reforms. This article was first published on the Australian Association for Research in Education’s EduResearch Matters online blog (aare.edu.au/blog) and is reproduced here with permission. 18
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Why is the acting minister trying to damage education? By Professor Anna Sullivan University of South Australia
Australia is facing a teacher shortage crisis. Schools are struggling to find enough teachers to teach their students. The situation is extremely dire. For example, modelling indicates that Australia is going to be short of more than 8,000 primary school teachers by 2025. Too few people are entering the profession and, worryingly, far too many teachers are leaving early, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Low wages, overwork, difficult student behaviour, lack of support and stress are some of the reasons teachers leave the profession or have periods of sick leave. The Acting Minister for Education and Youth, Hon Stuart Robert MP gave a very irresponsible speech last month, which will do more harm to the teacher supply crisis. Robert claimed that he wants to “attract the very best candidates to the teaching profession and to ensure they are well prepared when they first enter the classroom”. However, he argued that Australia needs to “knock down the bottom 10 per cent of dud teachers”. He went on to explain: “… you can hire and fire your own teachers, I’m talking to the heads of your schools here. And there’s no way they will accept a dud teacher in their school like, not for a second. So for your school, you just don’t have them, you don’t have [the] bottom 10 per cent of teachers dragging the chain.” This is a clear and calculated political statement about the quality of teachers and how they should be treated. Robert argued, “The point being, if we can take the bottom 10 per cent quality of teachers and turn them into the average quality within the teaching profession, we will arrest the decline.” Such political statements frame teachers as a “problem” and are aimed at creating derision and uncertainty in the broader public. Robert is doing this well. Robert clearly calls into question: •
What students are taught.
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How students are taught.
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The environment in which students are taught.
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The content of ITE (initial teacher education) courses.
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The levels of disruptive behaviour in classrooms.
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He also calls into question other aspects of education in Australia, including: •
The quality of public schooling.
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The quality of teaching.
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A preference for certain types of education research.
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Public school lack values.
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Parents’ preferences for schools.
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Students’ levels of achievement.
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The safety of schools.
Robert’s comments suggest that he considers himself as an appropriate expert who can make informed decisions about education. For example he states, “my assessment is that the revisions are travelling very, very well”. Unfortunately, public statements by powerful people, such as Robert, politicise teachers and their work. This politicisation influences who is attracted into the teaching profession and how they do their work, particularly those teachers at the beginning of their careers. Robert’s political views expressed in this speech focus on individual and deficit perspectives of teachers. He raises unfounded concerns about many aspects of education in Australia. Regular attacks on student performance, teacher quality, teacher education, academic standards, teaching methods and school discipline occur in many countries around the world. These views are intentional and aimed at undermining perceptions of the success of education systems to bring about more traditional approaches to schooling. That is, politicians like Robert are pursuing an ideological agenda which undermines the professionalism of educators and ignores the bodies of research that should be informing policy and practice.
Such negative views of education continually undermine the profession and create tensions and doubt in society. In this environment it is very easy to slide into disparaging and demeaning public discourses about the declining quality of teachers and the profession more generally. In a context of uncertainty related to the quality of education in Australia, there is likely to be a range of political remedies to “fix” the problem of incompetent and ill-prepared teachers by reasserting control over teachers’ work and focusing on traditional teaching methods such as scripted curriculum, testing, rewards and sanctions, behaviour management and explicit instruction. Australians should be very concerned because Robert’s comments contribute to further de-professionalisation of teachers’ work and a lack of trust in the work teachers do. They are likely to deter people from considering teaching as a career option and could lead to further problems to the overall supply of teachers. Finally, we should not have ministers of education making politically motivated statements like this: “So why don’t we face the brutal reality that we have got to arrest the quality of our teaching, if we are going to make a difference when it comes to it and stop pussyfooting around the fact that the problem is the protection of teachers that don’t want to be there; that aren’t up to the right standard; that are graduating from university or have been for the last 10 years and they can’t read and write. They can’t pass the LANTITE test.” They are damaging Australian education. Professor Anna Sullivan is the Director of Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion at the University of South Australia. One of her areas of research focuses on early career teachers’ work. In particular, she has sought to understand the ways in which teachers’ work can be restructured to enable their success and how early career teachers can be supported to stay in the profession. This article was first published on the Australian Association for Research in Education’s EduResearch Matters online blog (aare.edu.au/blog) and is reproduced here with permission. Western Teacher April 2022
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Public schools matching private in academic performance By Sally Larsen and Alexander Forbes University of New England
In Australia, around 30 per cent of primary and 40 per cent of secondary school children attend a private, or independent, school. School fees vary widely, depending on the type of private school and the different sectors that govern them. Catholic schools generally cost less than independent schools where families can pay fees of more than $40,000 per year. Despite the term “independent school”, all schools in Australia receive government funding. On average, Catholic schools receive around 75 per cent and independent schools around 45 per cent of their funding from state and federal governments. Research shows parents believe private schools will provide a better education for their children and better set them up for success in life. But the evidence on whether this perception is correct is not conclusive.
What does the research say about academic scores? Our recent study showed NAPLAN scores of children who attended private schools were no different to those in public schools, after accounting for socioeconomic background. These findings are in line with other research, both in Australia and internationally, which shows family background is related both to the likelihood of attending a private school and to academic achievement. While there may appear to be differences in the academic achievement of students in private schools, these tend to disappear once socioeconomic background is taken into account. 20
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An analysis of 68 education systems (mainly countries, but some countries only include regions which are known as “education systems”) participating in the 2018 Programme for International Assessment (PISA) tests showed attendance at private schools was not consistently related to higher test performance.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report says: On average across OECD countries and in 40 education systems, students in private schools…scored higher in reading than students in public schools (…before accounting for socio-economic profile)… However, after accounting for students’ and
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What about other private school benefits? Some Australian research has shown students who attend private schools are more likely to complete school and attend university, and tend to attain higher rankings in university entrance exams. Indeed, the recent announcements of NSW students’ HSC (Higher School Certificate) results showed almost threequarters of the 150 top-ranked schools were independent. The concentration of higher-achieving students in private schools could also magnify any peer effects on students’ decisions about future career paths or attending university. Nonetheless the research on these questions is not definitive: it is very difficult to separate out the effects of background characteristics of students and the effects of the school sector given that more advantaged students tend to concentrate in private schools. Some Australian research has shown the characteristics of students before they enter private schools have a larger effect on their aspirations, behaviour and attitudes than the school. schools’ socio-economic profile, reading scores were higher in public schools than in private schools.
all years. But there was no evidence that making the switch to a private school added to students’ learning growth.
Do private schools improve student achievement over time?
These high-performing students were already achieving the highest results in public school before they left for private school in Year 7.
Another argument used to support Australia’s growing private school sector is the idea private schools actually add value to a child’s education. This means attending a private school should boost students’ learning trajectories over and above what they might have achieved in a public school. Our research is the first to examine whether students differ in learning trajectories across the four NAPLAN test years (3, 5, 7 and 9) depending on the school type they attended. We compared the NAPLAN scores of students who attended a public school, a private school and those who attended a public school in Years 3 and 5 and then a private school in Years 7 and 9. The students in the latter group scored highest in reading and numeracy tests in each of the four NAPLAN test years.
This suggests private schools may be enrolling the highest achievers from public primary schools. Other analyses in our paper showed that once socioeconomic background of these students was taken into account, apparent achievement differences between school sectors were no longer present. The other interesting point is that there were no differences in achievement trajectories between the groups. So, making the switch to private schools in Year 7 did not affect the gains students were making in NAPLAN over time. Students in public schools made just as much progress as their peers who attended private schools. This undermines claims private schools add value to students’ academic growth.
