public education voice march 2012

PUBLICEDUCATION VOICE

JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION - ACT BRANCH • March 2012

40 Brisbane Ave Barton ACT 2600 • P (02) 6272 7900 • F (02) 6273 1828 • www.aeuact.asn.au

NATIONAL CLOSE THE GAP DAY

CYBERSAFETY

CONTENTS

Public Education Voice • Official Journal of the AEU - ACT Branch • PAGE 1

From the Secretary 2

Sub-Branch News 4

The Shield of the Crown:

Be Informed 5

President’s Report 6

2012 Branch Council Meeting Dates 6

Recognising Our Everyday

School Legends 7

Equity and Diversity 8

Anna Stewart Program Report 9

Indigenous News 10

Statement of Financial Performance 13

TAFE Works 14

TAFE VP Report 15

Focus on ESOs 16

O H & S 17

AEU Federal Conference Report 18

Pedagogy: Cyber Safety 20

Member Profile 22

AEU Federal Conference: Page 18

Cyber Safety: 0

National Close the Gap Day: Page 10

• Official Journal of the AEU - ACT Branch • Public Education Voice

REPORT FROM THE BRANCH SECRETARY, PENNY GILMOUR

Welcome back to the 2012 School Year, and a particular welcome to all of those who are new to the teaching profession and taking up their first appointments in 2012. Whether you are new or an experienced practitioner, I trust that your start to 2012 was preceded by a relaxing and reinvigorating break, and that the year ahead will be happy and rewarding.

As we move into 2012, it’s worth reflecting on the two of the major achievements of 2011. Members can be proud of their efforts in the campaign in support of new Enterprise Agreements, the results of which have already delivered a pay increase for Education Support Staff, and which will shortly bring an increase to members at CIT. The ETD Enterprise Agreement document itself is close to completion as I write this column, but the critical work that must be finished before the ETD EA can proceed to a vote is the drafting of a document detailing the staffing procedures that will apply under the new EA. “Retention of annual transfer process with priority for transfers in filling positions as part of that process” was part of the in principle settlement reached in November 2011. The AEU and ETD are still drafting the documents that translate the transfer process into a set of procedures. The AEU’s guiding principle in these discussions has centred on a requirement for a genuine and transparent process that provides priority for transfers at some points in the staffing process, alongside capacity to fill vacancies through other means such as early offers to graduate

recruits, school-based advertising, and general recruitment.

At a national level, you as AEU-ACT Branch members can be proud of your contribution to the Schools Funding Review (SFR) Campaign conducted nationwide by the Federal Office. The recommendations of the Gonski report released on 20 February are confirmation of the AEU’s claims over many years that the current funding system was broken and required replacement. The real test for the Federal Government will be whether they can find the courage and the will to implement the recommendations in a timely fashion. “Resources delayed are resources denied” has been a catch-cry in this campaign – it’s time for the Government to stand and deliver in the interests of public education across the country.

While these two campaigns are significant, they are not yet over: both ETD and the AEU are hopeful that the EA will be finalised soon and the initial pay increase in pay packets by the end of April 2012. In regard to funding, it will be important that pressure is maintained on the Federal and Territory Governments to ensure the recommendations are translated into legislation that can be carried in the Federal parliament this year.

Two other key focus areas for the AEU in 2012 will be the development of UCIT, and the ACT elections which will take place later this year. The AEU continues to press Government for detail on the UCIT proposals, and to question why the proposal was not sent to the Education Standing Committee for scrutiny as the Assembly determined

should happen when it considered the Bradley recommendations in 2011. The lack of transparency and scrutiny in the decision-making around UCIT, and the apparent disregard of the potential for the proposal to strip-mine CIT’s capacity as an institution are matters of serious concern for AEU members at CIT, and should be so for the whole ACT community.

In regard to the ACT elections, I guess the candidates’ and parties’ campaigns will be here all-too-soon! The AEU will be undertaking our usual work in an election year, seeking the views of parties and candidates on matters of interest to the public education community. We look forward to strong platforms and clear plans that support public education and those who work within it, and which acknowledge the responsibility of government to ensure that all citizens in the ACT can access a quality public provision from preschool through to post-compulsory education, and across a well-targeted, properly-resourced public VET provision.

It promises to be another interesting and demanding year for the AEU. I look forward to working with you!

Penny Gilmour Branch Secretary

FROM THE


JOIN US ONFACEBOOK

SUPPORT PUBLIC EDUCATION www.aeuact.asn.au

SEARCH FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION:

OUR STUDENTS DESERVE THE BEST

FROM THE

Been promoted?

Congrats! Please make sure the AEU knows so that your

membership fees are accurate.

Going on Leave Without Pay?

Returned

from Leave?

Changed Workplace or Home Address?

Let us know in writing by

emailing: [email protected]

(Education and Training Directorate do not advise the

Union office of these changes.)

Please contact our Membership team Michelle Kirby or Tracey Govan on 6272-7900 for any

other enquiries.

It’s too late to welcome you back given that we are fast approaching the first stand down period (!) but not too late to remind you all of some important facts.

It is the AEU’s position that a full time teacher’s attendance time is 32 hours and 30 minutes (6 hours 30 minutes per day) plus professional responsibilities. These professional responsibilities include parent teacher meetings/interviews, open days and nights, PD, Staff/Faculty/Team/Sub School meetings and playground duty. The working hours for purposes of pay and leave, not attendance, are 36 hours and 45 minutes per week. An important point is that meeting times are negotiable and should be agreed by those expected to attend at the beginning of the year. The meeting schedule “...must contain a mechanism for review at least once a year.” (Enterprise Agreement 2009-2011 Cl.145.4 (d)) The EA’s Section GG - Recognition of work and life responsibilities - emphasises the point that members should not allow work to control their lives. For new educators in particular, don’t allow your enthusiasm to cloud your judgement. There are many additional tasks to be done in any school. Don’t feel obliged or pressured to put your hand up to take on every role. Pace yourself and share the load with colleagues.

Keep your own record of personal leave and other leave as you take it, as well as submitting the appropriate leave form. Your personal leave should be used for personal illness or for that of a family member or member of your household. Extraordinary or unforeseen circumstances may necessitate another

form of personal leave – leave in special circumstances. You begin the year with a personal leave allocation of 18 days. You have 7 single days of leave that do not require a certificate; up to 3 consecutive days are allowed without a certificate. However, your principal as the Director-General’s delegate may, “...with reasonable cause...” request a medical certificate for any absence. Such certificates are always your first and best evidentiary option. If you are ill for up to 3 consecutive days you may use a statutory declaration to explain your absence. Don’t use a ‘stat dec’ as your first option to explain your absences; it is a fall-back option for members to explain their absences. Leave Without Pay (LWOP) is not an entitlement (and does not count as service) so apply for it in advance and never assume that it will be approved.

Members may also access one moving day each year, and 3 days bereavement leave on each occasion of a death of a member of the immediate family or household, a parent, step parent, foster parent, partner’s parent, foster child, step sibling or guardian.

Members may access up to 15 days Industrial Leave to attend AEU or other relevant union training courses. Members should provide at least 14 days notice to their principal to access the leave which is granted at full pay.

The AEU provides members with Journey Cover insurance to and from work, to out of hours PD, to lunch breaks within 5km of the school and to union meetings. The insurance clicks in when your personal leave is depleted and provides you with 85% of your income for up to 2 years if required during your period of recovery.

By SchoolS organiSerS

PAGE 4 • Official Journal of the AEU - ACT Branch • Public Education Voice

NEWSSUB-BRANCH

It does not cover your vehicle repairs, medications or medical expenses.

New Educators (probationers) and contract teachers should have had their panels established by now and they should have chosen their mentors. If you are having any difficulties discuss these when/if they occur rather than allowing them to build up.

Common issues at this time of year often include timetable hiccups, confusion around preparation time and professional expectations. Your first point of call should always be to communicate these to your school’s executive staff and/or principal. It is important to provide the opportunity for these to be addressed at a school level.

