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The Independent VoiceAugust 2010 1

School Funding Certainty

Journal of the Queensland Independent Education Union Volume 10 Number 5August 2010

2010 Federal Pre-Election issue2010 Federal Pre-Election issue

The guarantee by a re-elected Labor government that it would maintain current funding arrangements to non-government schools until the end of 2013 has brought certainty to funding arrangements in the non-government sector.

In effect the Labor government has committed to extend the existing funding agreement including the current indexation arrangements by a further year thus ensuring a degree of certainty for non-government schools.

The IEUA welcomes the commitment as it not only gives funding certainty to non-government employing authorities but protects thousands of jobs in our schools that would have been under question in the absence of an indexation arrangement.

The announcement is clearly made

in the context of an election but takes place against the background of the review of current school funding arrangements initiated by the Labor government.

Under initial provisions of that review, a l l current funding arrangements were guaranteed until 2013.

The government, if re-elected, committed itself to consider the review findings during 2012 and it would now appear that any alternate funding arrangements would not operate until 2014.

The revised position on the existing funding arrangements comes after heavy pressure from non-government employing authorities and a very clear advocacy by the IEUA that the continued viability of the non-government sector

was under a real cloud in the absence of a commitment to current indexation arrangements. The Labor government had clearly recognised that guaranteeing the indexation of funding is critical for the sector and to the quality of education in our country.

The non-government sector now educates over 43 per cent of secondary school students and is a vital part of the Australian education landscape.

The commitment by a re-elected Labor government will ease the fears of millions of Australians who work in or have their children taught in almost 3,000 non-government schools.

A n y n e w s c h o o l f u n d i n g arrangements will need to be debated and introduced in the

context of the next federal election which will occur in 2013.

The IEUA supports a clear, fair and transparent funding policy for schools based on need and with reference to a national resources standard for schools along with rigorous accountability provisions for all schools.

Our union believes it is necessary that there is a transparent and open debate by all stakeholders on the required levels of resourcing of the nation’s schools regardless of whether they are government or non-government.

Recognising the very large number of students who now attend non-government schools, there is a need for a quantum shift in the way in which government recognises and funds the non-government sector

as part of the provision of public education in this country.

A serious commitment by any future government to meeting the national goals of schooling requires more resources to be provided to schools and that no school loses money as any new funding regime is implemented.

Currently too many schools do not have the resources to meet the needs of their students and in particular the increasing demands presented by students with special needs, including those with disabilities and those with behavioural problems. These students must be appropriately resourced.The IEUA supports funding for quality education to meet the national goals for all students irrespective of which sector those students are enrolled in.

The Independent Voice2 August 2010

Thank You Chapter Executives

Andrew ElphinstoneIEUA-QNT President

All unions strive to have a growing, educated and active membership.We are fortunate to have all three of these attributes in our membership.Our membership is our union; whilst our strength comes from the collective strength of our members, it is essential to have good delegates at each worksite to support members and foster collective activity. The IEUA-QNT membership has these attributes which is due to the dedicated and passionate work of chapter executives.

Michael Crosby notes in his book Power at Work, that union member satisfaction levels were very high when they were happy with the performance of their delegates. Chapter executives in all but the smallest worksites include staff representatives; membership co-ordinators; network co-ordinators; and enterprise bargaining co-ordinators. Union delegates do many and varied things to support

members at their worksite and further afield. Many times they ask the difficult questions; they are the spokesperson at your school promoting the rights of members. The time and effort made by many delegates is extraordinary. The support of an individual, a department or classification of employee can and does make a difference to their lives. Schools that have an effective executive that is organised and supportive of collective campaigns and actions make a powerful contribution to the success of our union. I have had the privilege to work with some extremely talented and passionate union delegates. These delegates and others like them deserved to be acknowledged as they are the heart, soul and backbone of our union and they are fundamental to the successes that we have been able to achieve.Our union has several awards

that rightly acknowledge various members for their contribution for the year. These awards include: John (Max) McDermott Award is an award presented to an individual and/or chapter who demonstrates an outstanding contribution to union activism. Ruth George Award is an award presented to a school officer who has made an outstanding contribution to unionism through representing the interest of their fellow school officers. Elizabeth McCall Award is an award presented to a person who demonstrates a commitment to unionism and the pursuit of social justice in our schools and community. Judith Cooper Award is an award for a Northern Territory member and/or chapter who has demonstrated an active commitment to unionism. Please refer to page 19 for further details of these awards, the people they honour and how to nominate a colleague.

I encourage you to nominate someone from your school; the nomination in itself is a significant recognition, because the member and/or chapter who have been nominated will feel appreciated and acknowledged by those that they try to support in their worksite. In acknowledging those chapter executives it would also be a powerful sign if other members would help these delegates do the many tasks that they do, as the future of our union is to have succession planning for chapter executives. Thank you to chapter executive members for the work that you do.

To protect and enhance quality educationAmidst the gaggle of policy announcements in this federal election, members can be rightly perplexed about the impact on their working lives whichever major party is the government after 21 August. In what is clearly a tight election contest the views of the Greens party cannot be discounted if it holds the balance of power in the Senate.

The election policy profile in this edition (pages 12-13) sets out in brief the key elements of the industrial and educational policies of the three major parties at the time of publication.

There is a clear intention of the ALP and Coalition parties to continue a radical agenda on the nature of

schooling and the operation of schools.

Few would welcome the further intrusive nature of the MySchool site under a Labor government but the proposal by the Coalition to institute annual whole of school student testing from years 3 to 10 would turn schools into exam factories rather than educational institutions.

Nor can educationalists condone the cutting of $3 billion from education funding under a Coalition government.

While the debate on funding for non-government schools has essentially been neutralised (see front page story), one is left with a

residual concern that neither party has a clear headed view of the appropriate funding regime for all Australian schools for the future. And on the matter of school funding to non-government schools, the policy position of the Greens is highly problematic.

On industrial law, the steam appears to have gone out of the debate – at least in this election – but the refusal of the ALP to consider further changes to the legislation is as problematic as a ‘commitment’ by the Coalition not to make changes for the ‘next three years’. Given the radical nature of the Coalition’s workplace laws, every Australian worker must wonder what might happen after in a following term.Members are encouraged to read

closely the policy summaries on pages 12-13 and inform your vote on 21 August.

Whatever the outcome of the election, education is clearly set to continue to be contested ground.

Our role as a union in that contest will remain one of advocacy on behalf of our members to protect their interests but ultimately to protect and enhance the quality of education in our schools.

During the course of protected action ballots held in the Catholic schools sector in February this year a briefing was issued by the Rockhampton Catholic Education office (RCEO) and the Townsville Catholic Education Office (TCEO) to their employees.

IEUA-QNT complained to the RCEO and TCEO regarding an aspect of the briefing and sought a clarification consistent with the provisions of the Fair Work Act.

Statement from

RCEO and TCEOIn the absence of a clarification sought IEUA-QNT initiated legal action in the Federal Magistrates Court alleging a breach of the Fair Work Act.

IEUA-QNT has agreed to withdraw legal action on the basis of the publication of the following statement. Employees in the RCEO and TCEO will also receive a copy of the statement both individually and at the school level.

Jim King - Assistant to the Director, Administration

In Employee Bulletin Issue no. 15 dated 27 January and 28 January 2010 the following statement was made:

“Not voting at all is the best way to vote no to strikes and industrial action”.

It has been asserted that by containing this statement Bulletin No. 15 breached the Fair Work Act 2009. We accept that the statement should not have been made and that it may have created some confusion among employees. We apologise for publishing this statement.

We accept the legitimate individual rights of union members, and that these rights include the ability to take protected industrial action where this is authorised by a ballot.

Additionally, all employees’ participation in the industrial process including participating in an industrial ballots is encouraged.

We will ensure that in future occasions no statements are issued which may counsel or advise employees not to vote in a protected action ballot.

Dr Cathy Day - Director

President’s ReportPresident’s ReportThe Independent Voiceis the official publication of the Queensland Independent Education Union (QIEU) www.qieu.asn.auISSN 1446-1919

QIEU Brisbane Office PH: 07 3839 7020 346 Turbot Street, Spring Hill Q 4000 PO Box 418Fortitude Valley Q 4006

QIEU Townsville Office PH: 07 4772 6277Level 1, 316 Sturt StTownsville Q 4810PO Box 5783Townsville West Q 4810

QIEU Bundaberg OfficePH: 07 4132 845544 Maryborough St Bundaberg Q 4670PO Box 1227Bundaberg Q 4670

IEUA-QNT Darwin OfficePH: 08 8981 1924FAX: 08 8981 193538 Wood StreetDarwin NT 0801GPO Box 4166Darwin NT 0801

Editorial/ Advertisingenquiries to Fiona Stutz:Telephone: 07 3839 7020Toll Free: 1800 177 937Fax: 07 3839 7021Email: [email protected] Terry Burke QIEU General SecretaryPublications Officer/JournalistFiona StutzPrinting: Rural Press (07) 3826 8200

Disclaimer: Advertising is carried in The Independent Voice in order to minimise costs to members and is paid at commercial rates. Such advertising does not in any way reflect endorsement or otherwise of the advertised products and/or services by QIEU.

Copyright All articles remain the copyright of QIEU. Permission must be obtained before reprinting. ABN: 45 620 218 712

CONTACTS

Terry Burke [email protected]

Branch Secretary’s ReportBranch Secretary’s Report


Studies Authority accreditation should they choose to use their exis t ing curr iculum beyond 2011.

In order to access funding, kindergartens were required to select a Central Governing Body (CGB) at the beginning of 2011; however, the Minister has recognised that kindergartens will require time to make a considered decision about

ABOVE: IEUA-QNT members from C&K centres in the Pine Rivers area celebrate the news that the 15 hour education program will be delayed for 12 months

Good news for Good news for

Community KindergartensCommunity Kindergartens

State government delays 15 hours

Existing community kindergartens will have an extra year to prepare for the 15 hours education program, following a decision from the Queensland government to delay its introduction for 12 months until January 2012.

The decision came following advocacy by IEUA-QNT and others to the Office for Early Childhood Education and Care (OECEC) in May this year.

The Minister for Education and Training, Geoff Wilson, announced that for 2011, existing community kindergartens will now be required to deliver a program on average for at least 13 hours and 45 minutes per week, for 40 weeks of the year.

This requirement is exactly half of the 27.5 hours of contact time for teachers prescribed in current industrial instruments.

Kindergartens in regional and

remote areas that have not operated on a fulltime basis will be required to conduct a program of 11 hours per week, over 40 weeks of the year.

H o w e v e r , n e w c o m m u n i t y kindergartens will still be required to introduce the 15 hours program from 2011. IEUA-QNT has raised this as an issue.

Minister Wilson also approved further transitional arrangements for existing community kindergartens to apply for 2011, including pre-kindergarten aged children enrolment eligibility.

Kindergartens may also continue to deliver their existing curriculum program, Building Waterfalls, or adopt the new Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline in 2011.

C&K centres wil l have the opportunity to seek Queensland

The future viability of The future viability of community kindergartenscommunity kindergartens

Early Childhood Education feature

their relationship with a CGB and has given kindergartens until 30 June 2011 to select a suitable CGB.

IEUA-QNT members in early childhood centres are to be commended for their efforts in advocating the delay of the 15 hours program until 2012.

While these transition arrangements

were made in a show of good sense, early childhood education still faces significant challenges that will require ongoing consultation and negotiations.

I E U A - Q N T w i l l c o n t i n u e t o a d v o c a t e f o r a v i a b l e community kindergarten sector to ensure its future as a provider o f qua l i ty ea r ly ch i ldhood education.

The early childhood education sector faces significant and far reaching challenges that will have a direct impact on the industrial conditions and professional standing of employees in the sector.

As union members we have a responsibility to act in support of quality education in the sector, to support quality industrial provisions for employees in the sector and for the interests of the professional standing of those who deliver these quality programs.

IEUA-QNT will articulate and advocate for a strong community based ECE sector to both the state and federal governments to ensure concerns felt by our members are heard.

Of particular concern to ECE members is the proposed level of funding by the Queensland government as part of the new Kindergarten Funding Scheme (KFS).