Rethinking the system? While the capacity for parents to choose a school that best suits their child is often seen as an advantage, many disadvantaged families are a lot more constrained in their ability to choose, and pay for, private schools. Students attending private schools may have access to other non-academic benefits, such as more opportunities for sports, excursions and other extracurricular activities. But in terms of academic advantage, we know, from our research and other studies that explored similar questions, there is little evidence to show independent schools offer any. It is likely children will do equally well in any school sector. Sally Larsen and Alexander Forbes are PhD candidates (Education & Psychology) at the University of New England. The opinions expressed in this article are that of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of the SSTUWA or AEU. This article was first published at The Conversation website and is reproduced here with permission.
This group outperformed students who attended private schools at all years, and students who attended public schools at Western Teacher April 2022
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ALP consent education plan a meaningful commitment The Australian Education Union has welcomed Federal Labor’s commitment to invest $77 million for teaching consent education in Australian schools. Labor’s plan, announced on International Women’s Day 2022, will provide professional development and training for teachers across Australia to talk about sexual consent and respectful relationships in an age-appropriate way and enable students experiencing violence to seek help. AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe has described the plan as a meaningful commitment towards violence prevention. “The sad reality is that women and girls are still enduring harassment and sexual violence in Australia, whether it is in their homes, schools or workplaces,” said Ms Haythorpe. “The first step towards making these spaces safer for women and girls starts with educating students about consent early. “We welcome the commitment for additional support for teachers to deliver consent education and to equip them to assist students who need help.” Australian Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese said the plan would allow principals to hire expert support and develop respect and relationships education programs based on evidence and tailored to their schools. “Delivery of high-quality respectful relationships education programs is patchy and inconsistent across the country,” he said. “There’s nowhere near enough support to train teachers properly in this kind of education, and some schools don’t have access to programs developed by experts. Too many school students are missing out on education that can help keep them safe. 22
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“Age-appropriate respectful relationships education can also help promote equality between women and men and improve classroom behaviour.” Federal Shadow Minister for Women Tanya Plibersek said statistics revealed that one in five Australian women are victims of sexual assault. “There are more Australian women who are victims of sexual assault than there are women who are smokers in Australia today,” she said. “Just think about that for a moment. One in three will experience domestic violence. And in the last five years alone, 40 per cent of Australian women have been sexually harassed in the workplace. “This is unacceptable. We have to change it. We have to change it with a stronger legal response today. “But we also need to change how we’re raising our kids so that in the future, the
incidence of violence will decrease. “We want every Australian to be safe – at home, in the street, in their workplaces. We want every Australian to be safe. We need to invest in respectful relationships.” Ms Haythorpe said the conversation around consent education, led in the past year by Sydney activist Chanel Contos, had shone a light on the critical role schools play in preventing sexual harassment and violence in the community. “Schools should be safe places for students to seek information and assistance and it’s crucial that we have a federal government committed to ensuring that is the case,” Ms Haythorpe said. “The AEU is calling on all parties to follow suit and support teachers to deliver evidence-based and age-appropriate consent and respectful relationships education.”
Morrison missing for working women The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has released Morrison Missing – A Record of his Failure for Working Women, a major report outlining how the Morrison Government has failed to support working women.
•
Seventy-seven per cent of women say the cost of living has gotten worse, compared to 67 per cent of men.
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Fifty-five per cent of women say their job security has gotten worse, compared to 45 per cent of men.
The report shows that under the Morrison Government, women in the workplace:
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Fifty-six per cent of women believe the economy has gotten worse, compared to 50 per cent of men.
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Earn on average $483.30 less per week than a man and retire with about half the amount of super as a man.
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Are more likely to be in low-wage and insecure work, and therefore more likely to have lost work or hours during the pandemic.
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Have a two in three chance of experiencing sexual harassment in a current or former workplace.
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•
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Have no guaranteed right to paid family and domestic violence leave, despite a spike in family and domestic violence during the pandemic. Rely on the second worst paid parental leave scheme in the developed world, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Pay for some of the most expensive early childhood education and care in the world – with early childhood educators being extremely low paid.
As the report outlines, on each issue Prime Minister Scott Morrison has either done nothing, shirked responsibility or blocked progress. Working women’s experience of the Prime Minister’s inaction is clear in a new nation-wide ACTU survey of 3,000 respondents, published to coincide with the report’s release. The survey shows that while the Morrison Government has left the majority of Australians concerned about their job, wages and the economy, women have been left worse off:
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Women are still shouldering the majority of caring responsibilities and are more likely than men to be in part-time, casual and other forms of insecure work. Sixty-one per cent of workers who rely on awards or minimum wages are women, and we continue to see systemic underpayment of entire feminised industries. The report calls for several long-overdue changes to make workplaces and society safer for women, close the gender pay gap and ensure all working women have a secure retirement, including: •
Introducing stronger equal pay laws in the Fair Work Act.
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Pay superannuation on parental leave.
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Implement all 55 recommendations of the Respect@Work report, including a positive duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment.
•
•
Legislate 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave into the National Employment Standards. Introduce free, universal, accessible and high-quality early childhood education and care.
ACTU President Michele O’Neil (pictured top right) said this government had talked a lot about its commitment to women, but after nearly a decade in power, women were worse off with no improvement in sight. “The Morrison Government has gone missing at every opportunity to enact real change for women, refusing to: ensure women are safe at work and
implement all recommendations of the Respect@Work report; provide 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave; regulate the overuse of casual employment; increase the minimum wage to a liveable wage that will support a full-time worker; or to introduce free and accessible early childhood education and care,” she said. “Progress for working women has stalled and in some cases gone backwards under the watch of the Morrison Government. “While the Morrison Government refuses to ensure that super is paid on parental leave or regulate the underpayment of women-dominated workforces, the superannuation gap has continued to grow – a gap that now results in women retiring with half the super of men and older women becoming the fastestgrowing homeless demographic. “When working women vote this year, they will remember how little the promises of this Prime Minister and his government have meant, they will not forget being let down.” To view the report visit: bit.ly/3K3tDea Western Teacher April 2022
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Making change, history and noise By Professor Michelle Arrow Macquarie University
As a historian of the Australian women’s movement, the past two years have been extraordinary to witness. Not only are we living through a oncein-a-century pandemic, which has had profoundly gendered effects, we have also experienced a feminist insurgency that has placed the issue of women’s safety, and men’s abuses of power, at the centre of our national conversation. While many activists, journalists and advocates contributed to this insurgency, it exploded largely thanks to two young women: 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame and former parliamentary staffer Brittany Higgins. Both just 26, both survivors of sexual assault, both abused by men – and institutions – they ought to have been able to trust. Both rejected the expectation they should be shamed into silence about their experiences. In doing so, they have helped to rewrite enduring cultural scripts about sexual abuse and sexual assault. Their joint address at the National Press Club (NPC) in February this year was a valedictory speech, a way to mark their extraordinary year in the public eye. But it was also a call to action, a warning against complacency in an election year. Both made it very clear that, while hearing the voices of survivors of abuse and assault is important, it is not enough. As Higgins noted, the ways we discuss abuse are far too passive, “as if sexual violence falls out of the sky. As if it is perpetrated by no-one.” 24
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The government spends 11 cents per student per year on prevention education, because: “we currently have a government that is primarily concerned with short-sighted, votes-based funding, not with longterm, needs-based funding.
Of the formal parliamentary apology to victims of alleged sexual harassment, assault and bullying, Higgins was grateful, but sceptical: “They are still only words. Actions are what matter.” Tame and Higgins both made passionate pleas for structural change, for measurable action to prevent sexual abuse and assault. Tame called for government to take abuse seriously: to advance consistent national legislative change on sexual offences, and to spend more on preventive education to curb Australia’s alarmingly high rates of abuse and assault. She calculated the government spends 11 cents per student per year on prevention education, because: “we currently have a government that is primarily concerned with short-sighted, votes-based funding, not with long-term, needs-based funding.”