The organisers are available to assist with any issues arising including industrial and health and safety issues, those requiring our advocacy on your behalf and many others. Your first stop should be the AEU website and the Enterprise Agreement (http://www.aeuact.asn.au/uploads/file/SchoolsEA.pdf). We are also available on request to attend sub-branch meetings.

Public Education Day is on May 24 this year. We are requesting schools to provide students’ Term 1 art works for display in public libraries and other spaces for the month of May. We also anticipate having schools advise us of their availability to provide their bands/choirs/dance troupes for Public Education Week which runs from from Monday 21 May to Friday 25 May.

Bill Book and Sascha Colley Schools’ Organisers


Work towards national harmonisation of health and safety laws resulted in the introduction of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (“WHS Act “) coming into effect in the ACT on 1 January, 2012. This Act repealed and replaced the Work Safety Act 2008 which in turn had replaced and repealed the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1989.

In essence the duties of care imposed by the WHS Act are the same as those which existed under the earlier Acts. However, the new legislation binds the Crown in the right of the Territory so that the penalty provisions of the Act now apply to teachers and other government employees and officers as well as the Education Directorate itself. The prior legislation dealing with workplace safety did not remove the “shield of the crown”1 except to require breaches of the relevant legislation to be reported in annual reports of the relevant Government entity. However, now State and Territory government directorates and employees face the same penalties as businesses and workers in private enterprise with regard to breaches of workplace safety requirements.

In general terms, the WHS Act imposes a duty on teachers to take reasonable care for their own health and safety as well as for the health and safety of other persons. Teachers have a duty to comply and cooperate with reasonable policies and procedures of the Directorate relating to health and safety in the workplace.

The duty imposed on a Principal and to a lesser extent on executive teachers is higher and requires them to exercise due diligence which includes the taking of reasonable steps to acquire and keep

THE CROWN

up-to-date knowledge of work health and safety matters, to gain an understanding of the hazards and risks associated with the operation of a school and to ensure that the Directorate has appropriate processes for receiving and considering information regarding incidents, hazards and risks in the workplace. This would include providing training and instruction to teachers about work health and safety and reporting incidents to the Directorate.

However, the WHS Act only requires the elimination or minimisation of risks so far as is “reasonably practicable”. Determining what actions or procedures are “reasonably practicable” involves taking into account and weighing up relevant matters including:

. Likelihood of the hazard or risk concerned occurring;

. The degree of harm which might result from the hazard or risk;

. What the person knows or reasonably ought to know about the hazard or the risk and ways of eliminating or minimising the risk;

. The availability and suitability of ways to eliminate or minimise the risks; and

. The cost associated with available ways of eliminating or minimising the risk including whether the cost is grossly disproportionate to the risks.

The penalties for breaches have been substantially increased by the WHS Act. The Act applies three categories of offence for breach of a work health and safety duty with penalties ranging from $50,000 for a Category III offence - (failure

to comply with health and safety duty) to $300,000 and/or imprisonment for 5 years for a Category I offence - (reckless conduct exposing an individual to a risk of death or serious injury or illness). The maximum penalties for the Directorate range from $500,000 (Category III) to $3,000,000 (Category I) with the Act providing that conduct engaged in or on behalf of the Education Directorate by a teacher acting within the actual or apparent scope of his or her employment, is conduct engaged in by the Directorate.

The Work Health and Safety Regulations impose a variety of duties upon the Education Directorate in relation to a safe workplace including a duty to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable the following :

. Work areas with space for work to be carried out without risk to health and safety;

. Lighting to enable work to be carried out without risk to health and safety and for safe evacuation in an emergency;

. Ventilation enabling workers to carry out work without risk to health and safety;

. Adequate facilities including toilets, drinking water, washing and eating facilities; and

. Provision of personal protective equipment to workers at the workplace and ensuring that the equipment is worn.

A maximum penalty of $30,000 is prescribed.

THE SHIELD OF

WhaT yoU neeD To KnoW By Robert Coen, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7


Governments have responsibility for the education of ALL young people.

David Gonski, the government’s own choice, has recommended a change to the way school education is funded in Australia. That is, that it should be on the basis of need.

Our young people comprise the most important resource this country has, and they are more important than the stuff you can dig from the ground or harvest from a paddock.

Our young people, with a high level of education, can ensure the economic prosperity and social cohesion of this country well into the future.

The federal government MUST ensure the implementation of Gonski’s recommendations and also review all aspects of its education policy to ensure it meets the needs of students, not its political needs.

The first step should be to clearly define what a high quality education is, and to develop a mechanism for assessing the quality of education that is much more accurate than the mediocre diagnostic test which is NAPLAN.

The Gillard Government has hung its education reputation on a website that hides more than it reveals. And there were the computers which were not needed and cannot be supported with

the current level of resourcing, the introduction of a “National Curriculum” which is based on political imperative rather than student need, and finally on a lot of buildings which are welcome but can hardly be said to have improved outcomes for students.

The reality is that since Gillard became involved in education policy Australia’s results in international comparisons have declined because she has forced all jurisdictions to focus on NAPLAN results. Further, she has clung to Howard’s failed SES funding model and now baulks at truly addressing the inequity of outcomes in this country by embracing Gonski’s recommendations.

All education professionals have an obligation to challenge the Gillard government and the Opposition to do something positive for the future of our country rather than focussing on their political futures.

Roger Amey Acting Branch President

2012 BRANCH COUNCIL MEETING DATES:

COUNCIL

REMINDER

9am Saturday 24 March CIT Reid

Branch Council meets on the following Saturdays in 2012 at J Block Theatre, Reid Campus CIT from 9:00am - 12 noon. Please arrive by 9:00am as a quorum must be present by 9:30am or the meeting lapses. Papers are available from 8:45am. Tea and coffee is also provided but please bring a mug.

• 24 March • 26 May • 23 June • 18 August • 22 September • 27 October • 24 November

For the information of new Councillors, Business Papers are forwarded through the Union’s maildrop via Sub-Branch Secretaries at least 1 week prior to the meeting.

This is your chance to have your say!

Next Journal Deadline:

28 May 2012.Contributions to the journal can be sent to: [email protected]


As a strong supporter of education here in the ACT, I want to ensure the good work of our students and their teachers is recognised. That’s why I created the School Legends Award Program.

This program has been a huge success and allows schools to recognise those quiet achievers in their classrooms – students who have overcome personal or physical challenges during the school year.

Schools are encouraged to nominate any student from Kindergarten to Year 12 for the School Legend Awards who has successfully overcome significant and compelling obstacles.

The awards are designed to recognise those students who have shown consistent effort, tenacity and resilience in achieving their goals. An example may be a student who completes the school year despite illness or a difficult home environment. Similarly it may be a student who has taken on a personal or difficult task such as learning to read.

More than 20 schools from Canberra have taken part in the awards, yet I have been disappointed that more public schools have not taken up the opportunity to recognise their bravest students. (Public Schools participating so far have been Gordon Primary, Wanniassa School,

Wanniassa Hills Primary, Richardson Primary, Charles Conder Primary, Stromlo High and The Woden School.)

So I urge you to think about nominating someone this year for the School Legend Awards, which are also a wonderful way to recognise the hard work our teachers put in to ensure every student reaches their full potential.

Please call Gai’s Tuggeranong office on 02 6293 1344 for more information about the awards.

RECOGNISING OUR EVERYDAY

SCHOOL LEGENDSBy gai BroDTMann, MeMBer For canBerra (alP)

The Regulations also impose duties on teachers such as:

. A duty on teachers to wear personal protective equipment in accordance with any information, training or reasonable instruction of the Directorate.

. Teachers must not intentionally misuse or damage personal protective equipment and must inform the Directorate of any damage to, defect in or need to clean or decontaminate any equipment of which the teacher becomes aware.

A maximum penalty of $3,600 is prescribed.