The new funding scheme, to replace DECKAS funding from 1 January 2011, proposes a level of funding of $2,100 per child; however, this is inadequate.

From July 2011 funding will then be

indexed, which will comprise a composite of 75 per cent of the forecast Wage Price Index and 25 per cent of the forecast Consumer Price Index as determined by Queensland Treasury; the quantum of this indexing remains unknown.

IEUA-QNT has commissioned independent research into the projected effects of the changed funding model for community kindergartens.

This research will provide hard evidence to conduct a funding argument to the Queensland government.

Any amount of funding for community kindergartens must ensure that staff receive appropriate wages and conditions and that the affordability of kindergartens for parents and families is not adversely affected.

As part of the new provision of the Kindergarten Funding Scheme all funds will now be provided through a Central Governing Body (CGB).

ECE members have expressed concern that a CGB may be allowed to impose unreasonable requirements on a kindergarten

as a condition of receiving funding.

Currently the Queensland government has not made public their criteria for the operation of CGBs nor who will apply to become a CGB.

IEUA-QNT will provide members with information regarding the operation of CGBs as soon as it is available to ensure community kindergartens are not subject to unreasonable impositions.

IEUA-QNT has sought discussions with the Queensland Minister for Education to raise these funding concerns and discuss the future viability of community kindergartens.

Further, IEUA-QNT has sought discussions with the new federal Minister for Education to identify problems caused by the current policies and to propose solutions which will both maintain the provision of high quality early childhood education and maintain comparable employment conditions for employees.

ECE members will continue to support the campaign for quality education in the ECE sector and support quality industrial provisions and professional standing.

The significant changes currently being imposed on the early childhood education sector by the Queensland and federal governments will be considered in the renegotiation of the ECE collective agreement expiring later this year. Negotiations for a new collective agreement in each sector will begin shortly. Members are now being asked to identify the issues of importance to them and consider what they would like addressed in a new collective agreement.

Issues raised by IEUA-QNT and its members for inclusion in an agreement include: review of wage rates for teachers and assistants; pupil free days and non contact time; remote area incentives; portability of entitlements; redundancy provisions; leave and sick pay entitlements; professional development initiatives; paid maternity leave; and additional remuneration for teachers and assistants.

The strong collective voice of ECE members is needed to ensure that early childhood education can continue to deliver a strong community-focused education.

In Brief...Collective bargaining

for ECE sector


Members in Action

Indigenous education members have been given a stronger voice within our union with the introduction of an IEUA Indigenous Committee.

Established to develop a concerted national approach to Indigenous issues, the committee’s first aim was to ensure Indigenous members have their say on what they believe are the issues they face everyday.

As part of this agenda IEUA-QNT research officer Miriam D u n n r e c e n t l y v i s i t e d t h e Indigenous education workers at

St Brendan’s College at Yeppoon and at Wadja Wadja High School at Woorabinda.

Miriam said the focus of the visit was to develop contacts to help identify relevant Indigenous union members for consultation on how our union can best meet their specific needs, and how we can demonstrate our relevance to those who have not yet become union members.

“The feedback from the schools was very positive. Everyone I

spoke to felt that this was a good initiative and a number of people have indicated their willingness to be a contact person as we start to build an Indigenous network across Queensland and the Northern Territory,” Miriam said.

Indigenous Liaison Officers from St Brendan’s College identified work intensification as a key issue they face, considering the nature of the work they do requires long hours at school.

Indigenous education employees

willing to be a contact person in their school for matters relevant to

Indigenous issues can email Miriam Dunn on [email protected]

LEFT: Ensuring that their voice is heard on Indigenous issues in education are Deb Pyers, Casey Conway and Wes Heberlein from St Brendan’s College with IEUA-QNT research officer Miriam Dunn

B E L O W : M e l i t t a Hogarth and Kathy Brady from Wadja Wadja High School with Miriam Dunn (centre)

PMSA members

campaign for RESPECTRESPECT

PMSA members from Brisbane Boys’ College (above top), Clayfield College (above, below) and Sunshine Coast Grammar School (left) undertook further protected action in July, wearing ‘Professionals Deserve Respect’ badges and signing a petition to show their frustration and anger at the lack of progress by the employer to resolve the key issues in negotiations for a new collective agreement, including professional rates of pay and hours of duty

PMSA school members have continued to send a clear message to their employer tha t any agreement mus t contain professional rates of pay and the scheduling of hours of duty.

Members from Brisbane Boys’ College, Somerville House, Clayfield College and Sunshine Coast Grammar School have continued to undertake protected industrial action in their schools by wearing badges and signing a petition demanding the employer show some respect for the valuable role staff play within their schools.

Resolution of professional rates of pay and schedule of hours of duty will demonstrate that the PMSA values and respects

their staff.

Employers were expected to table a revised wage offer at the SBU scheduled for 6 August.

The employer position on wages and hours of duty is significant in determining if further industrial

action in PMSA schools takes place.

Indigenous members highlight workplace issues


Members in Action

What are the benefi ts of attending training for ET6 classifi cation?

“Union training on how to apply for ET6 helped me to better understand my eligibility for the classification. The new classification a p p r o p r i a t e l y recognises the work and contr ibut ion o f e x p e r i e n c e d teachers.”

Peta NeillStella Maris Primary School, Maroochydore

ABOVE: IEUA-QNT members from Siena Catholic College attend the Sunshine Coast ET6 training in July

“The training clarifies how to apply for this new level and dispels a lot of concerns I had regarding the application and what would be required. I t wi l l make the application process easier as I now have a solid understanding of the criteria and the indicators that can be used.”

Chris GibbsSt Anthony’s Catholic P r i m a r y S c h o o l , Rockhampton

“Formal training is useful because, generally speaking, teachers even at our levels of competency are not used to self-promotion. With this training we become the students and for this purpose it helps us to position ourselves more effectively when applying for the new classification.”

Trish BartlettMt Alvernia College, Brisbane

IEUA-QNT members in the Catholic sector who are eligible to apply for Experienced Teacher 6 (ET6) now have a clearer understanding of how to apply for the new classification after attending recent ET6 training opportunities.

Throughout regional areas and in schools members attended the training sessions run by IEUA-QNT which included reviewing the step-by-step guide to applying for the ET6 classification.

IEUA-QNT organiser Nicole Carlill said all of the training sessions held throughout July and August proved popular with members and provided clarification for any concerns members may have had about applying.

“The training in Brisbane Catholic Education schools dispelled notions that applying for ET6 would be as onerous as it used to be when applying for Advanced Skills Teacher 2,” Nicole said.

“Members are now relieved that applying for ET6 is a more straight forward process for accessing the higher wage rate.”

The new classification, which was established in the Catholic sector collective agreement, will recognise the demonstrated skill, knowledge, proficiency and contribution of the classroom teacher.

In 2010 teachers who have been classified Band 3 Step 4 for four years are encouraged to apply for ET6 this year.

Teachers in Diocesan authorities have until 30 September 2010 to apply; teachers in other Catholic Employing Diocese should apply by 31 August 2010.

Catholic sector members benefi t from ET6 trainingCatholic sector members benefi t from ET6 training

ABOVE: Members from various Brisbane schools including All Hallows School attend ET6 training at the IEUA-QNT office in Brisbane

ABOVE: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) Thursday Island members take part in ET6 training

ABOVE: Members from the Cairns Diocese undertake ET6 training recently

ABOVE: Rockhampton IEUA-QNT members take part in recent ET6 training


Ros McLennanAssistant General Secretary

[email protected]

Job search success - How to jump into your teaching career

As the professional and industrial voice of non-government education in Queensland and the Northern Territory, our union receives f r e q u e n t e n q u i r i e s a b o u t e m p l o y m e n t o p p o r t u n i t i e s and vacancies in Catholic and Independent schools.

In response to member need popular seminar Strategies for Seeking Employment in the Non-Government Education Sector was developed (for details of this year’s seminar turn to page 16).

This workshop is open to all Associate members in their final year of university, or any member seeking professional advice on updating their employment history portfolio.

Guest speakers talking about “what employers are looking for” and “personal experiences for a new graduate teacher” are also included in the course format, along with practical and realistic advice on job search strategies, interview tips, your application letter and contemporary resume preparation.

First stepsOur teaching colleagues-to-be are encouraged to start the serious business of job search by:

1. Reviewing our union website www.qieu.asn.au to access current information. Click on ‘membership sectors’/‘graduate and associate members’/‘resources to assist in finding employment’.

2. Calling our union office on (07) 3839 7020 to request a copy of the booklet “Applying for a Job in the Non-Government Education

Sector”, which complements the employment strategies seminar.

3. Go to Catholic Jobs Online at www.catholicjobsonline.net.au. This website of Catholic education employment vacancies has facility for prospective employees to upload their profiles and employment ‘expressions of interest’ online.

4. Search the internet for practical tips on the job search process.

5. Check the websites of potential employers to find out more about their school and education vision.

Advice for job seekers1. Job hunting should be your full time job - Research schools of interest, attend professional or industry meetings, network, customise your resume and cover letter, and explore employment options other than the print media.

2. Stay healthy - Eat sensibly, exercise and minimise stress.

3. Volunteer - Make new contacts, develop your skills and demonstrate your sense of community/work ethic.

4. Make weekly plans - If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

5. Have a support network - Friends are your primary ‘networks’ and can provide a second opinion on your application letters, resume, and interview outfit.

Relatives, neighbours, contacts or friends in the teaching profession or working in schools can also give you

the low-down on positions coming up, possible contract opportunities or special projects that may need short-term staff.

6. Alternatives to full-time work - Part-time or fixed-term contract work wi l l bui ld your work experience profile in the short term, and will enable you to develop a pool of professional contacts and references.

Short- term employment can sometimes turn into an ongoing position – or give you an ‘edge’ when a permanent job does arise.

Making a positive impression at interviewIt’s a very competitive world and you can be up against any number of applicants.

There are many factors that determine your success at interview - most of which you can control and all of which centre around preparation.

1. Self Assessment - The interviewer will want to explore your values, attitudes, skills and abilities.

They will want to know what it is that drives you, what your work style is likely to be and how you will fit in with the work culture and specific demands of the vacant position.

Your capacity to articulate yourself well comes from knowing something about yourself. This will also enable you to ask the right questions about the position and the work place.

2. Avoiding stress -

Interviews can be stressful. Preparation will help you be more relaxed and confident.

3. Targeted selection or behavioural questions - With the targeted selection technique (or behavioural interviewing) you may be asked for evidence of how you have demonstrated a particular skill or action.

Keep your answers concise and to the point. Mention what the problem was, what you did to overcome it and what the outcome was.

4. Questions for you to ask - In reality, everyone in an interview is both interviewer and interviewee at the same time. You can help turn the interview into a conversation and communicate your interest by asking:• What direction do you see the school going in the future?• What induction program is available?• What ongoing professional development support is available to graduates?

5. Tips to Keep in Mind - • Be an active listener• EthosResponding to questions regarding the Ethos of a School requires prior research. While employers will expect all staff to support the values of the particular school, this does not mean that all staff share the same religion. • PresentationFirst impressions are crucial in determining how well you come across during the interview. • Follow up

Con t inue to p romote your

application after the interview by sending a brief thank-you letter, reiterating your enthusiasm and interest in the position and reconfirming the details of the follow-up steps as organised at the interview.

For further in-depth information on how to make a positive impression at an interview and what you need to include in a job application letter and in your curriculum vitae, visit our website www.qieu.asn.au/jobtips

The quality of education that can be delivered to Australian students relies on our profession’s ability to attract (and retain) committed, enthusiastic and engaging graduate teachers.

As you take your first steps into teaching, remember also the importance of being an involved and informed union member.

Work load, legal liability issues, changing curriculum, reporting and assessment structures, and negotiations for professional pay and conditions are all challenges in an otherwise rewarding career that are best faced together.