To those of us used to government by spin, obfuscation and photo ops in highvis vests, Tame and Higgins’ moral clarity and bluntness are exhilarating. Both vehemently ruled out the possibility of political careers and, indeed, the journalists asking them about their political aspirations seem to misread their social and political role. They are advocates and activists, who use their public platform to articulate complex issues in clear, direct ways. Tame, in particular, clearly has no intention of playing by anyone else’s rules, as her memorable side-eye to the Prime Minister at The Lodge demonstrated. Their speeches also confirmed that their actions had rattled the Morrison Government, whose response to them has been ham-fisted at every turn. Tame revealed that in August 2021 a representative of a government-funded organisation (which she declined to name) had asked for her “word” that she would not say anything about the Prime Minister on the evening before the 2022 Australian of the Year awards. “You are an influential person. He will have a fear,” she was told. She speculated he had “a fear he might lose his position, or, more to the point, his power”. The Prime Minister’s office later said it had no knowledge of such a call to Tame and the person who made it should apologise. Tame also reminded us the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet conducted a review of the selection process for Australian of the Year not long after she won the award. This was an attempt at intimidation, as Tame notes, but it also
Issues spoke to the government’s dislike of her fearless critique. Higgins was consistently treated by many in the Morrison Government as a political problem to be managed. In the wake of her allegations, the Prime Minister commissioned not one, not two, but four reviews, all the while dragging his heels on a formal response to Kate Jenkins’ landmark Respect@Work report. Higgins reminded us that implementing Respect@Work, especially the proposed “positive duty” on employers to provide a safe workplace, would have “impacted every single working woman in the country. And we just kind of let that moment slide by without thinking.” Tame and Higgins dissected the government’s performance on gender over the past year. Tame called out Christian Porter’s reliance on a blind trust to fund his unsuccessful defamation case against the ABC. Higgins eviscerated the government’s National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children for its “vague and lofty” aims, its lack of targets and clear plans. She noted the shocking statistics on domestic violence that “you’ve heard… rattled off at white-ribbon breakfasts… They should spur us to do whatever it takes. But instead they’ve become a sort of throat-clearing exercise that we all just kind of tolerate.” Policy action on abuse and assault has been a litmus test for the Morrison Government’s views on women. According to Higgins and Tame, it is a test the government has failed at every turn. In the 1970s, feminist activists told personal stories in public because of their belief that “the personal is political”. Yet victims of sexual assault or abuse typically remained anonymous, because of the shame that was attached to these crimes. More recently, advocates like Rosie Batty, and now young women including Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins, have personalised these difficult issues, making them harder for politicians to ignore. The #MeToo and #LetHerSpeak movements have centred on survivors and focused on hearing their stories.
Policy action on abuse and assault has been a litmus test for the Morrison Government’s views on women. According to Higgins and Tame, it is a test the government has failed at every turn.
As Tame said in her NPC address: “How beautiful is freedom of speech? I haven’t always had it”. One of the problems with a movement based on storytelling in public spaces is the brutal toll it exacts on survivors. Tame noted she had spent the past year being “revictimised, commodified, objectified, sensationalised, legitimised [and] gaslit”. As Me Too movement founder Tarana Burke has pointed out, survivors “shouldn’t have to perform our pain over and over again for the sake of your awareness”. There are other problems with placing too much emphasis on individuals like Tame or Higgins: two young white women can hardly represent all assault survivors, as Melbourne writer Shakira Hussein and others have pointed out. And we must be careful not to confuse justice for individuals with broader structural changes to protect all people from abuse and harassment.
But by speaking truth to power, Higgins and Tame have reinvigorated feminism for a new generation of young women. Back in the 1990s, older feminists worried young women were not taking up the feminist mantle. No-one is saying that now. Teenage girls know Grace Tame’s name, and they admire her courage and her strength. As Australian journalist Jess Hill and others have noted, the public face of Australian feminism in the 2010s was dominated by “corporate feminism”: seemingly preoccupied with getting more women on boards rather than raising the wages of low-paid female workers in aged care or childcare, for example. Sexual harassment is still, shockingly, endemic across Australia, and too many people have experienced sexual abuse and assault. By highlighting this problem – which at its core is about the gendered abuse of power – Tame and Higgins have mobilised a broad constituency of Australian women. They inspired thousands to march for justice and others to run for political office. Maybe they will play a decisive role in this year’s federal election. As Tame reminded us: “[our leaders] may either be constructive or destructive. But every single one of them is arguably replaceable.” If you or anyone you know needs help, please call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732). Michelle Arrow is Professor of History at Macquarie University. The opinions expressed in this article are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of the SSTUWA or AEU. This article was first published at The Conversation website and is reproduced here with permission. Call for 2022 nominations
Rosemary Richards Scholarship Rosemary Richards was a proud feminist, unionist and educator. A trailblazing leader, she was committed to advancing gender equality across the AEU. In her memory, this $10,000 scholarship continues her legacy by building the capacity of women as activists and leaders. More info: sstuwa.org.au/scholarships Deadline: Friday 6 May 2022
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Indigenous focus
Forgiveness requires more than an apology – it requires action By James Blackwell Australian National University
It has been 14 years since then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered his apology to the Stolen Generations from Parliament House. Words which were so longed for from survivors and descendants of horrific government policies and which echo through to today: “For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry. To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry. And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.” -Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, 2008. Scott Morrison’s recent speech on the anniversary of this momentous day made headlines for a different reason. Many have taken umbrage with this line: “Sorry is not the hardest word to say. The hardest is ‘I forgive you’.” Morrison almost demanding forgiveness belies a false understanding of both how apologies work and the nature of what it is the government apologised, and is apologising, for. The policies of the Stolen Generations were acts of government, designed to assimilate us and deprive us of culture. They are also actions which can be remedied by government. To frame the apology in this way is, as Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe tweeted, “outright disrespect”, and “not an apology”.
A stain upon the nation The Stolen Generations remain a national shame for this country. Over several decades, roughly one in five First Nations children were taken from their families 26
Western Teacher April 2022
between 1910 and 1970, countless communities broken up and our cultures forcibly suppressed.
Finally, the wrongs of the Stolen Generations were not only acknowledged by the government, but apologised for.
In some jurisdictions such as Western Australia, the figure is over one in three First Nations children removed.
The apology was, and shall remain, in the words of Linda Burney, a “cultural moment shared by the country”.
Nationally, these generations and their descendants make up close to two in five First Nations people, according to a report from The Healing Foundation. The apology, which many thought would not come and many sadly did not live to see, remains an important part of Australian and First Nations history.
Kevin Rudd’s 2008 Apology to the Stolen Generations was a watershed moment.
Apology not without dissent However, it is easy to remember the apology as a moment of national unity, free from dissent, which is not the case. John Howard, who preceded Rudd as Prime Minister from 1996-2007, famously
Indigenous focus
refused such an apology, alongside other measures including a treaty, partly due to the practices of removal being “believed to be in the best interests of the children concerned”. Howard has continued to defend this failure to issue an apology even decades later, declaring the apology “meaningless” in a January 2022 interview. Howard was, of course, not present in the parliament in 2008, having lost his seat at the 2007 landslide election which saw Labor gain government. However, some members of the Liberal and National parties boycotted the event, including controversial former MP Sophie Mirabella, and most notably current Defence Minister Peter Dutton, both of whom have defended their boycott of the apology.