While some teachers have expressed concerns about the duties of care imposed by the Act and Regulations, it is important to keep in mind the objectives of the Act; that is to provide a safe working environment for teachers,

students and all persons who come onto a school’s premises. The Act seeks a contribution from everyone working at a school to achieve this result. It legislates the election of health and safety representatives and committees and provides a regime of provisional improvement notices to deal with potential dangers. It should also be remembered that the penalties are the “stick” applied in the most extreme cases. The primary intention of the legislation is to set standards which will reduce workplace injury.

The reality is that the great majority of teaching staff at ACT Government schools are already conscious of the need to provide a safe work and teaching place and are acting positively to achieve this goal. While the maximum penalties under the Act are substantial, the few prosecutions that have come before the Courts have indicated that an infringement of work, health and safety provisions will not attract penalties near

the maximum except in the most extreme cases. For example the collapse of a suspended concrete slab at a building site on Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra City in 2008 resulted in a penalty of $15,000 being imposed on the construction company. The failure of a driver to apply the parking brake of his bus which then proceeded to roll down a public street into the side of a building resulted in no penalty other than a good behaviour bond. In both cases, attempts by the construction company (moving workers away from the site when the signs of collapse became apparent) and by the driver (running down the street warning pedestrians to move aside) were regarded as mitigating factors as was their unblemished records.

1 There is presumption of statutory interpretation in Australia that legislation will not bind the Crown, or Government, expect by express words or necessary implication.

THE SHIELD OF THE CROWN - CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

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TITLE HEREGENERIC


WOMEN’S LIBRARY

Jessie Street National Women’s Library is a unique specialist library dedicated to the preservation of Australian women’s work, words and history. The Library was established in 1989 and is named after Jessie Street, a lifelong campaigner for women’s rights, the peace movement and the elimination of discrimination against Aboriginal people.

The Library’s charter is to collect, preserve and promote knowledge and understanding of the cultural heritage of all women; social justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; international friendship and peace. Patrons are Sir Laurence Street AC KCMG, Elizabeth Evatt AC, Dr Evelyn Scott AO and Clover Moore MP and Lord Mayor of Sydney.

The Library liaises with other major Australian libraries and internationally with women’s libraries in the UK, USA, Netherlands, France, Germany and Turkey. The Library has a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Technology, Sydney.

The Library is self-funding and depends on membership subscriptions, donations, bequests and fundraising events to meet its operating expenses. A Capital Investment Fund was established in 2009. Its target is $500,000, the interest from which would provide essential support for the Library’s operations.

Getting Involved

The Library is staffed by a large group of volunteers who are dedicated to the preservation of Australian women’s history and for this history to be easily accessible to the public. Lunch hour talks are held each month in Sydney where guest speakers address a wide range

of issues. An annual lunch is held in September at NSW Parliament House with a prestigious woman guest speaker. All are welcome at these functions and the Library is proud that students from public and private schools across the state attend the annual lunch.

Projects and Exhibitions

The Library is committed to ensuring that the contribution of ordinary Australian women is formally recognised. The Tapestry Project encourages women to write their own stories or those of their mother, grandmother or friend. The Oral History Project employs special volunteers to interview women from various cultural backgrounds. All these stories are important social histories of the contribution of women.

In 2007 the Library’s first DVD, More than Boat People -the Vietnamese Migration Experience through Women’s Eyes, was launched. In March 2011, the Library curated an exhibition at NSW Parliament House to celebrate the Centenary of International Women’s Day (IWD). The exhibition showcased how women have embraced IWD in the last 100 years. The Library’s NSW IWD posters were on display along with other materials from the collection.

The Collection

The collection grows daily and demonstrates how diverse the contribution of women has been to Australian history and how important the Library is in preserving this history. There are more than 9000 books including both Australian and non-Australian works. The non-fiction section covers all aspects of women’s issues and the fiction section’s priority is Australian women writers

from all cultural backgrounds. The entire book catalogue is available through the website and the Libraries Australia Network.

A significant and vibrant poster collection and audio-visual resources have been digitised and there are newsletters and journals from the 1970s and 1980s, such as Spare Rib, Refractory Girl and Scarlet Woman.

Archives include documents from the NSW Association of Non-English Background Women of Australia; The Australian Council of Women and The Canberra Women’s Archive as well as individual women’s papers. As part of The Canberra Women’s Archive, the Library holds an impressive array of material from the Women for Survival Peace Camp held at Pine Gap in 1983.

Using the Library

The Library website address is www.nationalwomenslibrary.org. The Library phone number is (02) 9571 5359 and the email is [email protected].

The entire book catalogue is available through the website and the Libraries Australia Network. The Library is located at Ultimo Community Centre, 523-525 Harris Street, Ultimo, NSW and is open to the public between 10 am and 3 pm on weekdays. There is a loan collection for members and inter-library loan is available.

To keep women’s words, women’s works alive and powerful – Ursula Le Guin, feminist and internationally renowned science fiction author.

JESSIE STREET NATIONAL

eQUiTy anD DiVerSiTy


PROGRAMTHE ANNA STEWART

In Term 4 last year I participated in the Anna Stewart Program. This is a two-week development program for women unionists who are interested in becoming more involved in their union. The AEU pays replacement costs to the workplace of the successful applicant to allow them to take part.

The Anna Stewart Program provided me with the opportunity to spend a week in the AEU office. It was an excellent opportunity to learn about the Union and its general day-to-day running. It provided

me with the opportunity to gain a greater depth of understanding as to how the Union works for its members.

I was involved in many activities, including learning about other unions and understanding individual roles in the AEU office. The week had an incredible amount of variety. At the beginning of the week I learnt about unions in other industries and their challenges for members. I spent time at sites with members including nurses, security workers and of course teachers and support staff in our public schools.

Another opportunity was working extensively on the beginning stages of a policy regarding early childhood education, and learning about the valuable input of members and the process undertaken to complete it. I particularly enjoyed this as I could see its potential benefit and support for teachers.

The AEU office was a supportive, friendly place and I greatly improved my personal understanding of our Union and other unions and thoroughly enjoyed my week with the staff.

By aliSon reiD, TorrenS PriMary School

The AEU (Federal Office) Annual Concise

Financial Report for the year ending

30 September 2011 is provided for

members’ information on the AEU website:

www.aeufederal.org.auOUR STUDENTS DESERVE THE BEST.

SUPPORT PUBLIC EDUCATION www.aeuact.asn.auAuthorised by Penny Gilmour - AEU ACT Branch Secretary • 40 Brisbane Avenue, Barton ACT 2600


Make your school part of National Close the Gap Day, March 22nd 2012.

Join with schools and the broader community around Australia in showing your support to Close the Gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians. This year more than 7,000 teachers and more than 85,000 students from 371 schools across Australia demonstrated their support making it the biggest National Close the Gap Day in history.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people still die 10-17 years younger than other Australians. Governments around Australia have committed to Close the Gap but there is still a long way to go. Be part of the growing schools community and help Close the Gap.

Register to hold your school’s 2012 National Close the Gap Day event today.

Mark in your school calendar to CLOSE THE GAP on National Close the Gap Day, Thursday 22nd March 2012. Your school can register to show support for closing the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Once registered, you will receive the learning resources and materials you need to run a successful event in your school including:

• A Schools Action Kit packed with ideas, activities, a step-by-step event guide and tools for students to take the lead and run the activities;

• Classroom and assembly resources including video stories, photos, factsheets and a copy of the National Close the Gap Day DVD

More than 150,000 people have signed on as active supporters of the campaign to Close the Gap, and tens of thousands take

part in National Close the Gap Day each year. Join them this year and register your school’s participation.

What past participants have said about the day…

“It was an engaging event for the whole school – a great learning experience for the students.”

“The students took on every task enthusiastically...they really took control with organising the activities”

“The DVD was great – it featured real people, real stories, compelling data and positive initiatives”

Register your National Close the Gap Day event at www.oxfam.org.au/nctgd

2012 AEU – ACT Branch Reconciliation Awards – nominations now open!

Do you know someone who is furthering Reconciliation in your public school or TAFE?