ABOVE: Debbie Kearney, Jo Martorella, Paul Martorella, Kim Hogan and Mary Lennon from Cairns meet to discuss Leading Teacher payments by CES Cairns Diocese

CES admits leading teacher error

Members in the Ca tho l ic Education Services (CES) Cairns Diocese have won a campaign for rest i tut ion of Leading Teacher payments following the revelation the employer failed to properly administer the Leading Teacher provision over a number of years.

CES had failed in recent years to advise individual teachers of their eligibility for Leading Teacher status in writing, as required under cl 3.2 of the provisions of the Cairns Catholic Education Diocese - Certified Agreement 1999 (EB2) Schedule 3 - Leading Teacher Provision.

IEUA-QNT organiser for the Cairns Diocese, Patrick Meikle, held discussions with members

across the Diocese before writing to the Executive Director to advise him of the extent of the problem.

CES responded to union concerns by advising that they were committed to implementing a process to ensure restitution for all employees who have been adversely affected by CES failure to make them aware of their eligibility for Leading Teacher status.

The restitution process required teachers to: a. Complete a Statutory Declaration stating that they were unaware of their eligibility for the Leading Teacher provision and would have applied for it and fulfilled its requirements, had they been aware; andb. Completing a Claim for Back

Allowances Form including having it endorsed by their Principal.

Patrick Meikle said: “This case highlights the need for ongoing

member education and support around important conditions such as Leading Teacher and the new Experienced Teacher 5 and 6 classifications”.

Patrick said he also commended and acknowledged the strong support from members across the Diocese for a just outcome in this campaign.

Assistant General Secretary’s ReportAssistant General Secretary’s Report


Paul GilesAssistant General Secretary/

[email protected]

Endorsed Collective Agreement – A Means not an End

In education systems across the non-government sector of education in Queensland and the Northern Territory members heave a sigh of relief as negotiations for collective agreements are concluded, documents balloted and agreements lodged with Fair Work Australia.

Similarly in various single-site kindergartens, schools and colleges, members who have been actively involved in the development of a new collective agreement and its negotiation – sometimes frustrating and always energy intensive – relax as a document is balloted, endorsed and lodged with Fair Work Australia. And rightly so.

The process of replacing an old or developing a new collective agreement is multifaceted and arduous.

Member engagement in the process, from the very start, is vital.

Members need to critique their current working conditions, as well as the benchmarks that are established in the wider educational environment and look ahead to changing conditions that are or are going to impact upon them industrially and professionally.

Through this critical process, fundamental claims are formulated and justified so that members and their representatives at the negotiating table can substantiate and convincingly negotiate their posited positions. Then the process of negotiation itself is demanding and can be lengthy.

This is a period of time and a process that demands full member engagement.

The need for established networks, regular Chapter meetings, involved discussion and a sense of solidarity and willingness to be involved in action that will emphasise just and fair claims is a necessary commitment for all involved during this period.

Once the negotiations are completed, the draft document is considered and balloted by employees before being lodged after a successful ballot, with the relevant industrial authority.

As we look back, this process with its attendant demands has occurred over the past months (and is still occurring) in various sectors and single sites across Queensland and the Northern Territory.

However , the development , negotiation and endorsement of a log of claims and resultant collective agreement is not merely an end in itself, but rather a means to an end - a part of an ongoing cyclical process.

Once a collective agreement has been endorsed and successfully lodged in Fair Work Australia or other relevant jurisdiction, the effective implementation and realisation of that agreement in the workplace has to be achieved.

A new collective agreement by its very nature and intent brings about a number of significant changes to workplace conditions.

Members need to be actively engaged to see that such change is implemented and is effectively implemented in accordance with the intent and regulation encapsulated in the collective agreement.

The latest Catholic collective

agreement, for instance, negotiated over the past 18 months contains significant change for workplace conditions.

The negotiated changes include:

• the introduction of a work impact study in the event of proposed significant change; • increases to paid parental leave;• support for graduate teachers; • mechanisms of review of fixed term appointments for school officer and teaching staff; • new classification steps for experienced teaching staff; • a PAR review; and • the widening of the potential duties for school officers.

A similar list of changes and enhancements could be outlined f o r c o l l e c t i v e a g r e e m e n t s negotiated in the Lutheran and Anglican sectors as well as in many single site educational institutions.

Such enhancements continue to be sought in various sectors including the PMSA and single site schools as negotiations continue for new or replacement collective agreements.

Negotiating a condition into a collective agreement, however, does not necessarily mean that it is realised in the workplace as intended by the agreement.

Effective implementation demands the right engagement and goodwill of employees and employers and their representatives.

Such obligations apply to both employees and employer.

It is only as members interact in a dynamic way with their collective

agreement and real world work experience/environment that t h e a g r e e d c o n d i t i o n s a r e manifested.

This can be achieved by members work ing toge the r wi th the collective agreement and the school administration through a school consultative committee (howsoever named).

Such consultative committees should reflect the staffing structure of the school and include teaching and non-teaching members and administration.

The purpose of such a committee, fundamentally, is to provide a forum in which employees actively engage in the correct implementation and application of the collective agreement.

It is in this forum that issues can be addressed and advice provided regarding matters arising directly or indirectly from the collective agreement.

T h e s e f o r u m s p r o v i d e a n environment that facilitates two-way communication between employee and employer and allows the opportunity of employee expertise and experience to be utilised.

In concrete terms, such a group should:

• i d e n t i f y p r i o r i t i e s f o r implementation from the collective agreement;• oversee the implementation of the collective agreement; and• identify emergent issues for further consideration.

Once the collective agreement is lodged with and approved by Fair Work Australia the ongoing task of

implementation of the agreement begins and continues throughout the life of the agreement.

The collective agreement is a means not an end.

Our union has developed a course Industrial and Professional Issues Under Fair Work Australia.

This day long course reviews the current relevant legislation, critiques the process of negotiating a collective agreement and develops strategies for making staff chapters and school consultative committees effective in addressing issues that arise from their negotiated collective agreement.

This course is available to most members through entitlements n e g o t i a t e d i n t o c o l l e c t i v e agreements.

I would encourage you to register for this training and be active in making sure that your negotiated agreement is fully implemented in your workplace.

Details regarding timing and venue of this course can be obtained from your organiser. Current courses on offer are listed on page 16.

Students sign on as

associate membersQueensland University of Technology (QUT) education students were given important information and advice on joining IEUA-QNT from union officers at the recent ‘Stepping Out’ Conference.

Of those students who attended on the day and visited the IEUA-QNT information stall, 117 were recruited as associate members of our union.

Organiser Nick Holliday said: “The main thing that we noticed was the recognition of our union by students – many of the people we approached knew that they were already associate members and showed a high level of engagement with our program, mentioning our previous presentations at QUT and our union publications such as the Associate Outlook newsletter. Obviously our associate member program is reaching students and informing them about our work as a union in the sector.”

Assistant General Secretary/Treasurer’s ReportAssistant General Secretary/Treasurer’s Report


Northern Territory NewsNorthern Territory NewsLutheran members engage in collective bargaining

On 1 July 2010 Fair Work Australia increased the minimum wage, changing all award rates.

Employees in the ELICOS sector will remain on their current classification level under the Educational Services (Post Secondary Education) Award;

ELICOS Update:ELICOS Update:

Increase to minimum wageIncrease to minimum wagehowever, wage rates will change (see table right).

The increases to the Minimum Wage need to be implemented as at 1 July 2010.

Notwithstanding the transitional arrangements in place over the past six months, it is IEUA-QNT’s

CHANGES TO WAGES SCHEDULE FULL TIME WAGES CASUAL DAILY RATE

Step New Rate Step New Rate 1 $38,926.78 1 $186.43 2 $39,445.83 2 $188.92 3 $40,225.73 3 $192.65 4 $41,013.43 4 $196.42 5 $42,672.33 5 $204.37 6 $43,778.23 6 $209.67 7 $44,785.08 7 $214.49 8 $45,891.03 8 $219.78 9 $47,002.18 9 $225.11

10 $48,436.73 10 $231.98 11 $49,772.23 11 $238.37 12 $50,951.18 12 $244.02

position that responsible employers should pay these rates in full.

To discuss when the changes may come into effect in your ELICOS college or for ways to improve your wages and conditions, please contact your ELICOS organiser on FREECALL 1800 177 938 or email [email protected]

ABOVE: Good Shepherd Lutheran College campus members from Howard Springs and Palmerston, Peter Schubert, Amanda Edge, Tanya Lloyd, Joan Scanlan and Gabrielle Kaoustos meet to discuss negotiations for a new collective agreement in the Northern Territory Lutheran sector

Members in Northern Territory Lutheran schools will have their voices heard on what are the important issues to include in negotiations for a new collective agreement.

Lutheran schools employees will soon be surveyed on what they would like to see included in a log of c la ims to be n e g o t i a t e d f o r t h e n e x t agreement; the current Lutheran (NT) Enterprise Agreement will expire on 31 December 2010.

IEUA-QNT organiser Camille Fur tado recen t ly met wi th members of the Good Shepherd Lutheran campuses of Howard Springs and Palmerston and St Andrew’s Lutheran School in July for initial discussions about current collective bargaining negotiations.

Camille spoke to the Lutheran IEUA-QNT members about ensuring that staff from each of the three Lutheran schools become actively involved in the negotiation process.

The key issues of consideration to employees include:

• Benchmark professional rates of pay for both teachers and school officers; • Clearer boundaries on important issues such as hours of duty and non-contact time;• Access to relevant professional development in line with the Northern Territory Board of Teacher Registration guidelines;• Paid maternity and parental leave provisions;• The introduction of leadership

positions and Positions of Added Responsibilities (PARs); and• Clarity around access to remote allowances.

“Now is the perfect time for Lutheran employees to become actively involved in and educated about the issues which affect them and to engage with their colleagues about what they’d like to see addressed in a new agreement” Camille said.

The negotiations also take place against the background of a

request from Lutheran Schools (Australia) to participate in negotiations for an agreement to cover Lutheran schools in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

“The potential to bargain on enhancements to wages and employment conditions, together with the upcoming expiry of the current Lutheran agreement, are important reasons for Northern Territory education professionals to join as members of IEUA-QNT to ensure their voice counts.”

Important changes to

teacher registration

Changes to teacher registration in the Northern Territory will see the introduction of new registration procedures. The amendments will enable the Teacher Registration Board to introduce two categories of registration of Provisional Registration and Full Registration and require teachers to meet renewal requirements on the basis of PD every five years. Regular updates at www.trb.nt.gov.au/

Collective negotiations: Yirara CollegeYirara College employer and employee representatives have identified a number of key matters which remain outstanding in negotiations for a new collective agreement for staff.

During the recent Single Bargaining Unit (SBU) in July employer representatives tabled a wages position using South Australian classification

structures and wage rates which would be of an advantage to school officers and the majority of teaching staff.

However, there was considerable differences of rates of pay for more experienced teachers.

Employee representatives have identified the need for experienced teachers to have a competitive rate in relation to other jurisdictions

and indicated that if Advanced Skills Teacher 1 (AST1) and AST2 were to be established to provide access to higher rates then consideration would need to be given to recognising similar classifications elsewhere to meet minimum eligibility requirements of years of service at these levels.

Employer representatives also tabled a position in relation to teacher’s hours of duty; however, employee

representatives identified a need for a number of clarifications to be brought to the various components of a teacher’s duties to ensure clarity. The employer has agreed to consider this.

The SBU will meet again in September to resolve the outstanding issues and it was hoped that a draft proposed agreement would also be available to staff for consultation.


Glasshouse

Country Christian

College

Glasshouse Country Christian College members have commenced negotiations for the College’s first collective agreement.

The employee log of claims asks for contemporary remuneration for all employees, a Position of Added Responsibility (PAR) structure and a review of the senior teacher classification and Vocational Education and Training (VET) classification.

Teachers have also tabled a provision to accommodate time in lieu allotments for loss of contact time, as well as a formalisation of class sizes.

School officers have requested annualisation of salaries, the establishment of a school officer classification structure with the right to apply for reclassification, and the banking of hours for overtime and Time Off In Lieu (TOIL).

Organiser Nicole Carlill said: “Members are aware that because this will be their first collective agreement that provisions will need to be continually managed.