Action needed to right the wrongs of the past For those survivors of the Stolen Generations and their descendants, the effects of these policies are ongoing and not confined merely to the removal of children and the destruction of families. The trauma and pain of these policies, and of being disconnected from country, culture and community, extends down to their children and their children’s children.
According to The Healing Foundation’s Make Healing Happen report from 2021, Stolen Generations survivors are more likely to not own a home, have worse finances, have experienced violence, suffer from a disability and to have a criminal record. Additionally, rates of child removal in Australia have continued to rise over the last decade, with First Nations children 10 times more likely to be removed, with over 21,000 in out-of-home care as of December 2021. This number is projected to increase by a further 54 per cent by 2031. We are going in the wrong direction, and worse, we are doing very little about it. All of these problems are fixable by the government. Presuming forgiveness on the part of those you have wronged is not going to solve any of these issues. Indeed, they are likely to have the opposite effect, reducing the ability of the government to engage with these communities, and impacting upon the mental and physical health of Stolen Generations survivors and their families. What is needed is a national approach to healing, including reparations for survivors and their descendants (something the government has begun to deliver on).
However, increased services for ageing survivors and a national strategy addressing intergenerational effects of child removal are also needed. In addition, there needs to be accountability going forward on current child removal practices, with an effort to reduce the number of First Nations children removed, greater supports and structures for those who are and a Voice for First Nations peoples within our political system. Action is a much greater apology than words. Forgiveness can only truly come when there is action. Morrison’s comments show he does not understand that. I’m not sure if he ever will. James Blackwell is a Research Fellow (Indigenous Diplomacy) at the Australian National University and a member of the Australian Greens. He is also a member of the Uluru Dialogue at the University of NSW. The opinions expressed in this article are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of the SSTUWA or AEU. This article was first published at The Conversation website and is reproduced here with permission. Western Teacher April 2022
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Issues
Parents support gender and sexuality diversity teaching By Associate Professors Tania Ferfolja and Jacqueline Ullman Western Sydney University
Debates about how schools acknowledge gender and sexuality diversity have been ongoing in Australia. It’s often claimed parents oppose the inclusion of gender and sexuality diversity content in the teaching of their children. But our research shows four out of five parents support such content being included in the relationships and sexual health curriculum. Debate about these issues has been revived by the federal Religious Discrimination Bill and the NSW One Nation’s Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill. The now-shelved federal bill would have allowed religious schools to expel transgender and gender-diverse students. The NSW bill seeks to revoke the accreditation of educators who discuss gender and sexuality diversity in a public school. Both bills would have the same effect: the erasure of gender and sexuality diversity from schools. Until now there has been no comprehensive research in Australia that examines what parents actually want in relation to such topics in their child’s education. This lack of research-based evidence has meant even teachers are unsure about whether or not they are allowed to discuss gender and sexuality diversity. Our landmark study, published in the journal Sex Education, sheds light on this issue. Our findings challenge the idea 28
Western Teacher April 2022
that most parents oppose the inclusion of gender and sexuality diversity-related content in school.
home) and attitudes to education that’s inclusive of gender and sexuality diversity were used to weight the final data set.
What did the study find?
The survey asked fundamental questions about parents’ views on the “who, what, when” of relationships and sexuality education.
We surveyed 2,093 parents of students attending government schools across the nation. To ensure results could be considered nationally representative, data were weighted using a probability panel of Australian adults. Both demographic markers (including gender, location and languages spoken at
There was a specific focus on how parents felt about including gender and sexuality diversity in the curriculum. The findings show 94 per cent of parents want relationships and sexuality education
Issues health education. Many report they avoid gender and sexuality diversity and fear community backlash. Teachers’ unease prevails despite federal government guidance that promotes the well-being of students. The guidelines encourage schools to create positive learning environments that foster diversity and respectful relationships and support students to feel safe, connected and included. The public response to the Religious Discrimination Bill and its subsequent shelving highlights how it is inherently anathema to punish and exclude children and young people from school based on their identity.
in schools, in keeping with the current Australian Curriculum. When asked about gender and sexuality diversity across six different topic areas, on average, 82 per cent of parent respondents support their inclusion as part of the relationships and sexual health curriculum from Kindergarten through to Year 12. In terms of understandings of gender diversity by students at different ages, two-thirds of parents (68 per cent) want this topic introduced in the curriculum by the end of stage four of schooling (Years 7 and 8). In keeping with other areas, over 80 per cent of parents support its inclusion by the end of Year 12. Parents’ reasons for supporting inclusion were apparent in their views on the purpose of relationships and sexual health education.
These young people are rarely represented in curriculums. They are not only invisible, but also experience discrimination by omission. Parents are likely to know Australia has one of the highest rates of youth suicide in the world. Tragically, the rate is even higher for gender and sexuality diverse young people. Their experiences at school are undoubtedly linked to this outcome. In our study, nearly 90 per cent of parents wanted to see the curriculum address discrimination and bullying of gender and sexuality diverse people. This finding speaks to their desire to create safe and welcoming schools for all students.
What does this mean for teachers? This research has important implications for teachers of relationships and sexual
Australian teachers need to be supported to create a school culture where these students can feel safe, welcome and informed about their relationships and sexual health. Educators across the country would benefit from additional guidance and support to feel confident that discussing these topics is in line with the views of the majority of their students’ parents. Tania Ferfolja is Associate Professor, School of Education at Western Sydney University. Jacqueline Ullman is Associate Professor in Adolescent Development, Behaviour and Wellbeing at Western Sydney University. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of the SSTUWA or AEU. This article was first published at The Conversation website and is reproduced here with permission.
Given a choice of four central purpose statements, the largest group of parents (nearly 50 per cent) felt this curriculum area should focus on student “empowerment, choice, consent and acceptance of diversity”.
It’s about fairness, inclusion and safety These findings reflect the culture of fairness and inclusion that most Australians believe in. The results point to parents’ understanding of the importance of inclusion. They object to the schoolbased harassment of gender and sexuality diverse students in this country. Western Teacher April 2022
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New educators
The importance of looking after yourself By Natalie Blewitt, Growth Team coordinator
Some of you will have commenced your career under the cloud of COVID-19. Heightened anxiety, daily changes and updates, even higher workloads, mask wearing, close contacts and possibly even isolation, may all have contributed to a feeling of being overwhelmed. Teaching is a demanding but a very rewarding career, and it is vital you look after yourself. Below are some avenues available to you if you need help or support.
Caring for your voice Your voice is your main tool and mode of communication in the classroom. It is one of your most powerful assets. School teachers are one of the largest groups of professional voice users world-wide. Teaching may place demands on your voice, and this could lead to an increase in developing vocal problems. It is important to recognise the warning signs and to never ignore the symptoms. Some things to look out for include: •
Dryness, soreness or strain.
•
Overloading your voice if you have a throat infection. You should always avoid strained speaking.
•
Drinking too much coffee. This can dehydrate you and have a negative impact on your vocal cords.
This program gives access to counselling with highly experienced psychologists and is available to you and your immediate family.
•
Forcing yourself to speak by whispering to protect your voice.
You can access up to six sessions each year which are free of charge, confidential, available face-to-face, over the phone or via Skype.
•
Routines such as playing a particular piece of music to signal changes in activities.
•
Using pauses and variations in tone rather than loudness to get attention.
•
Counselling is available for anything that is affecting your general well-being.
Using non-verbal ways to gain attention such as hand and arm gestures or sound signals such as clapping or a bell or whistle.
•
Further information about the Employee Assistance Program can be found at peoplesense.com.au or by phoning 1300 307 912.
Using methods of behaviour management that do not involve yelling or loud talking.
•
Standing in a place in the classroom that makes it easier for children to hear you.