Nominations are invited for the 2012 AEU Reconciliation Awards. The Awards acknowledge and foster the good work of AEU members and community members in furthering the aims of Reconciliation in public schools and TAFE.

For further information and a nomination form, go to: www.aeuact.asn.au or contact Glenn Fowler on 6272-7900.

Nominations close 4.00pm Tuesday 15 May 2012.

Some Key Dates for 2012

21 March: Harmony Day 24 March: National Close the Gap Day 26 May: National Sorry Day 27 May-3 June: National Reconciliation Week 3-10 July: NAIDOC Week

naTional cloSe The gaP Day

NOMINATE AS AN AEU REPRESENTATIVEHere’s an opportunity for you to represent the views of AEU members on a committee, gain valuable experience and broaden your perspective on the ACT public education system.

The Senior Officers would like to take this opportunity to thank the members who represented the AEU on various committees in 2011.

Members are encouraged to apply for the position listed below and, if elected, may be required to provide written reports to the Union that will be tabled at Executive meetings. (A proforma will be provided.)

ETD Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Working Group (1 year appointment)

This AEU representative position is for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander member.

Responsibilities of the working group are to:

n continue to raise the profile of the RAP within ETD;

n monitor the reporting of the measures in the RAP;

n manage the process of refreshing the RAP; and

n consult with key stakeholders.

Applications including a brief CV (max.400 words) for this position should be sent to Glenn Fowler [email protected] or fax 6273-1828 by close of business Monday 26 March 2012.

Public Education Voice • Official Journal of the Australian Education Union • PAGE 11


2010 $ INCOME 2011 $

1,637,758 Members subscriptions 1,728,345

44,271 Interest on investments 48,894

2,741 Other income 2,139

37,996 Rent received 27,867

1,722,765 TOTAL INCOME 1,807,244

26,806 Affiliation fees & ITF Subscriptions 27,275

19,745 Amortisation - leasehold buildings 15,900

51,422 Arbitration & campaign expenses 89,274

3,200 Audit & Accounting Costs 3,200

13,036 Bank fees & merchant fees 12,151

- Provision for Doubtful Debts & Bad Debts 100

8,281 Cleaning 8,123

23,910 Computer Services & Database Costs 24,462

5,353 Depreciation 8,929

4,636 Donations - general 5,179

4,177 Electricity 3,646

8,141 Meeting & conference expenses 7,625

4,414 Membership services, training & website costs 20,106

14,921 Members Journey Insurance 15,012

103,573 Federal capitation fees 105,827

13,264 Newsletter Expenses 16,383

22,296 Insurance 25,113

2,994 Office equipment & Leases 2,994

55,742 Legal - annual retainer 57,664

1,942 Legislation reports & awards 980

4,018 Photocopying charges 5,509

9,161 Postage, staff recruitment & general expenses 11,321

19,692 Printing & stationery (Including year planner) 16,599

10,802 Professional development & training 9,260

(7,392) Provision for annual leave (3,930)

23,134 Provision for long service leave 10,009

31,450 Rates, taxes and body corporate fees 35,350

15,668 Repairs, maintenance & replacements 12,343

135,122 Salaries - officers 134,259

718,448 Salaries - other employees 788,211

119,856 Superannuation -general staff 130,169

19,408 - officers 19,882

14,196 Telephone & internet costs 12,459

2,126 Travel 1,516

43,330 Vehicle/car allowances expenses (including FBT) 37,760

3,031 Women's Budget 2,907

1,549,904 TOTAL EXPENSES 1,673,567

172,861 Operating surplus for year 133,677

ACT Branch Committee of Management Statement

On 14/2/2012 the Committee of Management of Australian Education Union – ACT Branch passed the following resolution in relation to the general purpose financial report [GPFR] of the reporting unit for the financial year ended 31 December 2011. The Committee of Management declares in relation to the GPFR that in its opinion:

[a] the financial statements and notes comply with the Australian Accounting Standards;

[b] the financial statements and notes comply with the reporting guidelines of the General Manager – Fair Work Australia;

[c] the financial statements and notes give a true and fair view of the financial performance, financial position and cash flows of the reporting unit for the financial year to which they relate;

[d] there are reasonable grounds to believe that the reporting unit will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable;

[e] during the financial year to which GPFR related and since the end of that year:

[i] meetings of the Committee of Management were held in accordance with the rules of the organisation including the rules of the Branch concerned; and

[ii] the financial affairs of the reporting unit have been managed in accordance with the rules of the organisation, including the rules of the Branch concerned; and

[iii] the financial records of the reporting unit have been kept and maintained in accordance with the Fair Work [Registered Organisations] Act 2009 and the RO Regulations; and

[iv] reports done on a single reporting unit basis; and that the financial records of the reporting unit have been kept, as far as practicable, in a consistent manner to each of the other reporting units of the organisation; and

[v] there have been no requests by any member or the Registrar that required a report under Section 272 of the Fair Work [Registered Organisations] Act 2009;

[vi] no orders have been made by the Commission under Section 273 of the RO Schedule during the period; and

[vii] there were no recovery of wages activities

during the financial year.

For Committee of Management Penny Gilmour, Branch Secretary


STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2011


2010 $ CURRENT ASSETS 2011 $

98,253 Cash at Bank 261,805

667,482 Cash on Deposit 910,099

30,793 Sundry Debtors and Prepayments 30,003

8,150 Members’ Welfare Loans 2,983

(2,000) Less: Provision for Doubtful Debts -

956,464 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 1,204,890

NON CURRENT ASSETS

967,669 Leasehold Property, Plant & Equipment 943,054

1,924,133 TOTAL ASSETS 2,147,944

LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

78,249 Sundry Creditors 177,142

152,983 Provision for Staff Entitlements - general staff 164,467

43,255 - officers 46,535

64,201 Subscriptions Paid in Advance 49,362

336,874 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 437,506

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

27,591 Provision for Staff Entitlements 17,092

27,591 TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES 17,092

364,465 TOTAL LIABILITIES 454,598

1,559,668 NET ASSETS 1,693,345

Represented by: Members’ Funds

1,104,418 Balance as at 1 January 2011 1,277,279

172,861 Revaluation of Leasehold Land & Building Reserve 133,677

120,320 Add - Surplus/[Deficit] for Year 172,861

1,559,668 BALANCE AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2011 1,693,345

Statement of Financial Position as at 31 December

AUDITOR’S REPORT

I have audited the general purpose financial report which comprises the Statement of Financial Performance, Statement of Financial Position, Statement of the Change in Equity, Cash Flow Statement, the Committee of Management Statement and accompanying Notes of the Australian Education Union – ACT Branch in respect of the year ended 31 December 2011 and have received all the information and explanations I required for the purposes of my audit.

Scope: The Executive Committee is responsible for the preparation and presentation of the financial reports and the information contained therein. I have conducted an independent audit of the financial reports in order to express an opinion on them to the members.

My audit has been conducted in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards to provide reasonable assurance as to whether the accounts are free of material misstatement. My procedures included examination, on a test basis, of evidence supporting the amounts and other disclosures in the accounts, and the evaluation of accounting policies and significant accounting estimates.

These procedures have been undertaken to form an opinion as to whether, in all material respects, the accounts are presented fairly in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards and Statutory Requirements so as to present a view of the Australian Education Union, ACT Branch which is consistent with my understanding of its financial position and the results of its operations.

The audit opinion expressed in this report has been formed on the above basis. In my opinion:

[1] there were kept by the Organisation in respect of the year satisfactory accounting records detailing the sources and nature of the income of the Organisation [including income from members] and the nature and purpose of expenditure;

[2] the general purpose financial report is presented fairly in accordance with applicable Australian Accounting Standards and the requirements imposed by the Fair Work [Registered Organisations] Act 2009; and

[3] that the Branch has not been involved with recovery of wages activities during the year.