“As such, members have included as part of their log of claims to establish a consultative committee which would convene to address provisions in the agreement.

“Members welcome the employer’s commitment to creating collective terms and conditions that are fair for all employees.”

Sector Sector MattersMatters

Nudgee International College members have formally tabled a log of claims to employer representatives at the first Single Bargaining Unit (SBU) in July.

During the SBU discussion took place around the scope of the agreement, timeframes for negotiating and representative structures.

Both employee representatives and management have agreed to ensure that any agreement reached reflects the particular circumstances of the College with reference to the secondary school preparation courses being delivered.

The employee log of claims detailed enhancement to wages and condition, including:

Nudgee International College

HHHHHH

Members at Caloundra Christian College have achieved a negotiated position for a new collective agreement.

The collective strength and resolve of an increasing membership has seen a new agreement balloted and lodged with Fair Work Australia.

Increasing membership density allows colleagues to be educated about the issues and how to protect their working rights and conditions, while building a strong collective culture of members supporting members across the education sector.

Organiser Nicole Carlill said increasing membership density strengthens the position and entitlements of members.

“In 2000 the College had no members and in 2008 membership grew to 20 per cent; in 2010 we are at 52 per cent membership density,” Nicole said.

Collective resolve has also resulted in a provision for the reconvening of the Single Bargaining Unit (SBU) in September 2011 to further discuss enhancements to wages.

Caloundra Christian College

Negotiations for the first collective agreement at ELICOS college HHH has begun, with staff members recently surveyed on what should be included in their log of claims.

IEUA-QNT members at the College are seeking improvements to their wages and conditions including professional rates of pay.

Wages in excess of the Award and paid marking and preparation time has been considered by members for inclusion in the log of claims, together with a paid parental leave scheme for all employees.

Recognition of higher qualifications, the establishment of a consultative committee to create improved policies and procedures and the option for staff to become part-time or full-time is also being considered.

Growth organiser Caryl Davies said members at HHH were looking forward to beginning positive negotiations with management.

“Employees at the College realise that they must be involved and active as members of IEUA-QNT to achieve enhancements to their wages and conditions in a new collective agreement,” Caryl said.

• Industry standard wage increases each year as part of the three year agreement;

• Allowances for relevant higher qualifications;

• Recognition of senior teachers and curriculum coordinators through both the allowances and time release;

• Paid professional development and staff meeting time;

• Long Service Leave parity with other Edmund Rice Education employees;

• Limits on hours of duty.

Employees await the employer response to the log of claims and look forward to negotiations.

IES

Employees have sought significant enhancements to conditions such as parity of wages, job share provisions and graduate teacher initiatives in the log of claims at Hills International College.

Members at the Jimboomba college are seeking improvements to wages including parity with the public sector and the implementation of a Senior Teacher classification.

Access to Long Service Leave (LSL) and paid maternity leave at half pay for double the amount of time, the implementation of job share provisions to allow for more flexibility for staff, and enhancements to current co-curricular and extra-curricular arrangements have been included in the employee log of claims for the employer

Hills International CollegeHills International Collegeto consider.

Graduate teachers have also been catered for in the log of claims with a claim for a formal induction program, mentoring options and a reduced teaching load.

Employees have also asked that any new agreement should provide for the development of fair-minded processes, such as workplace bullying and harassment policies.

IEUA-QNT organiser Christina Ong said: “Members have worked very hard to put together a fair and equitable log of claims and look forward to working with management to reach an agreement on their working conditions at the College.”

Members at International Education Services (IES) have met to consider their issues for a log of claims with bargaining due to begin later in the year.

Key issues for consideration of members are:

• professional rates of pay;

• work intensification and hours of duty; and

• p rocesses a round s tuden t complaints.

I E U A - Q N T o r g a n i s e r N i c k Holliday said: “Union membership continues to increase at the College ensuring that staff have a strong collective voice at the negotiating table.”

To fi nd out more about collective agreements, collective bargaining negotiations and what is happening in

your sector, visit our website www.qieu.asn.au


PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN EDUCATIONPROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN EDUCATION

In Brief...

The Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) will soon be providing information concerning renewal of registration for those whose registration is due for renewal at the end of 2010.

While everyone’s fees are due at the end of each year, there is a five year cycle for actual renewal of registration and for most teachers in Queensland this cycle ends this year.

If you have been a registered teacher for five years or more this information is relevant to you. It is important that you ensure your contact details as held by the QCT are accurate so that you do not miss out on the relevant information. You can check your personal details on line at the QCT website www.qct.edu.au .

On the website you can also refresh your memory about the requirements for renewal of registration: Recency of Practice, Continuing Professional Development, Suitability to Teach and payment of fees.

The QCT is currently developing policy and procedures for renewal of registration and information will be added to their website as soon as it is available.

Renewal of registration is vital to your continuing to teach.

QCT: Renewal of

Registration

Confusion over what QCT wants for CPDFrustration is building over the failure of the Queensland College of Teachers to provide clear and unambiguous information about the requirements for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to all registered teachers.

The CPD Framework is just that, a framework, and as such it lacks the detailed information necessary for teachers to have confidence that they are doing the right things and recording their information in a way that is acceptable.

In particular, members want to know about the procedures and processes that will be necessary to have their records of CPD accepted.

F o r e x a m p l e , w h a t i s t h e requirement for those who want to claim Professional Reading? What do they have to do to record their reading and how much time can be claimed?

There a re mixed messages circulating about what can and

cannot be used; for example, some members are saying that they have been told by representatives of QCT that the time they spend gaining or renewing their First Aid Certificate does not count and that teachers in Catholic schools cannot use their religious education in-service.

It seems patently obvious that a First Aid Certificate is essential to the care of students and that for teachers in a Catholic school that particular in-service is necessary to a deep understanding of the ethos of the Catholic school community in which they are teaching.

Teachers should not have to justify the inclusion of specific items of CPD that they have undertaken in order to meet the needs of their school, their students and the community that supports the school and its practices.

It is also not clear whether all the information on the College’s tool for recording CPD is mandatory.

Teachers are not happy about spending a great deal of time identifying which of the 10 standards are relevant to the CPD they have completed.

What is the process if there is dispute about which of the standards are relevant?

Members are also keen to understand what is involved in the auditing processes.

QCT has had a long period of time to resolve these issues and to provide the information that they need to have to all registered teachers.

With the full implementation of the requirements, including sanctions being in force from 2011, it is to be hoped that the necessary information is forthcoming soon and in a manner that is accessible to all registered teachers.

IEUA-QNT Research OfficerMiriam Dunn

A Flying Start for Queensland children:

But what about their schools?A vital factor is missing from robust discussion of the Queensland government’s desire to implement the changes to education that are outlined in the Green Paper, “A Flying Start for Queensland Children.”

As usual, this factor is a commitment to appropriate levels of funding to ensure that schools and their staff are not disadvantaged by the changes.

The implementation of the Green Paper requires a number of measures to be put in place.

Year 7 into high school

The proposal to move Year 7 into secondary schools in 2014 is also a good idea given that this is the year when students start to be one year older in Year 7.

The logistical implications of such a transition are massive though, and without adequate funding it will cause great hardship in many areas.

To begin with, in most secondary schools there will need to be a

substantial building programme to ensure sufficient classrooms for the additional students.

Moreover, the pressure on school budgets to provide specialist classrooms, such as laboratories and computer rooms, will be increased.

For some schools that are already pressed for space, solving the problem of where to put the students and how to ensure sufficient appropriate play areas for increased numbers of younger students will require significant financial commitment.

For families who normally send their children to boarding schools for secondary schooling, six years of cost instead of five will be a significant drain on family budgets.

It will impact on boarding schools as well, as they will have to ensure increased facilities that are appropriate to the needs of younger students.

There is in this proposal, the need to ensure that primary schools in rural and remote settings that are

already struggling to continue their good work in the community are supported to continue to provide choice to families.

In terms of staffing for this change, it will be necessary for significant resources to be made available for professional development to enable primary trained teachers to move into secondary settings effectively.

It is clear that this will be a very expensive exercise and the government cannot expect schools and education professionals to manage this change effectively without making provision for appropriate levels of funding.

The Independent Education Standards Authority (IESA)

Our union does not support the proposal to merge the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA), the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board (NSSAB) and the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) into a single entity, the Independent Education Standards Authority (IESA).

Not only would this be a drain on

available resources at a time when every dollar is needed to support the transition of Year 7 into the secondary context, but there are other significant issues that argue against such a move.

To begin with, the Queensland College of Teachers is fully funded by teacher registration fees and it would be totally inappropriate for any part of such fees to be used for any other purpose.

While Queensland Education Minister, Geoff Wilson, has indicated that teacher registration fees would be “ring fenced” for registration purposes only, it is hard to see how this could be guaranteed into the future.

Currently the three statutory bodies function effectively as discrete entities.

Where there is need for one authority to liaise with another, this is done.

Furthermore, the work of the QSA and the QCT as stand alone entities requires significant time in terms of the governance.

Shou ld they be combined ,

dec i s ion making processes would become inefficient and/or ineffective as the volume of work being fed to the new Board would be onerous.

An amalgamation of the functions of the QSA and the NSSAB is feasible.

Read to your children

The Green Paper begins with a social marketing campaign to encourage parents to read to their children and community members to volunteer to read to children in school.

This, in itself, is not a bad idea; however, the concern is that it will be seen as a cost saving alternative to the provision of sufficient professionals who are trained to assist students gain the literacy and numeracy skills they need to be successful in school.

Our union continues to participate in discussions around these and other issues arising out of the Green Paper.



PROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN EDUCATIONPROFESSIONAL ISSUES IN EDUCATION

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IEUA-QNT members Patricia Nash from St Andrew’s Catholic College in Cairns and Tsae Wong from Trinity Lutheran College of the Gold Coast have been appointed to the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) Governing Body.Joining the teachers on the Governing Body is IEUA-QNT Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Paul Giles.

Overall the QSA welcomed nine new appointees

IEUA-QNT members on QSA Governing Body

The Queensland Schools Alliance Against Violence (QSAAV) has made considerable progress towards fulfilling the requirements of its terms of reference.

A Toolkit for Schools has been developed along with a Toolkit for Parents; (http://education.qld.gov.au/studentservices/behaviour/qsaav/index.html) both are designed to be informative guides that can assist school communities to deal with the complexities of the issues of bullying, cyber bullying and violence in schools.

The Schools document deals with:

• What is and is not bullying;• Information about students’ roles in bullying behaviour;• How to create and implement effective whole-school approaches to bullying;• Further information about specific types of bullying; and• A wide range of resource materials.

T h e m e m b e r s of the Al l iance a c k n o w l e d g e that the issue is e x t r a o r d i n a r i l y c o m p l e x a n d that the needs of different schools and communities will differ considerably. However, the Toolkit should be a useful starting point for communities seeking further information and ideas about how to address the issue.

Currently under development is a suit of “good practice in schools case studies” which will be made available in due course. These case studies come from Queensland schools in the government, Catholic and independent sectors. They cover a range of school settings and contexts.

The purpose of these case studies is not to act as templates for use, but rather to provide real life examples of what is working in a number of places. It is hoped that they will provide inspiration and assistance to schools to shape their own local action plan to address the issues.

The Toolkit for parents and carers will likewise act as an informative document to guide parents through the processes of helping their child, whether the child is bullied or is engaging in

bullying behaviour.

The document for parents will deal with:• What is and is not bullying;• Information from research about the students involved;• What to do if they think their child is being bullied or a perpetrator of bullying; and• What they can do to protect their child from cyber bullying.

The Alliance has also developed a cyber safety brochure which contains a range of information about where to access information about cyber bullying that schools, teachers, students, parents and carers can access to keep up to date and informed about developments in this area. The brochure can be accessed via the same link as above.

QSAAV is closely following developments in the federal jurisdiction around these issues.

Of particular concern is the need to address the interaction between criminal and civil law and a legal framework to drive school policy and action and to clarify responsibilities of school staff.

This aspect of the issue is particularly relevant to cyber bullying in the light of South Australian Education Regulations. The Education Department in South Australia has received advice that the Regulations are written broadly enough to enable their application to events that occur out of school hours or off the actual school site.