Employee Assistance Program – PeopleSense School and college staff members and their immediate family can utilise the services of the Employee Assistance Program – PeopleSense.
These services can be accessed for personal or work-related issues and are designed to provide short-term psychological assistance.
Helpful strategies you can try to look after your voice include:
• Talking to the children or classes when they are quiet. • Keeping a water bottle with you and drinking at least two litres of water each day.
30
Western Teacher April 2022
Education and Training Centre Connecting with other teachers from outside your school/network is a great way to look after your mental health. You can do this through professional learning through the SSTUWA Education and Training Centre (ETC). There are fantastic courses on offer and perhaps concerns can be alleviated by learning strategies to deal with difficult situations or meeting student needs. The ETC offers online and hopefully soon, a return to face-to-face learning. You can access the courses via the training tab on the website. So, consider connecting with others while upskilling yourself. Whether you are just starting out and learning your craft or you have been teaching for a few years, self-care is important. There are many things you can do to look after both your physical and mental health. There is no shame in reaching out for help, talking to someone outside your usual support network of close family and friends, seeking advice from a trusted professional or having a phone conversation with someone in the know. Teaching can be a very demanding profession so be kind to yourself, always.
Members’ matters
Members have access to legal services By Natalie Blewitt Growth Team coordinator
Throughout your career, you may find yourself in need of legal assistance. Whether you are requiring advice, representation or other legal services, you can be rest assured that as an SSTUWA member, we have you covered. Members have access to a wide range of legal services that are provided at either no cost, or with significant discounts on the standard legal fees. The members of our in-house Legal Services Team work with the union’s legal services providers, including Slater and Gordon Lawyers, Tehan Legal and Eureka Lawyers, to represent members in employment matters and also provide a range of other legal services. The collaboration between our experienced industrial staff and the union’s external legal service providers means that the SSTUWA can offer members access to high-quality, timely and flexible services which is unmatched by other organisations and associations. Some of the legal services our members receive include: •
A free consultation with Slater and Gordon Lawyers in relation to any matter connected with your
employment or your professional registration.
To view the full range of legal services, members can visit sstuwa.org.au/legal
•
Significant discounts on Slater and Gordon’s usual hourly rates for a range of other legal matters.
•
A free 30-minute consultation with Tehan Legal regarding criminal law or restraining order matters.
Being involved in legal matters can be stressful and difficult. We want to ensure that members are fully supported during the process of dealing with cases.
•
Access to urgent criminal law advice 24/7.
•
A free simple will from Eureka Lawyers, where a simple will is appropriate to your circumstances. The SSTUWA will cover the cost of the will and, if a more complex will or a will for your partner/spouse is required, the SSTUWA will contribute $150 towards your total costs.
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Western Teacher April 2022
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Education &
Education & Education & Training Centre Education and Training Centre
Training Centre
Throughout 2022, the SSTUWA is proud to partner with Teacher Throughout the SSTUWA proudatorange partnerofwith Teacheronline Learning Learning2022, Network (TLN) toisoffer powerful Network (TLN) to offer a range of powerful online learning opportunities learning opportunities for members. The following half-day for or members. The following half-day or full-day events will be presented via Zoom full-day events will be presented and willfrom provide an and will provide an opportunity to interactvia liveZoom with educators across opportunity to interact live with Australia. All events are presented live.educators from across Australia. Visit to register Allsstuwa.org.au/training events are presented live. or view further online events on offer. Visit sstuwa.org.au/training to register or view further online events on offer. Three-Hour Series
Leading Well-being (Staff and and Students) Leadingforfor Well-being (Staff Students) Wednesday 4 May, 1 June, 20 July 2.30-3.30pm
Three-Hour Series
Wednesday 4 May, 1 June, 20 July 2.30-3.30pm Well-being in the workplace is everyone’s business and this course recognises that educators in schools often hold ain unique position enables and requires to recognises support and others’ well-being at a Well-being the workplace is that everyone’s business, and thisthem course thatenhance educators in schools often hold work. three participants in thistocourse to understand the breadth welluniqueOver position thatsessions enables and requires them supportwill andcome enhance others’ well-being at work.and Overdepth threeof sessions being science and how they can embed evidence-based strategies at the individual, collective and systemic participants in this course will come to understand the breadth and depth of well-being science and how they can levels. content will includeatwell-being assessment management, a culture of embed Core evidence-based strategies the individual, collective and and systemic levels. creating Core content will include well-being psychological safety, leading with strengths, fostering connections and trust in teams, job crafting, assessment and management, creating a culture of psychological safety, leading with strengths, fostering connections compassionate leadership and more. and trust in teams, job crafting, compassionate leadership and more.
Indigenous Inclusion: Yarning Circles and 8 Ways Pedagogy Five-Hour Events (insert Aboriginal graphic) Tuesday 10 May
8am-1pm
FIVE-Hour EVENT
Indigenous Inclusion: Yarning Circles and 8 Ways Pedagogy Incorporating Indigenous perspectives effectively into the curriculum is beneficial to Tuesday 10well May 8am-1pm all students as as First Nations students. This also ensures that the strategies
Incorporating Indigenous perspectives effectively intoan theextra curriculum is beneficial to all students as well as implemented can become sustainable rather than remain task to complete. First Nations students. This also ensures that the strategies implemented can become sustainable rather This presentation will support you to think beyond the lesson plan and engage effectively than remain an extra task to complete. This presentation will support you to with First Nations pedagogical approaches. The focus will be on the use of yarning think beyond the lesson plan and engage effectively First Nations pedagogical The focus circles; the presenter haswith developed a structured approach approaches. to allow for yarning circleswill be on the use of Yarning Circles; the presenter has developed a structured approach to allow for yarning as a pedagogical approach in a formal classroom and the 8 ways pedagogy. The 8 ways circles as a pedagogical approach in a formal and the 8 wayseducators, pedagogy. The 8 ways pedagogy evolved from a research pedagogy evolved from classroom a research project involving university staff and local Aboriginal communities. is “a culturally safe local point of entry for teachers to begin project involving educators, It university staff and Aboriginal communities. It is ‘a culturally safe point of engaging with Aboriginal knowledge andwith cross-cultural in theand community”. This dialogue in the entry for teachers to begin engaging Aboriginaldialogue knowledge cross-cultural course will increase your understanding knowledge and provide practical examples for thepractical classroom. You will also community’. This course will increaseand your understanding and knowledge and provide examples be given some ideasYou of where to find professional teaching resources to support your practice. for the classroom. will also beadditional given some ideas ofreading where and to find additional professional reading and teaching resources to support your practice.
LeadingEffective EffectiveClassrooms Classrooms – What Teachers Need Leading - What Teachers Need to Know and DoFIVE-Hour to Know16 and Do Tuesday 16 August 8am-1pm Tuesday August 8am-1pm
EVENT
A core responsibility for all teachers is to create an environment in which all students can learn and thrive. A core responsibility all teachers isand to create anteachers environment in which all students can learnTeachers and thrive.inSchools Schools place greatfor responsibility trust in in middle leadership positions. these place great responsibility and trust in teachers in middle leadership positions. Teachers in these leadership roles often need to leadership roles often need to work with colleagues to build skills and knowledge, model effective teaching work with colleagues to build skills and knowledge, model effective teaching practices and be available to respond when practices and be available to respond when things do not go right. In this session, Australia’s leading things do not go right. In this session, Australia’s leading classroom management specialist, David Vinegrad, will take classroom management specialist, David Vinegrad, will take you through his ‘seven steps to success’. At you through his “seven steps to success”. At the end of this session, you will have a clear plan of how you are going to the end ofyour thiscolleagues session, you will have a clear ofon how youanare goingclassroom to work with your colleagues to build work with to build knowledge andplan skills being effective teacher. knowledge and skills on being an effective classroom teacher. 32
Western Teacher April 2022
Education and Training Centre
Online professional learning Leadership – Psychological Safety for Challenging Conversations Tuesday 5 July
8-11am (school holidays)
Three-Hour EVENT
Psychological safety exists when individuals or groups feel free/safe to take risks, raise problems, disagree, ask questions and admit mistakes. This course will explore what psychological safety is, how it can benefit those working in schools and how leaders of schools can create cultures of psychological safety. This leadership course will be especially helpful for new and emerging leaders who may have to have challenging conversations with more experienced colleagues in the team they are leading.