Kim D Hanna FCA- Registered Company Auditor, McKay Gardens, Turner

Statement of Cash Flows for the year ended 31 December 2011

2010 $ CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES 2011 $

1,644,901 Receipts from Members 1,743,184

44,271 Interest received 48,894

40,737 Receipts - other persons 30,005

(1,500,102) Payments to suppliers & employees (1,568,117)

229,807 NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATIONS 253,966

Cash Flow from Investing & Financing Activities

- Funds from/to other reporting Entities -

(25,775) Payments for Assets (6,583)

Proceeds from Sale of Assets 5,000

(25,775) NET CASH PROVIDED BY INVESTING & FINANCING (1,583)

204,032 Net Cash Provided by Investing & Financing 252,383

715,489 Cash at beginning of year 919,521

919,521 CASH AT END OF YEAR 1,171,904

Public Education Voice • Official Journal of the Australian Education Union • PAGE 13

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2011

TO VIEW THE AUDITED ACCOUNTS IN FULL ONLINE GO TO http://www.aeuact.asn.au/about-us-latest-news/news/?news=2 and click on the link.


Late in December 2011 the recommendations from the Bradley Report Steering Committee (BRSC) suggested the development a University of Canberra Institute of Technology (UCIT) tabled for commencement in January 2013 to the deliver Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas, Associate Degrees and Degree programs.

The ACT Government is currently acting outside a Legislative Assembly decision in relation to this matter following approval of a private members motion in October 2011 which directed any recommendations from the BRSC to the Legislative Assembly Standing Committee for Education (SCE). This process would ensure that the SCE would open any such recommendations to public scrutiny. The recommendations from the BRSC were not tabled at the SCE prior to the announcement of the UCIT and therefore no public scrutiny has been applied to the BRSC recommendations for a UCIT.

At the time of writing, it has been reported to the AEU that the ACT Government “still (has) very little information about the scope, governance, structure and funding arrangements (of UCIT), and that the model is still in development phase”. Could it be true that the ACT Government is already committed to supplying recurrent and establishment funding for a new ACT tertiary institution in the absence of information about the structure or funding requirements of this proposal? Add to this anomaly the denial of public scrutiny of the UCIT decision and the ACT Government seemingly ignoring a Legislative Assembly decision, and we have a drama clearly unfolding. No

justification for the reversal of Bradley’s recommendations has been offered by the ACT Government. At no time have the educational and training needs of the ACT community been publically raised as a rationale for the UCIT decision by the ACT Government.

The AEU and the ACT community need to understand the possible impacts of any new proposed CIT/UCan arrangements on the long term funding and viability of the CIT. The proposed UCIT would likely impact on the recurrent funding for the higher education and training programs currently offered by CIT which approximate 40% of CIT revenue. Clearly, any UCIT proposal resulting in removal significant CIT funding would jeopardise the financial security of the CIT and its TAFE offerings to the ACT community.

Concurrently, CIT is competing with private providers for more profitable VET programs and coming to terms with the UCIT proposal. We have also seen the launch in February of the first of the College and High School based Trades Training Centres which would, like CIT, offer Certificates 1-3. One would certainly be excused for wondering if CIT viability is at the forefront for those who map the future of training provision in the ACT. The questions remain: Why does the ACT Government seem to be determined to undermine the viability of the CIT by increasing competition and possibly deferring significant funding to a third tertiary education institution in the ACT? In addition, what are the impacts on provision of VET training and second chance education to the ACT community if the CIT becomes insolvent as a consequence of the ACT Government’s continued fiscal mismanagement of CIT?

AEU members and the ACT community are encouraged to lobby their local MLA representatives, the ACT Minister for Education and the Chief Minister in support of a long term viable CIT and the continued delivery of low cost education and training programs for the trades and the broader community through the ACT’s TAFE. A Facebook page Friends of CIT (FOCIT) exists as a forum for discussion of the policy and funding assaults on CIT. The ACT Government must honour the Legislative Assembly decision to open the BRSC recommendations to public scrutiny and transparency or face the electoral consequences resulting from the lack of trust generated by their actions to date.

Work Safety investigation

The AEU is aware that CIT is currently subject to investigation by the Commissioner for Work Safety in relation to numerous complaints of bullying and harassment. At the time of writing, the Work Safety report is being finalised. The AEU member survey (November 2008) identified that workplace stress was the major concern for the vast majority of teachers at CIT. The recommendation of the investigation cannot be pre-empted but the AEU anticipates that members will be consulted and encouraged to engage in a process to address outstanding workplace cultural issues within CIT Centres.

The AEU has contested for many years that the primary source of the workplace stress across CIT is rooted in the unreasonable demands placed upon the teaching staff to consistently provide “more with less”. The recurrent funding of TAFEs across Australia (including the ACT) has depleted, in real terms, by approximately 30% since 1997 while

Continued next page

UniVerSiTy oF ciT?


the quantity of teaching has increased significantly during that period. This has placed significant pressure on managers to extract ever increasing efficiencies across the CIT. It is little wonder that these unreasonable demands have inevitably emerged as increased workplace stress. It is predictable that bullying and harassment claims will emerge from protracted stressful workplaces which are not managed appropriately.

The AEU expects the Minister for Education and Training to consider carefully the Commissioner’s forthcoming findings and to act upon recommendations that promote safe and wealthy workplaces across CIT. The AEU calls on members, the community and Friends of CIT to make their concerns known to the ACT Government and MLAs across the spectrum in this election year.

CIT Teachers Enterprise Agreement 2011-2013

The AEU offers the following timeline in relation to the progress of the new Enterprise Agreement. Much of this timeline is outside the direct influence of the AEU so it is provided as a guide only.

The draft new CIT Enterprise Agreement has been finalised and endorsed by Cabinet. All teachers will be provided access to the document during the period Monday 27 February to Monday 12 March, 2012. An electronic vote will be implemented from 8.30am Tuesday 13 March to 4.00pm 19 March 2012. Assuming teachers endorse the new Agreement it will come into operation 7 days after it is registered in Fair Work Australia. So, if no problems occur, the EA should be in operation from the date of signing, in late March, 2012.

skills and dexterity vital to many areas ofexpertise.

VET focuses on competency based achievement, so the primary goal of the VET teacher is to enable all students to achieve the learning designated in the subject, rather than identifying high achievers or establishing a hierarchy of learners. Teachers all spoke of this when interviewed and often the most highly regarded achievement of the teacher was how they motivated or taught non-achievers to get there.

VET students come from an incredibly varied background. They vary hugely in age, education, income, first language, subject studied and qualification chosen. Teachers are delivering a wide range of qualifications, from Year 10 Certificate, through Statements of Attainment for short courses, up to Advanced and Associate Diplomas and Degrees. Students may have no schooling or be high level public servants or business people with multiple degrees who are moving their careers in different directions, or adding a particular skill in IT, or perhaps a foreign language, to their suite of skills. Some students are full-time at CIT, some are full-time employees in the workforce studying only at night and others are apprentices working four days then coming to CIT one full day a week. They range in age from 15 to 70. So-called second chance learners - those who have not succeeded previously but have returned to study later in life to up-skill for a different career - comprise a key group.

The interviews and the commentary I provided are fascinating and I will return in later issues to give you more details of this mysterious and fascinating subject.

I have recently taken up the position of TAFE AEU Vice President at CIT for the second time, having had this position several years ago. Because I think many teachers in the school system are unfamiliar with TAFE I would like to share with you some research I have done recently into TAFE teaching.

I have worked in Vocational Education and Training (VET) in TAFE for many years and always been impressed with the dedication and commitment of TAFE teachers. Because I love teaching and seeing students learn, I wanted to explore further that mysterious and hard-to-define activity “teaching”. So I carried out a series of interviews with a number of VET teachers at CIT to collect the words of teachers about their work: what it is, how they do it and what it means to them.