In at least one case in New South Wales, the Coroner’s Report into the death of a student who took his own life after experiencing bullying recommends that “The NSW Parliament should consider introducing legislation in similar terms to” that in South Australia.

Clearly the legal implications of bullying and cyber bullying for schools and teachers are becoming increasingly complex and this is an issue that our union will continue to monitor very closely.


Need to appropriately fund

quality teaching in ECE

“ The toolkit for parents and carers will likewise act as an informative

document to guide parents through the processes of helping their child,

whether the child is bullied or is engaging in bullying behaviour. ”

to their Governing Body from 1 July for a term of three years.

Governing Body members represent teacher, parent, union and higher education groups, and the state, Catholic and independent school sectors. For more information on the Q S A G o v e r n i n g B o d y c o n t a c t t h e QSA office on (07) 3864 0299 or email [email protected]

In a presentation to the OECD Network on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), Deborah Roseveare, from the OECD looked at trends and developments in OECD countries for professional development and leadership quality in ECEC.

In talking about attracting the best graduates into this vitally important area of education, she outlined some of the factors at play in relation to workforce supply.

Among the issues identified as barriers to high achievers entering the profession were:

• Low wages;• Heavy workload and long hours;• Low social status and feminisation of the occupation; and• Lack o f ca r ee r pa thways or professional development opportunities.

Aligned to this issue is the need for on going, high quality targeted professional development.

These are areas that clearly do need to be addressed in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Presenters indicated that education professionals in the ECEC area

should be paid the same wages as those in primary and secondary teaching.

They also indicated that working conditions should be the same for all sectors.

This is relevant to our members who are required to work longer hours of duty, have restricted access to meal breaks and for whom the already limited amount of preparation time is currently under threat due to the introduction of mandatory 15 hours per week.

It is also clear that there needs to be greater opportunity for career advancement beyond the current provision for Senior Teacher allowance in Queensland.

It was stated that governments and employers should fund the provision of targeted, quality professional development to all staff in ECEC and that it should be provided within normal hours of duty.

Policy makers and those who espouse a desire for the provision of high quality early education for our children should take note of these findings and act upon t h e m f o r t h e s a k e o f a l l concerned.

Toolkit to help schools,

parents deal with bullying

The Independent Voice12 August 2010 The Independent VoiceAugust 2010 13

Federal election 2010: It’s time for IEUA-QNT members to decideFederal election 2010: It’s time for IEUA-QNT members to decide

ALPStudent and school reporting:Labor has promised to expand the MySchool website to include results of satisfaction surveys, school financial data and measures of student progress generated from the existing testing data. It has no plans to increase the frequency of the NAPLAN tests.

Workplace laws: The ALP has rejected the need for changes to industrial relations laws and have vowed to continue to stand up for workers’ rights.

The Education Revolution and School Funding:The announcement of the Empowering Local Schools program will see schools given greater control over their budgets and identifying funding priorities. Under the schools plan, principals and school boards would be able to control their own budget, directing resources to their students’ specific needs. The program would be introduced in 2012 in 1,000 schools, would initially target government schools and would be rolled out nationally by 2018 at a cost of $484 million. The initial trial will cost $71 million over the next four years. The government would work with non-government school authorities to identify how they could improve school performance through local decision-making. New school governance arrangements would be set up including giving school councils or boards responsibility for planning and overseeing school operations and finances. Principals would also have the authority to use business managers and administration staff to handle the operation of the school, which would give more time for teachers to focus on teaching.

The current $16.2 billion ‘Building the Education Revolution’ program is funding around 24,000 projects, benefiting more than 9,000 Australian schools. The ALP wants to provide $2 billion towards buying a laptop for each Australian student in years 9 to 11.

A re-elected ALP government will introduce new national trade cadetships worth $3 million, to enable vocational education and training to be recognised at school and to count towards future qualifications. $25 million to be invested to help students gain experience and confidence in a real work environment as part of the National Trade Cadetship being delivered in Trades Training Centres (up to 50,000 additional structured work experience places provided.)

The Review of Funding for Schooling will consider how schools in Australia are funded in the future and lay the foundation for ongoing investment in the sector. Labor has promised that the review would not cut funding to private schools; however, no gurantee has been made to continue indexing existing funding levels once the current funding agreement expires at the end of 2012. The schools funding agreement is now expected to be extended by a year to the end of 2013, meaning any overhaul would not come into effect until 2014. The move to extend the funding deal until the end of 2013 will lock in the existing indexation arrangements for private school funding for another year.

Performance Pay: Though the ALP has no clear policy statement on introducing any form of performance pay for teachers, the government has previously espoused the benefits of improving reward structures for teachers. However, the announcement of the Empowering Local Schools program will see schools given greater control over selecting and employing teachers. Under the schools plan, principals and school boards would be able to hire teachers. Schools will also be able to hire specialist teachers and support officers for areas of need identified by school communities and determine the appropriate staffing mix, recruit staff, manage leave and manage the performance of teachers within existing enterprise bargaining arrangements.

Greens

The Education Revolution and School Funding:Federal funding to the education system, both public and private, should be on the basis of equity to ensure that all Australian children have the best opportunities to achieve the best educational outcomes. Federal schools funding policy should prioritise the public education system to ensure public schools are able to provide the highest quality educational experiences and the the educational standards for the nation.

The Greens will implement a new model for recurrent funding to non-government schools based on proper consideration of the resource levels of these schools and their financial capacity, including fees and other parent contributions.

They will also implement an appropriate measure for indexation of the funding of non-government schools that de-couples it from spending on public schools, together with making non-government schools fully accountable to Parliament to allow transparency to the public of their use of government funds and their financial situation, including income and assets.

Student and school reporting:No league tables.

Teachers, academics, student unions and parent organisations should have a significant role in setting directions, priorities and curricula and in the administration of the public education system.

Workplace laws: The Greens believe that Australia must have a fair and equitable industrial relations system for all workers. Australia’s future workforce must be highly skilled, highly trained and well paid; the existence of a safety net and the right to collectively bargain are essential to achieving these aims.

An industrial relations system should protect and enhance the rights of employees and workers by legislating a minimum standard for pay, annual leave and hours of work that protects all employees and workers. It should facilitate industry wide collective agreements that are union negotiated and exceed the Award standards and ensure that workplace and union-led bargaining is the primary tool for obtaining industrial outcomes by putting in place a sufficient threshold before any party can refer a dispute to conciliation and arbitration.

Performance Pay: The salaries and conditions of teachers, early childhood and other educators should be set at a level that recognises the importance of their work, provides secure career structures, and encourages committed and capable people into the teaching profession at all levels of the education system.

Teachers should have a career structure which provides opportunities for advancement and promotion based on skills, experience and teaching specialisations. Performance payments are not an alternative to a properly funded career path.

Coalition

Workplace laws: The Coalition has promised that if changes are needed they will seek a mandate at the 2013 election. A definitive policy on workplace laws has yet to be released at time of printing.

Student and school reporting:Coalition promise to hold national literacy and numeracy tests for all school years from 3 to 10. The NAPLAN tests, currently taken by students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9, will be taken more frequently so that student progress can be measured more accurately.

An Abbott government will review the MySchool website, remove the raw score data currently published and would publish measures showing how students performance had improved.

The Education Revolution and School Funding:The Coalition will cut $3 billion from education programs. The cuts include $968 million from Trades Training Centres program, $700 million from the computers in schools program (will be cancelled altogether by end of 2011) and cut the Teacher Quality National Partnership ($425 million).

They will maintain the existing SES school funding system.

The Coalition has pledged to dissolve the Building the Education Revolution initiative. Government schools will benefit under a Coalition plan to allow them to self-manage their BER ‘school hall’ funding grants and keep the savings made to invest in other priorities.

The Coalition will invest $314 million to provide greater support to students with a disability and their families. They will also provide students with portable funding through an Education Card worth up to $20,000 per year, indexed to inflation. The Education Card will be implemented from January 2012 and be based on agreed nationally consistent definitions, providing portability of the entitlement between schools or school systems. This will provide choice to parents and a better education for students. The entitlement will follow the student and will bypass state educational bureaucracies, by being paid straight to education institutions. It is estimated that the roll-out of the Education Card will initially provide assistance to almost 6,000 disabled children and their families.

Performance Pay: The Coalition will work with the states to give Principals the right to pay the “best teachers” more. They have previously stated that performance pay should be for those who perform at the highest level, something teachers strive towards and it should not be easy for anyone and everyone to qualify. Any model of performance pay for teachers would need to be rigorous and competitive and not simply mean more pay for the majority without improved outcomes.

IEUA Policy

Workplace laws: In the lead up to the federal election in 2007 IEUA members campaigned strongly for industrial laws which protect the fundamental working rights and conditions of employees. IEUA supported the Labor government’s tearing up of Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs), reinstoring the right for employees to collectively bargain, the introduction of Fair Work Australia and a simpler system for unfair dismissals. IEUA will continue to stand up for workers’ right.

The Education Revolution and School Funding:The IEUA supports a clear, fair and transparent funding policy for schools based on need and with reference to a national resources standard for schools and for rigorous accountability provisions for all schools. Our union believes it necessary for a transparent and open debate by all stakeholders on the required levels of resourcing of the nation’s schools regardless of whether they are government or non-government.

The IEUA supports funding for quality education to meet the national goals for all students irrespective of which sector those students are enrolled in. With over 40 per cent of secondary students who attend non-government schools there is a need for a quantum shift in the way government recognises and funds the non-government sector as part of the provision of public education in this country.

A serious commitment by government to meeting the national goals of schooling requires more resources to be provided to schools and that no school loses money as we move forward.

Too many schools do not have the resources to meet the needs of their students and in particular the increasing demands presented by students with special needs, including those with disabilities and those with behavioural problems. These students must be appropriately resourced.

Student and school reporting:The primary purpose of reporting is to provide meaningful information to improve student learning. The development of reporting policies and practices must involve teachers and must value their professional expertise and experience. The IEUA believes that parents should have access to timely, meaningful information about their children’s progress and are entitled to comprehensive and accessible reports.

IEUA applauds the government’s establishment of a working party through the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) to address the current misuse of NAPLAN data on the MySchool website. IEUA is committed to ensuring the quality and structure of the information on the MySchool website is improved.

Performance Pay:The IEUA has long supported the recognition of accomplished teachers in schools. However, they reject the notion of ‘rewarding’ teachers on the basis of student outcomes; such an approach undermines the collegial and supportive team environment critical for quality teaching and learning.

The IEUA expects that any commitment to recognising accomplished teachers requires a plan for ongoing funding from both employers and the government. A system for identifying accomplished teachers needs to be administratively feasible, publicly credible, professionally acceptable, legally defensible and appropriated funded.


IEUA-QNT members, including school officers, can keep up-to-date on the latest news, legal

issues, resources, campaigns, events, collective bargaining updates, chapter and branch meeting dates and union submissions at the IEUA-QNT

website!

To find out what is happening in your sector and in your profession, visit our website

www.qieu.asn.au

School offi cers Keeping up-to-date

School Officers in Action

School science technicians now have a clearer understanding of the benefits of belonging to a union after attending professional development training recently.

The annual ConQest PD session where science technicians from throughout education sectors find out more about advances and new research in their field, also presented an opportunity for the school officers to consider union membership.

IEUA-QNT growth organiser Caryl Davies spoke at the session about the benefits of becoming a union member as a science technician and the specific issues that these workers may encounter.

Caryl said the school officers from independent and Christian schools were mainly concerned about Workplace Health and Safety issues in the school environment and the support of their teacher colleagues when they may have issues.

“The point was raised that the way to overcome these issues in their schools is to become a member of our union and to become educated about their rights in their workplace,” Caryl said.

The PD session was considered an opportunity for these members to meet up with other science technicians from across South East Queensland, as often they can feel isolated as many are the only science technician in a school.

“Professional development helps to reaffirm the value of school officers and the vital job they do within schools.”

Those in attendance have now become better educated on the advantages of working together with the rest of their school Chapter to support each other through issues that affect both teachers and school officers.