Coding – A Step by Step Guide for the Classroom Monday 26 September
8-11am (school holidays)
three-Hour EVENT
There is lots of talk about coding and computational thinking as skills for the future. But how can teachers make sure that they are prepared to teach these skills? This hands-on workshop will introduce some approaches, tools and resources for the classroom. The course will introduce the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript, as well as object-oriented programming via Python. Participants will explore each of these tools at a basic level and make use of online apps that make teaching with these tools straightforward. Numerous examples will be provided for how these skills and tools might be deployed in different learning areas and at different year levels.
Leadership – From Teacher to Principal Monday 26 September 8-11am (school holidays)
Three-Hour EVENT
This session is designed for teachers who are aspiring to a leadership position. There are many different ways to progress in a career in education. In this session the presenter will encourage you to identify your strengths and weaknesses as a leader and to set yourself a professional development plan to build upon your leadership skills and knowledge. That plan should help you build the skills, knowledge, networks and the experiences to support you in a successful career in education.
Building an Inclusive Classroom Culture Tuesday 27 September
8-11am (school holidays)
Three-Hour EVENT
When teachers understand students, their cultural and linguistic background, their gender identity and any significant experiences such as trauma, the experience of disability or a learning disorder, then teachers can shape an inclusive environment that promotes high quality learning opportunities for all. It is a complex task to know all students but there are school procedures and weekly and daily routines that you can implement in your teaching practice that both build your knowledge of students and create a respectful classroom environment. In this session the presenter will explore different routines and practices teachers can use to create a more inclusive classroom culture.
Visit sstuwa.org.au/training to view our extensive range of live 60-minute online professional learning sessions. Western Teacher April 2022
33
Member benefits
Member benefits Accountants and Financial Advisers Aston Accountants
10% discount on personal income tax returns for members.
sstuwa.org.au/aston
Industry Fund Services
Specialist financial products for union members.
sstuwa.org.au/ifs
LIFE Financial Planners
$1,200 off your statement of advice fee plus a free financial health check for members.
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Teacher Tax
$99 tax returns for members.
sstuwa.org.au/teachertax
TIPS Financial Services
$1,100 discount on your TIPS Transition to Retirement strategy or Retirement plan. Exclusive to members.
sstuwa.org.au/tipsfs
Banking ME Bank
Special offers throughout the year for members. A bank built by, and for, union members.
sstuwa.org.au/mebank
Mortgages, Money and Me
Complimentary advice, property reports, finance tools and more for SSTUWA members.
sstuwa.org.au/mmme
OFX Money Transfers
When it matters, OFX it. Save with the experts in international money transfers.
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Teachers Mutual Bank
AutoBahn
Mechanical and electrical services. Members receive $20 off any service or 5% off any repair.
sstuwa.org.au/autobahn
Bayswater Mazda
Exclusive offer including $500 fuel card, 4 years free service and more.
sstuwa.org.au/bayswatermazda
Bob Jane T-Marts
National fleet pricing on a range of products and services.
sstuwa.org.au/bobjane
easifleet
$250 Magic Hand Carwash voucher with any easifleet procured novated lease.
sstuwa.org.au/easifleet
Europcar
10% discount on vehicle hire in Australia.
sstuwa.org.au/europcar
sstuwa.org.au/hp
PLE Computers
Save on your IT with access to the PLE Computers academic portal.
sstuwa.org.au/ple
The Good Guys Commercial
Online access to live discounted pricing on The Good Guys’ range.
sstuwa.org.au/thegoodguys
Educational Resources Classroom Management
A Thinking and Caring Approach. By Barrie Bennett and Peter Smilanich.
sstuwa.org.au/classroommgmt
Effective Group Work
Beyond Cooperative Learning. By Barrie Bennett.
sstuwa.org.au/fleetnetwork
Possibilities for Assessment and Instruction. By Barrie Bennett.
Package your next car and save on tax. Bonus gift with vehicle delivery.
Motor Market by Union Shopper
You choose the car, then we find you the lowest price.
sstuwa.org.au/motormarket
tyresales.com.au
10% discount on tyres.
Graphic Intelligence
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Instructional Intelligence
Building Instructional Expertise for the Classroom. An SSTUWA project in collaboration with Barrie Bennett.
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sstuwa.org.au/tyresales
Teacher Superstore
Western Motor Vehicle Consultants
sstuwa.org.au/teachersuperstore
We’ll find a car you’ll love. Save time and money when sourcing your next vehicle.
sstuwa.org.au/westernmotors
Computers Altronics
sstuwa.org.au/tmbank
sstuwa.org.au/altronics
Cars
Apple on Campus
Allwest Fleet
sstuwa.org.au/apple
Western Teacher April 2022
Huge savings for members on laptops, accessories, printers and more.
sstuwa.org.au/effectivegroupwork
Banking exclusively for the education community.
sstuwa.org.au/allwestfleet
HP Computers
Fleet Network
Build it yourself electronics centre. VIP trade discount in store and online.
Vehicle salary packaging – save time, money and tax. Receive a $300 gift card with your new car.
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Massive discounts on products and services for SSTUWA members
For details visit:
Dell
Save up to 5% off selected items.
sstuwa.org.au/dell
5-10% discount, in store and online.
Entertainment Movie tickets
Discounts on physical tickets (greater savings) and instant digital tickets.
sstuwa.org.au/movietickets
Outback Splash
Featuring both water and year-round attractions. Discounted tickets for members.
sstuwa.org.au/outbacksplash
Rockface
Indoor rock climbing in Balcatta. $15 all day climbing pass with harness hire.
sstuwa.org.au/rockface
Member benefits *Terms & conditions apply.
Please visit our website for full details.
For more information visit sstuwa.org.au/benefits and the benefits tab of the SSTUWA App Food and Wine
Insurance and Legal
Campbells
ISinsured
Access wholesale prices with a complimentary day pass.
sstuwa.org.au/campbells
Cellar d’Or
Best value winery tour in the Margaret River Region. 10% discount for members.
sstuwa.org.au/cellardor
Cracka Wines
7.5% off online wine orders.
sstuwa.org.au/cracka
Taste Bud Tours
Swan Valley “Speed Grazing” – 20% discount. Good Food, Wine & Cider (am) or Good Food, Wine & Beer (pm).
Insurance for union members. Home, contents, car, landlords.
sstuwa.org.au/isinsured SSTUWA Legal Services
Access to quality legal services for both work-related and personal matters.
sstuwa.org.au/legal
Teachers Health Fund
Join the thousands of teachers who have already made the switch.
sstuwa.org.au/teachershealth
Teachers Health – Travel For details visit:
Vet Products Direct 10% discount on pet products, plus advice from professionals.
sstuwa.org.au/vetpro
Travel and Accommodation Accor Hotels Great savings for teachers at Accor Hotels in the Asia Pacific region.
sstuwa.org.au/accorhotels
Choice Hotels Choice Hotels welcomes SSTUWA members with exclusive rates at locations in Australia and NZ.
sstuwa.org.au/choicehotels
sstuwa.org.au/tastebudtours
sstuwa.org.au/travelinsurance
Comfort Hotel Perth City
Health and Wellbeing
Shopping
Goodlife Health Clubs
Dot Mall
Rooms from $145 per night including Light Start Breakfast for two. Located near the WACA in East Perth.