As an activity, teaching can be hard to define, although governments spend many dollars trying to define, measure and reward it. But it remains difficult to get agreement about what constitutes good teaching or to produce criteria on which all agree. Obviously, with the wide range of learners that TAFE has, there is unlikely to be a single view. In fact, one of the great strengths of the organisation is its provision of a range of approaches to the teaching and learning process. Clearly some things work for some people and others for other people. Nevertheless I thought there might be some key threads, some distinguishing features that are present in a range of accounts.

I gave the project the name Handing–On which refers to the need for Australia to pass skills on, and reflects the physical

REPORTTAFE VP

By JaneT harriS


FOCUS ON

ESOsThe Enterprise Agreement between ETD and non-teaching staff has been drafted, approved by members and Fair Work, and you have received your first salary increase of 3.5% back paid to 18 August 2011. The second increase is just 4 months away. So, what did you agree to when you voted to accept the terms of the agreement?

1. You are credited with 18 days of paid, personal leave annually to cover absences due to personal illness, illness of a family member or member of your household. The leave is cumulative and will be credited on the anniversary of your commencement as permanent employee. Keep a personal record of all leave you access and as a back-up you should provide a medical certificate or, if that is not possible for you at the time, a statutory declaration. You may also access personal leave in extraordinary circumstances. You have a maximum of 4 days of paid leave to cover those unexpected situations where it is essential that you take leave from the workplace. Short-term temporary employees will be credited with 1 week of personal leave following 4 weeks continuous service and 1 day for every 4 weeks of continuous service with a maximum of 2 weeks in 12 months of continuous service. Following 12 months continuous service, short term temporary employees will be credited with 5.2 weeks (26 days) of paid personal leave and, for subsequent 12 months of service, 18 days of paid personal leave. Any personal leave with pay that is accessed counts as service.

2. Ordinary hours of work for SA2, 2/3 and 3 are 6 hours 15 minutes daily with an additional 45 minutes for lunch. For SA4 the ordinary hours are 6 hours 45 minutes with an additional 45 minutes for lunch.

3. During your ordinary hours of work you must be provided with adequate time and facilities to access relevant Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for work-related purposes.

4. During ordinary hours of work preschool assistants should be provided with adequate time and facilities to assist the teacher with preparation and programming that relate to the educational outcomes for students.

5. School assistants employed permanently or on contracts spanning multiple terms will be paid for the stand down periods between terms. SA4s will be required to work an additional 6 days during stand down periods [2 days each stand down or as negotiated with the manager].

6. All school assistants and preschool assistants are required to undertake 25 hours/4 days of professional development during the year or for Part Time employees a pro rata amount. The professional learning may be undertaken at any time during the year but the employer’s preference is for that to occur during the stand down periods. Out of hours PD counts toward the 25 hours total requirement. If you do undertake courses or training during school hours, you are required to make up the time taken

during stand down or at other times negotiated between you and your manager.

7. If you have been employed on a temporary contract for a school term or longer and are then offered a contract from the beginning of the next school year you will be entitled to pro rata annual leave, payment for public holidays and stand down from the end of the designated annual leave period. If you are offered a new contract before the first working day following 26 January, the contract commencement date will be the first date following the end of designated annual leave period.

8. Those of you who have worked on contracts continuously for a period of at least 2 years will be considered for appointment in consultation with the Directorate and unions without undergoing a further merit process. There will be a new contract assessment associated with this process and the continuous employment will be recognised from the beginning of 2011.

The AEU officers are available for consultation and advocacy on your behalf at short notice. We can meet with you either at your workplace or at a place of your choosing to discuss working conditions, health and safety and other issues. Call us.

Bill Book and Sascha Colley Schools’ Organisers

yoUr enTerPriSe agreeMenT iS FinaliSeD


Welcome to the new world in which nationally harmonised health and safety legislation controls all work places. You may not have noticed a difference yet and there should be no significant difference.

Every site is still a designated work place requiring a Health and Safety Representative (HSR) to be elected for a 3 year period. That is different in so far as the HSR was previously the Occupational Health and Safety Representative elected for 2 years.

There are incumbent responsibilities on HSRs under the legislation as there are on all workers and managers at any site. As long as individuals take whatever steps are necessary to minimise the risk from harm to others, both students and colleagues, then there is no reason to be concerned at all. But if individuals act without taking reasonably practicable steps to minimise risk then they are potentially liable should anything go wrong resulting in damage/harm to others. Such has always been the case. The difference now is that the fines have been increased significantly for all classifications including individuals.

That said, the responsibilities attached to the role of the HSR are those of an overseer. It is a job that is rewarding and refreshing knowing that because of you the profile of Health and Safety at your workplace has been elevated and your colleagues, students and visitors enjoy working in a safety conscious environment.

To assist you with your task you are advised to ensure that you have a short Work Safety slot added to the weekly

Staff Meeting agenda to help maintain safety awareness. That may be used to provide safety briefings or report on incidents, risk assessments, alerts and so on.

If you are uncertain about the process involved in conducting a risk assessment you should contact Shared Services, Injury Prevention either online, through the portal on Index, or by phone (6205 0211); ETD Injury Prevention at 220 Northbourne (6205 9152) and/or the AEU office (62727900) or www.aeuact.asn.au.

Ensure that any colleagues experiencing the misfortune of physical or psychological harm while at work lodge an Accident and Incident Report, available online through the Shared Services portal, as soon as possible following every incident. It is important to establish a record of events in case there are subsequent incidents involving the same individuals - and it is the law. In extreme cases do not hesitate to call on the police to assist you through an event or to lodge an official police report. It does no one any service at all to ‘sit on’ an incident because of concern over your school’s public image. Don’t hesitate to contact the organisers for assistance along the way.

Remember that if you are asked to work in a high risk environment you retain the right to refuse unless/until a risk assessment is completed and a risk management plan is in place. You are not refusing to do your job but you are refusing to place yourself, your students and colleagues at unreasonable risk. In all of this make certain that the principal and school executive team are kept fully informed of both issues and incidents and

WorK SaFeTy rePorT For FeBrUary

work with them to secure an effective resolution to the problems.

The importance of having ‘Ambulance Cover’

Advice from the ACT Ambulance Service is that, irrespective of the circumstances around the request for an ambulance, ACT legislation places a legal obligation on the person receiving the ambulance service to pay the account. I refer you to the attached information available from the A.C.T. Ambulance Service on Fees and Charges http://esa.act.gov.au/actas/fees-and-charges/

If you have been injured at work and been carted off to hospital by the ambos you will have to pay for the service. When you put forward your Comcare claim, that expense should be included as a part of the claim and should be refunded to you.

At this time of year, you may be approached by colleagues with questions about workload. Refer them first to the Workload Committee (a requirement at every site) for review. But that is an issue you might raise as a part of the first staff meeting in your Work Safety slot. Emphasise the importance of maintaining a work-life balance and remind members of the importance of external commitments. Family issues and personal health should always override work commitments.

Bill Book Schools’ Organiser

The ACT Branch had a voting delegation of Secretary Penny Gilmour and President Phil Rasmus, along with the ACT’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Delegate Vicki Lucas and Branch TAFE Vice President Janet Harris, who was the TAFE Delegate representing the ACT, NT and Tasmania. Acting Assistant to the Secretary (Professional) Glenn Fowler attended as an observer.

As usual, the keynote addresses were inspiring and had common themes. Pasi Sahlberg, Director General of the Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation in Finland, was fresh from addressing Australian politicians and Education Directors General. Let’s hope these policy makers listened carefully. Sahlberg’s message closely aligned with that of the formidable Professor Allan Luke from the Queensland University of Technology, and our overseas friends Nina Franklin from the UK’s National Union of Teachers (NUT) and Ian Leckie, the President of New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI). The “Global Education Reform Agenda” (GERM) is infecting developed nations at varying speeds: in some nations it is approaching the end of its decade-long cycle, whilst in others like Australia and New Zealand there is much work yet to be done to see it off. GERM is all about mass high stakes testing, competition between schools, privatisation, de-professionalisation, devolution and the introduction of charter schools or their equivalent. This agenda has been around long enough now for thousands of evidenced-based papers to have been


The annUal FeDeral conFerence For 2012 WaS helD in MelBoUrne FroM FriDay 24 FeBrUary To SUnDay 26 FeBrUary.