Science

technicians

understand

benefi ts of union

TGS school offi cers workshop TGS school offi cers workshop

position descriptionsposition descriptions

ABOVE: Toowoomba Grammar School officers Judy Gillies and Julie-Anne Crosby are assisted with their position descriptions by IEUA-QNT organiser Greg McGhie at the recent school officer review workshop

The increasing complexity and intensity of the work a school officer performs needs to be acknowledged through accurate and realistic position descriptions.

Without a position description which clearly documents the duties and responsibilities of their position, school officers can find themselves overloaded with additional tasks and under-classified in terms of the new skills and responsibilities associated with those tasks.

School officers at Toowoomba Grammar School and Shalom Christian College recently undertook workshops on their position with the help of IEUA-QNT organisers.

Organiser Greg McGhie said Toowoomba

Grammar school officers analysed their current positions so that they were able to update and classify as required their position descriptions.

The accuracy of their position description will ensure they are remunerated appropriately, he said.

“The workshop enabled the school officers to identify the shortcomings of their position descriptions and to anticipate its impact so that a classification review may be brought about,” Greg said.

“I t is important to ensure their contribution is recognised and rewarded and that school officers ensure that they have up-to-date position descriptions

reflecting the duties they are required to perform.”

School officers classification provisions provide an opportunity for school officers whose role may have changed to seek a reclassification of their position.

Recognition, through the documentation of the duties performed by school officers, is a vital step in the process of acknowledging the important role school officers have in our schools.

School officer members who think it might be time to review their position descriptions are encouraged to contact their IEUA-QNT organiser for information on what steps are needed to review their position descriptions.

L E F T : S c h o o l officers at Shalom Christian College Dagona Pedder, S u e E a s e y , M o n i c a K o l b , Jenny Smallwood a n d J e s s i c a H i r s h r e v i e w t h e i r p o s i t i o n descriptions during s choo l o f f i c e r c l a s s i f i c a t i o n reviewtraining in June 2010


s t rong; as a s m a l l e r g r o u p w h e t h e r a s a l a b technician or an employee of a small independent school , i f w e j o i n forces with teachers and/or the large C a t h o l i c Educa t ion g r o u p w e can have a chance of being heard.

“This is why I encourage all employees to be union members as every voice counts. It is because of this belief that I am a Council member and hopefully give school officers a voice.”

Working in schools for 30 years, Bernadette says she has witnessed many changes in the type of work and the workloads of support staff across the education sector.

“I feel now that as school officers we have reached a point where most employers recognise career paths for support staff and the important part we play in the everyday education of our students.”

School Officers in Action

Lab technician Bernadette Murray

Representing school offi cers on QIEU Council

Lourdes Hill College laboratory technician Bernadette Murray has been a voice for school officers on QIEU Council for over eight years.

Bernadette believes her role on union Council is to give fair representation to all school officer issues and concerns throughout all schools.

“I like to find out how other schools and systems work; unless we talk to each other and to teachers no one will know what happens in each other’s area,” Bernadette says.

As an active member of our union for over a decade, Bernadette says that school officers, whether in Catholic or independent education sectors, face many problems separate to teaching staff.

“I hope I give school officers a voice in Council to remind teachers that yes, they have issues but often these issues reflect back onto support staff. A good example of this is the National Curriculum and the introduction of Year 7 into secondary schools. This will have a very big impact on school officers with extra workloads in libraries, labs, in the office and all support areas.”

Bernadette says all teachers, school officers and support staff need to work together as one union for all school employees. “As individuals we have little influence over what happens but as a collective we can be

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This information is of a general nature and does not take account of your individual financial situation, objectives or needs. Before acting on this advice, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs. You should obtain a Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and consider the PDS before making any decision. If you require specific advice, you should contact a licensed financial adviser. QIEC Super Pty Ltd (ABN 81 010 897 480), the Trustee of QIEC Super (ABN 15 549 636 673), is Corporate Authorised Representative No. 268804 under Australian Financial Services Licence No. 238507 and is authorised to provide general financial product advice in relation to superannuation.

Lyn Giebels

Library Technican

St Joseph’s Primary

School, Beenleigh

School offi cer profi leIn 2004 school officer Lyn Giebels realised that after nine years working in the Library at St Joseph’s Primary School in Beenleigh that it was time to be properly recognised for the work she performed.

After attending school officer training sessions provided by QIEU and accessing her skills in developing a new position description, Lyn was finally reclassified from Level 2 Step 3 to Level 4.

Lyn said that through her membership of QIEU she felt more confident and better informed about the process of reclassification.

“If I hadn’t been a member I may have just ignored the situation as it would have seemed too much trouble,” Lyn said.

“But through attending the QIEU training sessions I was able to learn more about the process of reclassification. The fact I was able to sit with other members and talk with them was just amazing.”

Lyn said reclassification was never about the “financial gain” school officers would receive, but about gaining recognition for the work they do everyday.

Now six years on, Lyn is the Library technician at St Joseph’s and has built on her qualifications by completing a diploma in Library and Information Services and has almost completed a Bachelor of Applied Science, Information Management through Charles Sturt University.

Lyn believes it is important for school officers to be members of QIEU.

“Some things you can handle on your own, but as the recent Catholic sector campaign demonstrated, acting as a group can achieve so much more.

“This is particularly true for school officers, as they can sometimes feel

insignificant and powerless in the workplace.”

Lyn recommends that school officers who are in a similar situation as she was six years ago should continue to persist in their quest for reclassification.

“Un le s s s choo l o f f i c e r s actually go through the process, our employers will have no idea that so many people are unhappy with their classification. No matter what happens, if we at least go for it they can’t continue to ignore the situation.”


This session will provide final year education students with knowledge and skills to assist in finding employment in the non-government education sector. It will also help in the preparation of what to expect in the graduate year of teaching.

Topics which will be covered include:Where to find employment in the non-government sector;Writing a resume and cover letter;Preparing for an interview;What to expect in your first year of teaching; andThe in’s and out’s of supply teaching.

Principals and graduate members from the non-government education sector will be on hand to share their knowledge and experiences, giving associate members first hand knowledge of the strategies associated with finding employment in the non-government education sector and preparing for their career. All IEUA-QNT associate members or education students who would like to become an associate member are encouraged to attend.

RSVP ESSENTIAL - PLACES LIMITED!RSVP to Rebecca by 22 September on (07) 3839 7020 or email [email protected]

•

•••

•

Strategies for seeking Strategies for seeking

employment in the employment in the

non-government sectornon-government sector

28 September from 12:30pm-3:30pm

Queensland Council of Unions

Level 2, Peel Street, South Brisbane

IEUA-QNT Members Meeting CalendarIEUA-QNT Members Meeting Calendar• Early Childhood Network meeting - Cassowary Coast17 August, 5pmElandra Resort - Mission Beach

• Branch meeting - Sunshine Coast18 August, 4:30pmBuderim Tavern

• Branch meeting - Fraser Coast18 August, 4pmWhite Lion Hotel, Maryborough

• Early Childhood Network Meeting - Far North Queensland18 August, 5pmRydges Esplanade Resort

• Branch Dinner & meeting - Far North Queensland19 August, 6:30pmRydges Esplanade Resort

• Branch meeting - Bayside25 August, 4pmBelmont Tavern

• Industrial Relations in the Workplace training Day 1 - Mackay19 August, 8.30am-3.30pm QCU building

• Branch meeting - Mackay19 August, 4pmThe Shamrock Hotel

For full IEUA-QNT training details visit our website at

www.qieu.asn.au

• Industrial Relations in the Workplace training Day 2 - Mackay20 August, 8.30am-3.30pm QCU building

• Industrial Relations in the Workplace training Day 2 - Moreton, Metro and North Metro20 August, 9am-3pmAshgrove Golf Club, The Gap

• Industrial Relations in the Workplace training Day 1 - North Queensland24 August, 8.30am-3.30pmThe Buff’s Club, Mt Isa

• Industrial Relations in the Workplace training Day 2 - North Queensland25 August, 8.30am-3.30pm The Buff’s Club, Mt Isa

• Branch meeting - Logan (to discuss compulsory professional development)25 August, 4pmJimboomba

• Branch meeting - Gold Coast1 September, 4:15pmTown and Country Hotel and Function Centre (Nerang)

• Legal Issues Seminar - Bayside and Logan Branches2 September, 4pm-7pm Carina Leagues Club

• Industrial and Professional Issues Under Fair Work Australia - North Queensland6 September, 9am-3pmQIEU office, Townsville

• Industrial and Professional Issues Under Fair Work Australia - Rockhampton7 September, 9am-3pmQCU building, Campbell Street

• Industrial and Professional Issues Under Fair Work Australia - Bundaberg8 September, 9am-3pmQCU building, Maryborough Street

• Branch meeting - North Metropolitan8 September, 4:30pmRedcliffe RSL Club

• Industrial and Professional Issues Under Fair Work Australia - Cairns8 September, 9am-3pmRydges Esplanade Resort

• School Offi cers Workshop New Catholic Agreement - Cairns8 September, 4pmRydges Esplanade Resort

• Industrial and Professional Issues Under Fair Work Australia - North Metropolitan, Metropolitan and Moreton8 September -O’Shea Centre, Wilston

• Work Cover Seminar - North Queensland9 September, 4pm-6pmQIEU office, Townsville

• ET6 training - Cairns9 September, 4pmSt Mary’s College, Woree

• Industrial Relations in the Workplace training Day 2 - Bayside and Logan 10 September, 9am-3pm Carina Leagues Club

• Industrial and Professional Issues Under Fair Work Australia - Mackay10 September, 9.30am-3.30pm QCU building

• ET6 Workshop - Townsville14 September, 4pmQIEU office

• Industrial and Professional Issues Under Fair Work Australia - Sunshine Coast13 October, 9am-3pmThe Sands Hotel, Maroochydore

• Branch meeting - Logan14 October, 4pmRochedale Rovers

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Understanding Your Workplace - member training day9 September, 9am-3pm LHMU Office, 38 Woods Street, Darwin

• Industrial and Professional Issues Under Fair Work Australia - Toowoomba14 October, 9am-4pmGold Park Sporting Complex, 341 Hume Highway

• Industrial and Professional Issues Under Fair Work Australia - Bayside, Logan and Gold Coast15 October, 9am-3pmSpringwood Hotel

• Branch meeting - Sunshine Coast20 October, 4:30pmNoosa Reef Hotel

• Branch meeting - Bayside21 October, 4pmBelmont Tavern

• Branch meeting - North Metropolitan27 October, 4:30pmBracken Ridge Tavern

If you are a IEUA-QNT associate or graduate member you may have received a call from the IEUA-QNT call centre this year.

The IEUA-QNT call centre was established so that members could be better informed about what is going on in our profession and to ensure that we have the correct information for you on our membership system so that you receive the publications

IEUA-QNT call centre to contact graduatesand professional development invitations that we send to you.

Throughout the year, the call centre contacts graduates to see how your graduate year is going, to update contact details and discuss the importance of graduate membership with you.

Associate members who have recently graduated, or who will be graduating

at the end of 2010, will be contacted by the call centre in the coming months to see how the job hunt is progressing.

The call centre is also contacting associate members to update your details and to answer any questions that you might have as you prepare to commence your career.

The IEUA-QNT call centre operates Monday to Thursday 4:30pm to 8:00pm.


Equity Matters:Equity Matters:

In Australia there are between eight to 10 young deaths a week* caused by Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS). During the last three years St Paul’s School in Bald Hills have had three deaths due to SADS. Charity SADS Australia was formed through the personal tragedy of two mothers whose daughters at the school were suddenly taken away, without any warning. The aim of the charity is to help prevent other parents having to experience the loss of a child. SADS Australia have banded together to fight this silent killer which is preventable if detected and treated.

Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome is an umbrella term for genetic heart conditions which covers many syndromes. This affects fit, young and healthy individuals with no pre-existing known heart conditions. The electrical impulse to the heart is switched off causing instant death.