20% discount on platinum 12 month memberships. Includes access to all Goodlife Health Clubs in WA.
sstuwa.org.au/goodlife
St John
First aid saves lives. Discounted first aid courses and kits for members.
sstuwa.org.au/stjohn
WA Opticians
20% discount on spectacle frames and lenses. Perth and East Perth.
sstuwa.org.au/waopticians
Housing Houspect
Buy, build and invest with confidence. $50 discount on building inspections.
sstuwa.org.au/houspect
Johns Building Supplies
Trade prices on paint and painters’ hardware. Builders prices on all other hardware lines.
sstuwa.org.au/jbs
SkylightsWA
Specialising in skylights and roof ventilation, servicing all regions of WA. 7% discount off selected products.
sstuwa.org.au/skylightswa
BBQs, heaters and backyard kitchens. 5% discount for members.
sstuwa.org.au/comfortperth
sstuwa.org.au/dotmall
Experience Oz
Electrical buying
Save 10% on over 3,000 experiences across Oz + NZ.
Let Union Shopper find the best deal on your electrical purchases.
sstuwa.org.au/electricalbuying
isubscribe
Up to an extra 10% off any print and digital magazine subscription; over 4,000 titles.
sstuwa.org.au/isubscribe
Jackson’s Drawing Supplies
10% discount in Jackson’s 12 shops and online.
sstuwa.org.au/jacksons
Petals Flowers & Gifts
20% off flowers and gifts. World-wide delivery available.
sstuwa.org.au/petals
Teacher Superstore
5-10% discount, in store and online.
sstuwa.org.au/experienceoz
Inn the Tuarts Guest Lodge Forest retreat, 4-star, with indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and BBQ. Adults (12 years+) only. Five minutes to Busselton. Studios and rooms. 22.5% off rack rate or best available rate.
sstuwa.org.au/innthetuarts
Jarrah Grove Forest Retreat Luxurious, self-contained accommodation in Margaret River. Discounted rates for members.
sstuwa.org.au/jarrahgrove
Mandurah Houseboats 10% discount on houseboat holidays.
sstuwa.org.au/teachersuperstore
sstuwa.org.au/houseboats
The Good Guys Commercial
Rottnest ferry tickets
sstuwa.org.au/thegoodguys
sstuwa.org.au/rottnest
Online access to live discounted pricing on The Good Guys’ full range.
Save up to $15 on Rottnest ferry tickets with WestClub.
Western Teacher April 2022
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Classifieds
Classifieds Block for sale: Jurien Bay
700sqm fully serviced, ready to build on, one block back from beach. Close to schools, town centre, marina and recreational water activities. Perfect holiday, retiree or seachange locale. $108,000 (negotiable). Peter: 0437 377 361 | westside@tower.net.au
Block for sale: Singleton
806sqm (cleared) quiet street, easy walking distance to beach, shops, schools and ovals. $315,000 (negotiable). Jenny: 0435 257 124
Albany (Little Grove)
Silent Grove Cottage. Self-contained two bedroom (queen/two singles) on two hectares of bushland. Undercover parking. Close to yacht club, walking/ bike trails, national park and beaches. Teachers’ rate: $150 per night. Stay seven, get one free. www.silentgrove.iinet.net.au 9844 4950 | merron@iinet.net
Albany (Free holiday accommodation)
We operate a small guest house in central Albany, overlooking Princess Royal Harbour. Free accommodation available for four weeks in May and August while the guest house is closed. Wifi, kitchen, laundry and parking available. Proof of good character, and past or present employment essential. pkcrogerson@bigpond.com
Augusta
3x1 spacious holiday rental. One double, one queen, five singles. 200m from the river and town. Magnificent river views. One large living area, three sided veranda and BBQ. Provide own linen and towels. $150 per night plus $50 cleaning fee. gregrowl@iinet.net.au
Balingup surrounds
Farm accommodation surrounded by nature and wildlife. Located near Balingup, Nannup and Busselton. Pick your own avocados. Main house (three bedrooms, $300/night) or Quarters (one bedroom, $150/night). info@avodale.com
Cowaramup (Margaret River Region) Private B&B within newly built home. Parkland setting. Private queen bedroom, bathroom and breakfast room. Private entry and dedicated parking. 10 mins to Margaret River, Gracetown, central to wineries/breweries and beaches. $120 per night per couple including breakfast. Lee: 0412 902 932
Dunsborough (Quindalup)
Large 4x2 holiday home on Geographe Bay Rd. Swimming beach 30m away. Free
use of private boat mooring. Room to park boats with boat ramp a minute away. Slow combustion wood heater and reversecycle air-con. Available all year except for leavers’ vacation. No pets. 0419 943 203 | 9448 5527 a_r_moore@bigpond.com
Dwellingup
Après Huit and Dwell Cottage provide luxury self-contained accommodation set in beautifully landscaped gardens. Can be rented separately or together. Après Huit: 2x2, main house. Dwell Cottage: 1x1, furnished in a French theme. Robert: 0419 954 079 dwellcottage.com.au
Dwellingup
In need of a tree change? Time out to reconnect with nature? Time for a vacation in Dwellingup’s Jarrah forest, 90 minutes from Perth. Chuditch Holiday Home is perfect for couples, groups and families. It’s centrally located and sleeps up to eight people. Shani: 0402 615 235 shanivore@hotmail.com
Floreat
Studio B&B. New, stylish single room. Fridge, kitchenette, TV, aircon in lovely peaceful Floreat house and garden. Linen, tea/coffee, continental/cooked breakfast ingredients supplied. Suit mature person wishing to enjoy quiet accommodation. Close to city, buses, shops, hospitals and beaches. $85 per night, min two nights. Weekly and monthly rates available. SMS: 0422 333 057
Frankland River
Escape to the country. Imagine waking up to uninterrupted views of paddocks and trees with peace, quiet and tranquility. Choose a 3 bedroom house or a cosy
cabin set on picturesque 83 acres. A great place to relax and unwind. franklandriver.com.au Jade: 0430 450 093 | Sam: 0413 160 093
Fremantle
Short term accommodation in central Fremantle. Recently refurbished with all conveniences for modern living. Townhouse has three queen-sized bedrooms plus provision for two singles. Enjoy time in the rear garden, complete with BBQ. Secure parking for two cars, access controlled by electric gates. 9430 4458 | 0407 083 174 info@westerley.com.au
Fremantle
Staycation? Attending a function? Cosmopolitan getaway? Fremantle is the place. Cafes, restaurants and breweries. Markets, beach, art galleries, museums, theatre, events, shopping, skate park, Ferris wheel, whale watching... What more could you want? Eco-Gallery Apartment is stylish, centrally located, sleeps three and has secure parking. (08) 6323 2339 | admin@smartstaywa.com.au
Kallaroo
Serenity Escape is a 2x1 apartment with full kitchen, offering comfort and convenience. 20 min walk to beach, 5 min drive to train station, walking distance to Whitfords Brewing Co, cinema and shops. Toiletries, slippers and coffee machine provided. Min 2 nights. Sleeps 4, or 5 with mattress. No pets. $125/night for 3 people; $10/night per extra person. Molly: 0428 166 559 | mollysletters@gmail.com
Kalbarri
Clean, tidy, self-contained family-friendly 3x1 brick house at the top end of a quiet cul-de-sac. Sleeps 8: 2 x queen beds and 2 x bunk beds. Close to Blue Holes Beach, 15 min walk to town. kalbarriwa.net.au | 0435 845 504
Email 50 words or fewer to editor@sstuwa.org.au along with your union membership number. Free for members. 36
Western Teacher April 2022
Classifieds
Classifieds Lancelin
Large 5x2 holiday home. Everything within walking distance, close to beaches and town centre. Sleeps 14. Large wrap around verandah with outdoor seating/ eating and bbq. Heaps of parking for boats or quads. $45/night/person (min 6). Min 2 nights. SMS: 0412 804 345
Margaret River
Two bedrooms, private, comfortable, fully equipped stone cottage with fireplace, located amongst the forest opposite Boranup National Park, 17km south of Margaret River on Caves Road. Close to beaches, wineries, caves and galleries. $150 per night for two people, or provide own linen and towels for $120 per night. Russell: 0418 933 270