AEU FEDERAL

CONFERENCEwritten on the subject and the conclusion is clear – it doesn’t work. More enlightened education systems like those found in Finland and Canada are investing where it matters – in sample (not mass) testing, teacher professionalism, teacher learning communities, equity of outcomes and socially representative public schools. And yes, they’re the nations which lead the world when it comes to results in student sample tests such as PISA and TIMMS. By staying true to the principles that led us to teach, we can collectively outlast this damaging agenda, but we must remain vigilant.

The address from Fred Van Leeuwin, Secretary General of Education International, concentrated on the effects of the Global Financial Crisis on education and workers in those countries hardest hit. He presented a disturbing picture of the crisis for teachers in Greece, where salaries have been cut overnight by 40% and prices have risen in the same period by 35%. The result of this situation is that many teachers who can no longer afford to live in cities such as Athens are simply abandoning the profession and moving to less expensive rural locales. On a more positive note, Fred gave an encouraging report on the progress of EI’s global education campaign which aims to ensure access to basic education for all children by 2015.

Much formal business was conducted at Conference, including that on the following key areas.

Schools Funding Review

Much pride was expressed in the efforts of AEU members along with parents and community members for so heavily influencing the long-awaited Gonski Report into schools funding. Arguments that the AEU has presented for years have now become accepted wisdom through the publication of this report, and this is crucial for the future prospects of public schools. Gonski’s panel recommends a needs-based funding model which specifically accounts for disadvantage, and it recommends an immediate multi-billion dollar injection into public schools where the majority of disadvantage resides. The report is far from perfect, having been effectively hamstrung by the Prime Minister from the start through the promise that no school would lose a dollar, but it provides a blueprint for a more equitable funding model should governments be prepared to fund it. Conference called on the federal government to pass legislation enshrining Gonski’s recommendations by year’s end. The longer it takes for the Government to act, the greater the resource gap between our public schools and their private counterparts and as well-known public education advocate Lyndsay Connors asserts, “Resources delayed are resources denied”. Convincing governments of the urgent need to implement Gonski’s recommendations is our next challenge, so get ready for the next phase. The work of a public education supporter is never done!


The annUal FeDeral conFerence For 2012 WaS helD in MelBoUrne FroM FriDay 24 FeBrUary To SUnDay 26 FeBrUary.

AEU FEDERAL

CONFERENCEProfessional Issues

Conference called for an overarching framework for the development of the Australian Curriculum that will ensure the place and integrity of all learning areas. Concern was expressed about the lack of federally-allocated resources to fund the teacher PD required to properly implement the national curriculum. The AEU determined to continue to lobby for the disclosure of complete information concerning the income of all schools in the MySchool 3 website. Conference reaffirmed AEU support for the development of professional teaching standards and called on governments to guarantee teaching environments in which quality teaching can take place.

The discussion of professional standards was also taken up in comments made by Pasi Sahlberg and Fred Van Leeuwin, reflecting international perspectives on this issue. Sahlberg’s description of the competition for entry to teacher training courses at Helsinki University was instructive of the high value placed on the teaching profession in Finland: in 2011, only 120 places were offered among 2400 applicants to the teacher training program who were in the top 10% of academic achievers and also underwent interviews to assess suitability for teaching as part of the selection process. Those who missed out on a place in teacher training frequently opted for courses such as law or medicine. Qualification is to Masters level and professional development is an important aspect of teaching for which time and support are provided.

Indigenous Education

Conference strongly supported the work of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples (see www.youmeunity.org.au) and called for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s status and rights as first nations people to be recognised in Australia’s constitution. Reform in Indigenous education must focus on the five key areas of access to education, engagement, funding, workforce, and curriculum and pedagogy. With this in mind, the AEU will begin the Indigenous Education Campaign in 2012 and establish the Australian Indigenous Educators Network (AIEN).

Early Childhood Education

A detailed list of recommendations was passed in this area and this list will be disseminated through the sub-branch structure. A key resolution was that the AEU is to lobby governments at all levels to invest substantially in Early Childhood Education, with the initial investment benchmark set at the OECD average of 0.5% of GDP. Currently we are languishing at 0.1% which must rate as an international embarrassment. There was also discussion of the new ratings system and the implications of its implementation for preschool delivery.

TAFE

The stories of underfunding, competitive tendering and increased privatisation in the TAFE sector are all too well known by readers of Public Education Voice.

Conference determined to: expose current approaches to TAFE/VET funding and organisation as privatisation; campaign for guaranteed funding for TAFE; expose the activities of dodgy, for-profit, private providers; highlight the crucial role of TAFE teachers within the system, and defend the right of all Australian students to vocational education at well-resourced, high quality public TAFE institutions.

Apart from the Decisions which establish the AEU’s work focus for the next year, the social and networking aspects of Conference are notable. The Life Membership Ceremony recognises service to the AEU and education generally, and each eyar the ranks of Life Members are swelled by worthy recipients who have dedicated their lives to public education. This year was notable for the award of Honorary Membership of the AEU which was made to both Lyndsay Connors and Jim McMorrow, who have spent their professional lives as advocates for public education. Federal Conference provides an important opportunity to recognise the work of all in the public education community as well as to mix with colleagues from interstate and abroad, developing better understandings of each others’ circumstances and the ways in which we can work together for public education, whether locally, nationally or globally.


“We need to change people’s attitudes and raise awareness of inappropriate behaviour in the digital world. We must highlight to our peers how their actions today using technology like our phones, Facebook and MSN can have instant hurt or happiness.”

This was part of the declaration that Year 9 students from schools in and around the ACT agreed upon at the Cyber Safety Summit last year. They were challenged to take the message back to their school and create change. This is the story of how one network was able to do just that.

While six students from each school attended the Cyber Safety summit, we knew that we needed more leaders to make a positive change within our schools. Cyber Safety became the focus of the South/Weston Schools Network annual Student Representative Council (SRC) Camp. The South/Weston Network is made up of Melrose, Stromlo, Alfred Deakin and Telopea Park High Schools. With at least twenty students from each school attending, the leaders who attended the summit were able to share their knowledge, ideas and challenges with the larger group, building the leadership base. Over the three-day camp, in between trips to the beach, students brainstormed ideas and activities which were both powerful and achievable in tackling Cyber Safety. An abundance of ideas and enthusiasm was generated and the final decision was to hold a ‘Cyber-Safety Week’ which encompassed the following:

A Five-Day Facebook Famine (hosted by Melrose High): Students raised awareness for the issue of cyber safety and ‘took control of their own cyber world’ over the week by staying off Facebook for five days and encouraging others to do

the same. While many students found this a challenging idea, it was a great opportunity for them to realise the way this social network infiltrates their lives.

A Cyber-Safety Film Competition (hosted by Alfred Deakin High): Students from all four schools submitted 30-second advertisements promoting cyber safety. The winning film was sent via electronic media as a viral advertisement.

A Walk For Cyber Safety (hosted by Stromlo High): One hundred students from each school joined together for a rally and a protest-style walk where they declared that they would not stand by and allow bullies to take over their cyber space.

A Battle of the Bands (hosted by Telopea Park School): At the end of the walk, students gathered in Weston Park to enjoy a battle of the bands. Again, students joined together to agree that they would challenge bullies online and support the victims of cyber-bullying.

The collaboration between schools was a unique and valuable experience for all those involved. No longer were we working on our own to re-invent ways to tackle cyber bullying, but could work together to distribute the workload and share our goal.