The charity’s aim is to have defibrillators in every school as this is the only way to save these young lives - CPR alone is not enough. St Paul’s School, the pilot school, is supporting the charity and have already raised $600 towards education and awareness. Their next step is to fundraise to buy

defibrillators for the school. What can your school do to raise the awareness of SADS to protect your students and keep young hearts beating? The launch of SADS Australia will be held at St Paul’s School, Bald Hills, on 9 October 2010 commencing at 5.30 pm with hands on demonstrations, followed at 6pm by an informative presentation, hosted by Ian Skippen, Triple M’s “The Cage” and entertainment by Jordan Pollard of The Ten Tenors (SADS Ambassador). The research team, headed by Dr. John Fraser Head of Research at The Prince Charles Hospital

Brisbane and Dr. John Skinner, TRAGADY NZ, Paediatric Cardiologist and Chair, Cardiac Inherited Diseases Group, Green Lane Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Services, Starship Children’s Hospital, Auckland New Zealand will be some of the presenters.

SADS Australia encourage you to be a part of this pro-active evening.

F o r i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t SADS Australia, please visit www.sads.org.au

* Centenary Institute, Sydney, Dr. C. Samsarian

Make sure your school is aware of SADS

The IEUA-QNT committees have direct input into the Branch Executive by helping to guide union policy development around member issues and devise strategies regarding the various industrial and professional issues and campaigns.

You can join any of the following committees: Education; Equity; Industrial; Member Benefits; Organising and Campaigning; and Publications.

To find out more information on how you can join any of these committees, FREECALL 1800 177 938(QLD), FREECALL 1800 351 996 (NT) or email [email protected]

IEUA-QNT

COMMITTEES

Gender Equality – the Next StepsThe Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) recently released its Gender Equality Blueprint 2010 identifying the next steps needed to address the major gap in equality between women and men.

Although Australia has made significant progress towards gender equality since the enactment of the Sex Discrimination Act in 1984, women still experience significant equality and disadvantage.

Over the last four years the gender pay gap has widened with women currently earning approximately 18 per cent less than men when full-time adult ordinary time earnings are compared.

Internationally, Australia’s ranking dropped from 40th to 50th between 2008 and 2009 in terms of women’s participation in the workforce.

Only 8.3 per cent of Board Directorships are held by women.

Women are still the primary care givers for children, spending almost three times as many hours per week looking after children as men.

The average superannuation payout for women is $63,000 which is less than half of the average superannuation payment for men which is $136,000.

Women make up 73 per cent of Single Age Pension recipients.

Although women make up 50.2 per

cent of the Australian population and Australia is one of a group of countries ranked first for women’s educational achievement, this is not translating into a closing of the gender equality gap.

The Gender Equality Blueprint 2010 identifies five priority areas for reform:

• Balancing paid work and family and caring responsibilities;

• Ensuring women’s lifetime economic security;

• P romot ing w o m e n i n leadership;

• Preventing v i o l e n c e against women a n d s e x u a l h a r a s s m e n t ; and

• Strengthening national gender equali ty laws, agencies and monitoring.

A number of the recommendations look to improving the work and family balance to ensure women and men are supported while raising families.

T h e r e c e n t l y w o n f e d e r a l government’s paid parental leave (PPL) scheme initiates action in this area but must be strengthened to include:

• superannuation paid while

on PPL;

• a minimum of two weeks paid leave for fathers and other supporting parents at the time of the birth;

• a minimum of four weeks paid leave for fathers and supporting parents, to “use or lose”, to be taken during the first year of a child’s life to allow them to be more fully involved in caring; and

• PPL paid at the rate of a least two thirds of income, increasing the number of families that can afford

to take the leave.

The recommendations also call for amendments to the National Employment Standard (NES) and the Sex Discrimination Act to ensure that there is comprehensive protection from discrimination on the grounds of all forms of family and carer responsibilities to both women and men in all areas of employment.

This is combined with the call for a positive duty to be placed on employers to reasonably accommodate a worker’s family

and carer responsibilities through the provision of flexible work arrangements.

A number of recommendations focus on ways to ensure women receive the same pay as men for doing paid work of equal or comparable value.

Legislative reform is called for to ensure that pay equity is a specific “employment matter” under the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act (EOWA).

Changes to F a i r W o r k A u s t r a l i a a r e sough t to include a specialist unit t o deve lop and monitor pay equ i ty mechanisms and for the legislation to

require measures to promote greater transparency in relation to pay rates, including individual contracts.

These measures, along with others, would be included in a National Pay Equity Strategy to be jointly developed, and appropriately resourced, by the various agencies and bodies currently charged with responsibilities in this area.

These include the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency, the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, AHRC and Fair Work Australia.

A major area of disadvantage for women is superannuation and the Blueprint calls for an extension of the co-contribution scheme as well as the establishment of an independent inquiry into recognising unpaid caring work within Australia’s superannuation and pension schemes.

T h e S e x D i s c r i m i n a t i o n Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, has urged government and political parties to adopt the Blueprint, the business sector to put innovative gender equality strategies in place and to measure achievement against them, and unions to maintain their focus on pay equity.

Some of the priority areas are clearly linked to collective bargaining and achievable in areas of high membership delivers the collective strength necessary for change.

The IEUA-QNT Equity Committee will be considering the Blueprint and looking for ways we can further support members in the non-government education sector to review and reform areas where disadvantage may occur.

Members can access the Gender Equality Blueprint 2010 on the AHRC website www.humanrights.gov.au.

IEUA-QNT Equity Committee member

Gaye [email protected]

“Although Australia has made signifi cant progress towards gender equality since the enactment of the Sex Discrimination Act in 1984, women still experience signifi cant

equality and disadvantage.”


EVENTS DIARYEVENTS DIARY

Schools needed

for Daffodil Day

Cancer Councils across Australia are asking schools to support Daffodil Day on Friday, 27 August to raise money for cancer research, prevention programs and support services.

Schools can receive a Dress Yellow for Daffodil Day kit, or register to sell Daffodil Day merchandise by visiting www.daffodilday.com.au or calling 1300 65 65 85 for more information.

Daffodil Day is Cancer Council’s annual fundraising event that aims to give hope to those affected by cancer. With support from schools and individuals, Cancer Councils want to reduce the impact of cancer in Australia, and give hope to the estimated 114,000 Australians who will be diagnosed this year alone.

Schools selling the Daffodil Day range of goodies will help raise money for Cancer Council and smiles among school children tak ing par t in th i s year ’s fundraiser.

Supporters of Daffodil Day are also encouraged to join the Daffodil Day Facebook group with links available on the campaign website: www.daffodilday.com.au

ELH and SchoolTech conferences

Australian school leaders will swap places with their students for three days of intensive technology rich learning at Australia’s premier technology and learning conference from 22-24 August, 2010.

As more than a million Australian secondary school students prepare for laptop aided learning under the Digital Education Revolution, Computelec will host its 17th annual ELH and SchoolTech conferences. The theme ‘What is now possible?’ will focus on the opportunities possible with a one-to-one learning environment.

Held in Lorne along Victoria’s spectacular Great Ocean Road, the conference will provide delegates with the latest technology research, insights and methodologies shaping the Australian education landscape.

ELH 2010 will address issues including: research to support the use of Tablet technology in the classroom; learning space innovations for the modern classroom; connecting classrooms and engaging students over remote distances; and accurately assessing learner competency.

To find out more or if you are interested in attending visit www.computelec.com.au/possibilities2010 or please contact James Riordan on (02) 8204 3854; [email protected].

Coping with Childhood Cancer in the Classroom seminar

Cancer Council Queensland and the Queensland Children’s Cancer Centre (located at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane) are inviting all teachers and school-based guidance officers, counsellors, nurses and chaplains to attend their annual joint Coping with Childhood Cancer in the Classroom seminar on September 7, 2010.

The free seminar will be held at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane, with videoconferencing technology available – through selected Education Queensland and Queensland Health sites – to allow rural and regional schools to also participate in the seminar. The seminar will commence at 9am and

conclude at 2pm.The seminar aims to educate and support teachers to help children, their families and their peers to cope with childhood cancer in both the primary and secondary school environments.

Each year Queensland’s best health professionals in paediatric cancer care address seminar participants on the changing approaches to coping with childhood cancer in the classroom. This year representatives f rom cancer suppor t -based community organisations such as Camp Quality, Canteen, Redkite, Ronald McDonald House, Starlight and Leukaemia Foundation will be in attendance.

Express ions of in teres t for participating in the videoconference are open now. There are limited videoconferencing opportunities a v a i l a b l e a c r o s s t h e s t a t e so please book today to avoid disappointment.

Videoconference registrations must be received by August 25, 2010.

For more information about the Coping with Childhood Cancer in the Classroom seminar or to register your interest for the videoconference, contact Angelene Kendall, Cancer Support Coordinator, Cancer Council Queensland on (07) 3634 5240 or [email protected]

The Queensland Education Resources ExpoEducators from early childhood, prep, primary and secondary education through to higher education institutions have the opportunity to access the latest on offer in education resources at the Queensland Education Resources Expo. The event also hosts an

extensive professional development program. Find out what is new in the world of education and get inspiration for your career, students and school. The Expo provides exhibitors with direct contact to education professionals from all levels and institutions.

The Expo is being held on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 September 2010, 10am-3pm at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. Admission is free! To find out more, visit http://www.educationshow.net.au/

Information about events, professional development and

training opportunities are updated regularly on our website.

Visit www.qieu.asn.au

Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland Education Programs

The Ant i -Disc r imina t ion Commiss ion Queens land is an independent statutory authority established under the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 ( the Act ) . The Commission resolves complaints of discrimination and other breaches of the Act, and promotes human rights in Queensland through its education programs and community engagement activities.

The educa t ion p rograms provided by the ADCQ aim to increase awareness of rights and

responsibilities under the Act. The Commission offers sessions for business, government and community organisations.

The educa t ion p rograms offered by the ADCQ have multiple potential benefits for an organisation including: •ensuring compliance with current legislation to ensure your workplace is free from discrimination, harassment and other unlawful conduct under the Act;• r e d u c i n g c l a i m s o f discrimination and sexual

harassment;•reducing the risk of vicarious liability claims;•raising awareness of rights and responsibilities under the Act;•contributing to creating a fair and productive workplace; and•retaining staff and reducing costs associated with recruitment and training.

Education programs can be delivered at your premises for eight to 25 people, or staff can attend the public education sessions which are held in Brisbane at 53 Albert Street, throughout the year. Education sessions are also offered by regional offices in Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton.

Private education sessions can entail a two-hour session to one-day.

Brisbane public education sessions - July to December

• 1 9 A u g u s t 8 : 3 0 a m – 12:30pm The Contact Officer: Introductory • 19 August 1pm – 5pm The Contact Officer: Advanced • 25 August 9am – 1pm The Contact Officer: Refresher • 9 September 9am - 1pm Introduct ion to the Ant i -

D i s c r i m i n a t i o n A c t f o r Community Organisations • 30 September 9am – 1pm Introduct ion to the Ant i -Discrimination Act • 14 October 9am – 1pm Investigating Complaints under the Anti-Discrimination Act • 21 October 9am – 4pm Fairness - Everyone’s Business (Train-the-trainer session) • 28 October 9am – 1pm Recruitment and Selection • 4 November 8 :30am – 12:30pm The Contact Officer: Introductory • 4 November 1pm – 5pm The Contact Officer: Advanced • 10 November 10am – 12pm Tracking Your Rights (A&TSI training) • 18 November 9am – 1pm The Contact Officer: Refresher

Fees apply per person for public education sessions except for the Tracking Your Rights (A&TSI t raining) session and the Introduction to the Anti-Discrimination Act for Community Organisations.

For more information or to enquire about booking education sessions, call 1300 130 670 and ask to speak with the education team. Email [email protected] or visit www.adcq.qld.gov.au

Public Education CalendarMark your diaries for Townsville’s annual public education to be held in the Townsville Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland office from 24-26 August 2010 offering training in Anti-Discrimination Law, Contact Officer (Introduction and Advanced) and Investigations.

Those who would like to attend one of the training sessions or to get on the ADCQ email training alert list please contact the ADCQ Townsville office on (07) 4799 7020 or 1300 130 670.