Nannup
Seraphim Retreat is a pet friendly 3x1 character farm cottage, five minutes from friendly Nannup. Set in acreage, with established gardens and stunning valley views. Air conditioned and wood heater. Horse riders can bring their horses to access our arena and trails. Teacher discount: $159 weekends, $149 midweek. See website for details. seraphimretreatnannup.com SMS 0420 832 510
Trigg
Tranquillity Counselling, Psychotherapy and Career Development
Learn to social dance
I provide holistic, confidential practical counselling to help you deal with an array of issues, some being: general relationship, mental health, anger issues/management, anxiety, depression, self-harm, grief and trauma, addiction, abuse, palliative care. Milica Robinson, MCnsig&Psychthpy, GradCertCareerDev, BEd. 0422 358 187
Learn jive, waltz, rumba, samba, tango and other dances for social events (ball, wedding, cruise, etc). A fun and easy course with quality instruction. Join with or without a partner. Melville (LeisureFit) Recreation Centre. Mondays 7.30-9pm. $118/8 weeks. Beginners’ course held every term. Term 3 2022 starts 25 July. Stan: 9330 6737 | stan@stansdancing.com
Retirement coach
MAWA
Marriage celebrant
First aid training for students
Marriage celebrant
Belly Rubs Boarding Kennels
Are you recently retired or retiring soon? You probably have a financial plan in place but developing a plan for the non-financial side of retirement can be as important as preparing financially. I offer support and guidance for the transition from work to retirement, helping you to find purpose and meaning in retirement. Contact me to arrange an obligation free chat. retirementcoaching01@gmail.com Marriage celebrant with 12 years of experience, working in the Peel, South West and Perth areas. Specialising in creating personalised ceremonies for couples at their chosen wedding location. I’d love to help you plan your special day! Meridith: 0400 312 535 meri.lake4@gmail.com
Self contained accommodation. Kitchen, laundry, queen sized bed plus fold out double couch in lounge. Free WiFi and Netflix. Own entrance. Find us on Facebook. Kerry: 0409 884 330 | FB: @justriggin 67justriggin@gmail.com
Heart Centered Ceremonies for couples wanting a personalised wedding. Lee will help you design your dream wedding – a memorable occasion. Mention this ad to receive a discount. Lee: 0404 655 567 leehalligancelebrant.com.au
Yallingup
Marriage celebrant
Rammed earth cottage, 2x1, nestled amongst bushland. Well located, short walk to Studio Gallery Bistro, two-minute drive to Caves House. Beaches, galleries, wineries and restaurants close by. Sleeps six. No dogs. stayz.com.au (property 136151) Kirsty: 0419 927 660
Experienced professional celebrant available, all areas. Formal or informal, large or small weddings. A Beautiful Ceremony will help you design an unforgettable and uniquely personal ceremony. Mary: 0418 906 391 maryburke40@hotmail.com
The Mathematical Association of Western Australia offers professional learning opportunities, conferences and consultancy services to teachers and schools and networks. MAWA members receive 10 per cent discount on MAWA shop resources. For more information: mawainc.org.au 9345 0388 | eo@mawainc.org.au St John Ambulance WA offers free first aid training to all school aged students, ranging from Triple 000 Hero for kindergarten students to Road Trauma First Aid for secondary school students. Courses are curriculum mapped. 9334 1259 | youth@stjohnambulance.com.au Personalised approach to boarding your canine companion. $25 per dog – mention you’re a teacher to receive a 10 per cent discount. Located in Southern River. Elisa: 0417 620 766 | FB: @bellyrubsboarding
Macramé is the new yoga
I'm a teacher running small group macramé classes in a cosy home studio. Join me and discover the power of mindfulness as you learn to engage your mind and your hands in a fun supportive environment. It's a powerful way to calm a busy mind. marcia@knotinlove.com.au
Western Teacher April 2022
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Noticeboard
Noticeboard
Public Education Day – 27 May
Retired Teachers’ Association All RTA gatherings, including choir and literature, have been put on hold due to COVID-19. The AGM is hoped to be held on Wednesday 22 June. More information will follow.
June State Council will be held on 10-11 June 2022. November State Council will be held on 11-12 November. Items for November 2022 State Council must be received by 5pm Friday 23 September.
IDAHOBIT 2022 The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia & Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) falls on 17 May. It celebrates LGBTIQ+ people globally and raises awareness for the work still needed. It marks the day in 1990 when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from the Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Celebrate IDAHOBIT in your home, school, university and workplace. For more resources and information visit idahobit.org.au
SSTUWA committee meeting dates: Early Childhood Educators’ TAFE Committee Committee 26 May 16 August
3 November
New Educator Committee Time: 4.30pm 14 June 6 September
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22 November
Western Teacher April 2022
On Public Education Day we recognise and celebrate public education and acknowledge and thank principals, teachers and education support staff in our public schools, preschools and TAFEs. Governments have a central role in strengthening public education systems through long-term investment focused on overcoming inequality. This requires increasing education funding and targeting resources to where they are needed most. Join the AEU on Twitter and Facebook and at aeufederal.org.au to celebrate this day.
Level 3 Classroom Teachers’ Association: 2022 meeting dates
State Council Conference
Time: 4pm
Email to editor@sstuwa.org.au
Saturdays, 9.30am at the SSTUWA premises Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
18 June
10 Sept
26 Nov
Venue subject to change. Visit www.l3cta.org.au for venue information and to confirm attendance, or email contact@l3cta.org.au
National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week 2022 National Sorry Day falls on 26 May and remembers and acknowledges the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people forcibly removed from their families and communities, which is now known as the “Stolen Generation.” The day recognised the strength of Stolen Generations survivors and allows us to reflect on how we can all play a part in the healing process for our people and nation. The day is followed by National Reconciliation Week, which falls 27 May-3 June. For more details visit reconciliation.org.au
Venue: SSTUWA office | Contact: (08) 9210 6000 or contact@sstuwa.org.au Teleconference facilities are available
International Committee
LGBTIQ Committee
Time: 5pm
Time: 4.30pm
Time: 4pm
2022 dates TBC
2022 dates TBC
2022 dates TBC
Women’s Committee
ATSIE Committee
Time: 3.45pm
Time: 4pm
2022 dates TBC
2022 dates TBC
Know Your Rights, tax statement, membership card and more Introducing the SSTUWA super app
pp a w e N e s a e l e r Get the app
Western Teacher April 2022
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Transition to Retirement Specialists Financial solutions and advice to help you transition
continue into 2022 & beyond! Please see tipsfs.com.au
Do You Feel Covid Has Interrupted Your Plans to Retire or Reduce hours in 2022? What you will need to consider ... • • • •
Can I afford to drop a day? How much will be enough to retire on? How can I maximize my income & reduce tax? When is it best to pay off my mortgage?
Certified Quality � Advice Practice .. Celebrating 30 years of helping WA Education Staff & their families.
Talk to your TIPS Financial & Lifestyle Specialists today.
TIPS FINANCIAL SERVICES