While each school began with six leaders who were trained in cyber safety strategies, the camp saw this leadership base grow into a group of twenty ambassadors for cyber safety at each school. The Cyber-Safety Week event enlarged this group into a hundred students per school who declared together that they would not stand for bullying in their cyber world. The four hundred students at the rally where challenged not to stand by, but to stand up and to spread this message even further within their face-to-face and cyber worlds.

Jenni Evans Student Representative Council (SRC) Coordinator, Melrose High School

CYBER SAFETYWORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS

The acT SoUTh/WeSTon neTWorK cyBer SaFeTy iniTiaTiVe


MEMBERPROFILEAEU officer Glenn Fowler recently interviewed Olivia Neilson who is a Teacher Librarian at Campbell Primary School. Olivia has been teaching for 12 years.

Olivia, what drew you to Teacher Librarianship?

Initially the role of teacher librarian (TL) was offered to me on returning to work from maternity leave. After working in the role for several months I really felt it combined two of my great passions, literature and Information Technology. I knew I wanted to stay in the job but as a teacher working in the library I felt that I didn’t have enough expertise to fulfill the demands of the role. When I was expecting my second child I decided to undertake formal training. I applied for a scholarship from the Directorate’s Professional Learning fund and in 2008, completed my Master of Education in Teacher Librarianship.

Explain your role at Campbell Primary.

I am very fortunate that my principal values TLs so I am well supported in undertaking the range of tasks that come under the teacher librarian umbrella. I seek to engender a passion for reading and literature in all students. I work collaboratively with staff to teach information literacy to students K-6, encompassing aspects of digital literacy (including cybersafety), ICT skills, critical literacy and information skills (the ability to locate, select and organise information, create meaning and assess outcomes within a legal copyright framework). I liaise with executive staff, teachers and the Board/P&C to purchase relevant resources to meet the needs of the school. I also regularly “weed” the library collection to ensure our resources remain relevant.

How important are Teacher Librarians in our schools?

TLs are critical in developing 21st century citizens who are able to locate, evaluate and use information effectively. Studies show that schools with teacher librarians achieve better student learning outcomes (including higher NAPLAN scores) than schools without teacher librarians. The 2011 report from the parliamentary inquiry The importance of school libraries and teacher librarians in Australian schools recognised the important role that TLs play in schools in supporting digital and information literacy, resourcing the curriculum and helping students achieve positive learning outcomes.

What are the major challenges for Teacher Librarianship?

Many TL positions in ACT government schools have been drastically cut back or removed altogether in recent years. Reasons for this include insufficient staffing allocation provided by the Directorate to cover the administrative demands, a lack of appropriately trained staff and a lack of understanding of what TLs actually do. Through my work as Secretary of the Australian School Library Association (ASLA), I know that this is a problem in government schools nationwide. We cannot be left behind by

non-government schools which do invest in this area.

What policy outcomes do Teacher Librarians seek?

Firstly, schools need to be provided with a separate staffing formula for TLs that provides at least one full-time, qualified TL in every school who is able to team-teach with classroom teachers rather than providing teacher release time. Secondly, funding for school libraries needs to be addressed so that resources remain less than 10 years old. ASLA and the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) recommend a minimum replacement ratio of 10% of the collection size per year. Finally, the Directorate needs to better support teachers in obtaining their TL qualifications through targeted scholarships and improved promotional pathways for TLs.

What does being an AEU member mean to you?

I am a fervent supporter of a strong public education system and I believe that all children have the right to receive a high quality education. To me, this is the crux of what the AEU stands for. It disturbs me how quickly Australian society is moving towards a dichotomy of the “haves” and the “have nots”, with an ever-widening gulf in between. All children deserve access to the same educational opportunities and as long as the AEU continues to fight for that, I’ll be right there with them. I also believe that as I benefit from the work that the AEU does for teachers in negotiating our salaries and working conditions, I should be supporting them financially and in any other way I can.


Application for MembershipI hereby apply for membership of the ACT Branch of the Australian Education Union and if admitted agree to abide by the Rules of the Union. AEU Rules can be found at www.aeuact.asn.au /about-us/ I agree to pay to the AEU fees owing in accordance with the Union’s schedule of subscriptions. I understand that my fees will be adjusted automatically in line with salary movements.

I recognise that I must inform the Union of any other salary or status adjustments otherwise I will not be a fully financial member and may not be eligible for the full range of services.

I understand that the Union’s Rules require me to give written notice of resignation.

PERSONAL DETAILS (Please complete all sections)

Surname Mr/Ms/Miss/Mrs/Dr

Given Names

Home address

Postcode

Home phone

Mobile number

Work Email

I wish to be identified as an Indigenous Member

SECTOR Primary Preschool Secondary

TAFE Associate* (Retired/Student Teachers)

* Associate Members need only sign, date, attach payment or complete

credit card details. Go straight to signature box.

STATUS FULL TIME Permanent OR Contract

PART TIME Permanent OR Contract

Load %

CASUAL (Schools) – Average days per week [tick ONE]

0-1 2-3 3+

CASUAL (TAFE) – Average hours per week [tick ONE]

0-6 7-14 15-20

AEU Membership Application

ACT Branch

CLASSIFICATION Teacher Assistant Youth Worker

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Education Officer

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Education Worker

Other (please specify)_____________

I hereby authorise the Australian Education Union (ACT Branch) to access my salary and other employment details from the Education and Training Directorate for the purpose of updating AEU Membership records.

Signature

Date of application

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS

School/Workplace/

CIT Centre

Current level

Gross Salary

[Go to www.aeuact.asn.au/join-us for the salary steps]

PLEASE MAKE SURE PAYMENT DETAILS ARE COMPLETED OVER PAGE

& Campus

AEU Application Form 2011 V2.indd 1 28/10/11 8:18 AM

Monthly Direct Debit [Bank/Credit Union] 11th of each month or next business day

I have completed the DDR Authority below to have my subscription deducted from my bank or credit union account. Direct Debit Request Form and Service AgreementRequest for debiting amounts to accounts by the Bulk Electronic Clearing System (BECS)

Manager [insert name & address of financial institution]

I/We [Insert your name in full]

[Surname or Company/Business Name] [Given Names or ACN/ARBN] request you, until further notice by me in writing, to debit my/our account described in the schedule below, any amounts which the Australian Education Union – ACT Branch [User ID No. 066127] may debit or charge me/us through the Bulk Electronic Clearing System. I/We understand and acknowledge that:

1. The Financial Institution may in its absolute discretion, determine the order of priority of payment by it of any moneys pursuant to this Request or any authority or mandate.

2. The Financial Institution may in its absolute discretion, at any time by notice in writing to me/us, terminate this Request as to future debits.

3. The User may, by prior arrangement and advice to me/us, vary the amount or frequency of future debits.

4. Any queries to be directed to the Debit User in the first instance.

5. It is the responsibility of the customer to have sufficient funds in the account by the due date to permit the payment by BECS or bank charges may apply.

6. I/We understand the information supplied will not be used for another purpose.

7. Statements will be issued upon request.

Customer Signatures [joint signatures may be required]

Customer Address

The Schedule(Note: BECS is not available on the full range of accounts. If in doubt, please refer to your Financial Institution)

Insert name of account which is to be debited

BSB [Bank/State/Branch No.]

Account Number

PRIVACY STATEMENT:

The AEU will not sell or provide any information regarding AEU – ACT Branch members to third parties. The AEU’s Privacy Policy may be viewed at www.aeuact.asn.au and a copy is available from the AEU Office on request.

Please select ONE of the following:

I am paying by…

Fortnightly Payroll DeductionI authorise the AEU to contact ETD to commence fortnightly deductions at the appropriate rate as soon as possible.

Name

Signature

AGS No

OR

Monthly Credit Card

11th of each month or next business day

Please debit my credit card automatically

Visa Bankcard MasterCard Cardholder’s name

Card Number

Expiry Date / Amount $

Cardholder’s signature

OR

AEU Membership Application

ACT Branch

Payment Details

AEU Application Form 2011 V2.indd 2 26/10/11 8:14 AM

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public education voice march 2012

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