Training session dates

24 August 9am-1pm Introduction to the Anti-Discrimination Act 25 August 9am-5pm Investigating complaints under the Anti-Discrimination Act26 August 9am-5pm Contact Officer Introduction and Advanced


Nominations are now being called for the 2010 QIEU Excellence Awards: the John (Max) MacDermott Award, the Ruth George School Officer Award and the Elizabeth McCall Award, presented in recognition of members’ outstanding contributions to their union.

These awards recognise the outstanding efforts of individual activists and the efforts of school Chapters, Chapter Executives or networks.

Nominations should be forwarded to the General Secretary, QIEU, PO Box 418, Fortitude Valley, Queensland 4006 by Thursday, 7 October.

If you know of individual school officers who have made an outstanding contribution as unionists and union activists, we invite you to nominate them for the Ruth George School Officer Award for Outstanding Contribution as a Union Activist or the Ruth George School Officer Award for Outstanding Contribution as a Chapter, Chapter Executive or Network.

Ruth George played a key role in re-establishing the universal Award covering non-government assistant mistresses in 1937 following The Depression era cutbacks. Ruth George and her colleagues took on the challenge of restoring their salaries despite opposition from their employers.

Her determination and commitment to this cause was crucial in overcoming the employers’ objections

The Ruth George School Offi cer Award

Nominate individuals within your Chapter who have made an outstanding contribution as unionists and union activists for the John (Max) MacDermott Award for Outstanding Contribution as a Union Activist or the John (Max) MacDermott Award for Outstanding Contribution as a Chapter, Chapter Executive or Network. John (Max) MacDermott was a respected teacher at Mercy College, Mackay, who had a deep interest in union activities. As a chapter representative he worked tirelessly to represent the interests of staff. QIEU members were always confident in relying on him for advice because of his

The John (Max) MacDermott Award

The Elizabeth McCall Award was established to honour inspirational QIEU member Elizabeth McCall who died as a result of an accident outside her school in 2006.

Elizabeth, who was a highly respected teacher at St Peter’s Catholic Primary School at Rochedale, was an extraordinary woman who made a remarkable contribution in all aspects of her life; including her union

community to which she was dedicated.

For Elizabeth her union activism was very much part of her wider commitment to achieving social justice.

The award will be for a woman who demonstrates a fundamental commitment to the principles ofunionism and in particular gives expression to the pursuit of social

The Elizabeth McCall Award

Nominations called for QIEU Excellence Awards

justice issues.

The award may be given to more than one woman in any given year.

1. Demonstrate a fundamental commitment to the principles of unionism by:• Actively building membership strength and a strong collective voice;• Building a collective culture and

supporting her colleagues in her workplace to achieve fair and just outcomes; and• Being educated about the issues impacting on her and her colleagues and what they can do about them.

2. Actively encourage the expression of the voice of the collective in the pursuit of social justice issues by:• Working to bring social justice issues to the attention of her colleagues and seeking to inspire

and educate others through their own example;• Recognising the importance of educating for social justice and inspiring students in her care to investigate issues they care deeply about;• Taking action to promote justice and fairness by standing alongside like-minded colleagues; and• Recognising our union’s capacity to achieve social justice.

The IEUA-QNT/QIEU Teacher Education Bursaries are once again being offered to encourage eligible students who are studying for a teaching qualification.

Each year four pre-service education students will be awarded general education bursaries of $1,000.

The fifth bursary, the John Nash Bursary, will see $2,000 awarded to an outstanding applicant.

In 2009, to celebrate our union’s 90th Anniversary, QIEU offered the bursaries for the first time.

Those interested in applying for the bursaries in 2010 must abide by the eligibility criteria. Union Executive will consider all applicants and select successful candidates with consideration given to those in remote areas, of financial need and academic results.

For those interested in applying please contact the Brisbane office on FREECALL 1800 177 937 by Friday 1 October 2010, or download a nomination form at www.qieu.asn.au

IEUA-QNT / QIEU Teacher Education BursariesIEUA-QNT / QIEU Teacher Education BursariesApplying for the

bursaries:

1. Eligibilitya. Applicants must be enrolled (or intend to enrol) in either, an undergraduate Education/Teaching Degree at a university.b. Applicants must have a nominee who is a parent, partner, guardian, or grandparent that is or has retired as a financial member of IEUA-QNT/QIEU.c. IEUA-QNT/QIEU staff, or those who have retired as part of union staff, are also able to be nominees if they are a parent, partner, guardian or grandparent of the applicant.d. Successful applicants from one

year may apply for the bursary in subsequent years.e. Successful applicants must be prepared to assist IEUA-QNT/ QIEU via publicity in The Independent Voice or other union publications.f. All applicants must indicate a willingness to sign a statutory declaration indicating that the bursary will be used for education associated expenses; eg, HECS, books, computer technology.g. Applications by non-members must include the details of the parent, partner, guardian, or grandparent that is, or has retired as, a financial member of IEUA-QNT/QIEU. The application should be countersigned by this person.

2. Selection processa. Execut ive consider the applications and will select the successful applicants;b. Criteria to be used to determine success will include:• Consideration of financial need, including any pressing personal circumstances;• Year 12 academic results of first year applicants and university results of second, third and fourth year applicants;• Consideration shall be given to at least one awardee: coming from remote or country areas distant from the institution at which the applicant is studying or intending to study; and being in their first year of an undergraduate course.

and opposition.

This award honours her memory and outstanding contribution as an activist and union representative. If you know of individual school officers who have made outstanding contributions as unionists and union activists, we invite you to nominate them for the awards.

Award Criteria• Has made an outstanding contribution to the school Chapter or Branch and QIEU through activism in a specific area;• Has worked diligently and tirelessly to represent the interests of school officers; and• Has acted with honesty, integrity and courage in the conduct of their union’s activities.

Nominate individuals within your Northern Territory Chapter who have made an outstanding contribution as a union activist for the Judith Cooper Award for Outstanding Contribution as a Union Activist.

Jud i t h Coope r p l ayed an i n s t r u m e n t a l r o l e i n t h e establishment of a union in the non-government sector in the Northern

Judith Cooper AwardTerritory. In 1983 Judith Cooper, a school assistant at St Mary’s Primary School, and some teacher colleagues at other predominately Catholic schools joined together to start working through the issues which were affecting independent school employees . In 1984 Judith was instrumental in the establishment of The Northern Territory Independent School Staff Association (NTISSA). Judith was

knowledge of union matters, his intelligence and courage.

This award honours his memory and outstanding contribution as a unionist and union activist.

Award Criteria• Has worked diligently and tirelessly to assist members to address their issues;• Has acted with honesty, integrity and courage in the conduct of union affairs;• Has promoted member action and networking at the Chapter and/or Branch level; and• Has made an outstanding contribution to their Chapter and/or Branch and QIEU through activism.

elected the first Branch Secretary for NTISAA in 1984. Within the year NTISSA had worked extensively to establish the first award to cover independent schools in the NT.

Contact IEUA-QNT organiser Camille Furtado on [email protected] to nominate a member and for more information about how to apply for the award.


YOU can help fight poverty and hardship

Poverty and severe hardship affect more than a million Australians. Around the world more than a billion people are desperately poor.

In Anti-Poverty Week

> Why not organise a display, stall or award?

> Maybe a workshop, lecture or forum?

> How about a fundraiser, fact sheet or petition?

For information and ideas visit the website, or email [email protected], or call 1300 797 290.

www.antipovertyweek.org.au

Principal National Sponsors:

ANTI-POVERTYWEEK17–23 October 2010

Teache r exchange o f fe r s a significant opportunity for both personal and professional development while experiencing life overseas.

The benefits of teacher exchange reach your colleagues, school, students, their families and your family.

As you do not enter the permanent service of the Host School and will be returning to your current position you will retain your accrued entitlements.

Exchange does not involve any exchange of salary and exchangees are required to make their own arrangements for transmission of salary overseas

T h e Q I E U / I E U A - Q N T Teacher Exchange Program is a membership benefit for members with five years teaching experience.

Teacher Exchange opportunities for membersQIEU/IEUA-QNT works on behalf of applicants with various bodies including:

• overseas exchange authorities (e.g. UK, Canada, Colorado, New Zealand);• teacher registration authorities; • consulates; • principals of proposed exchange schools; • Australian employing authorities; and • overseas unions (reciprocal union rights).

Benefi ts of Exchange

• Students - Australian and the exchange country’s students benefit from being taught by a visiting teacher who brings to the classroom new ideas and experiences from a different educational system and culture.

Teachers and schools have access to new ideas and teaching methods by working closely with a teacher

from another country and education system.

• Education - Visiting teachers provide valuable input into curriculum within schools by contributing their knowledge and asking questions about education in Australia.

While on exchange, teachers are asked to complete an elective investigation project on a topic of their own choosing. When an exchange teacher returns home, the result of this project is to be shared with the home school district and may appear on an exchange web site to be shared with other teachers.

• Exchange Teachers - have the opportunity to: work in another educational system; exchange ideas and knowledge; observe different teaching practices; and experience another culture and environment.

To find out more information contact Kay, QIEU/IEUA-QNT Teacher Exchange Coordinator on phone (07) 3839 7020 or email [email protected] ExchangeTeacher Exchange

5 years Teaching Experience + QIEU/IEUA-QNT Membership

OPPORTUNITY!

Work overseas and retain your accrued entitlements. United Kingdom; Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick,

Canada; Colorado, USA!

Check out our website www.qieu.asn.au Click on Membership sectors the Teachers then Overseas Exchange

Program.

Contact Kay on FREECALL 1800 177937 (QLD); 1800 351 996 (NT) or [email protected]

ABOVE: Townsville Grammar School teacher and union member Megan Nelson made the most of her time off from teaching in Canada on QIEU/IEUA-QNT’s Teacher Exchange Program by visiting other parts of the country in 2007

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ME Bank is a trademark of Members Equity Bank Pty Ltd ABN 56 070 887 679. See mebank.com.au for eligible unions.

If you’re a member of QIEU, ME Bank is your bank.

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Global Issues

For more information or to enlist your support for education workers worldwide,

visit Education International’s website www.ei-ie.org.

The IEUA is an affiliate of EI.

Kenya: Teacher shortage to be recognised a national disaster

EI affiliate in Kenya, the Kenyan National Union of Teachers (KNUT), has urged “the government to declare the shortage of teachers a national disaster,” as reported in the national newspaper Daily Nation.

There is a national shortage of 66,000 teachers.

KNUT first national vice chairman Wilson Sossion said: “The acute shortage of teachers is no longer a KNUT versus the government affair.”

“It is a serious disaster and parents and people of goodwill should join us in this mother of all strikes. We cannot accept to have schools where 3.4 million children are receiving a

half-baked education.”

Sossion called on parents to be ready to join the teachers for the strike “any time after the August 4 referendum.”

“KNUT is also calling for more funding for education, especially for the recruitment of more teachers.

Kenya has about 40,000 trained teachers who are unemployed.

In a report on a survey on teacher supply, recruitment and retention in six Anglophone sub-Saharan African countries (2007), EI stated that “despite a surge in primary school enrolment as a result of the introduction of free primary education in 2003, Kenya has not increased its teacher stock since 1999 [...] Kenya has merely been replacing teachers lost due to attrition. As a result the country has 40,000

trained teachers roaming the streets.”

Sossion said KNUT would not allow the government to employ teachers as interns, saying internship was “exploitation of the highest order.”

The pressure exerted has an impact on Kenyan national authorities.

The British Broadcasting Corporation reported that Mwai Kibaka, the President of Kenya, had called off a meeting which was to discuss the proposal by MPs to increase their salaries from $120,000 US per year to $150,000 US per year, which would place them among the best paid politicians in the world.

EI declares its full support for its Kenyan colleagues, and calls on the national government to reduce the teacher shortage.

Teacher unions advocate for quality education and trade union rights

Education International and the European Trade Union Committee for Education were represented at the European Social Forum (ESF) and presented the EI/ETUCE work on various topics including the Bologna process and the status of Higher Education in Europe, as well as the issue of hidden privatisation of public education in Europe.

Teacher trade unions were highly mobilised during this sixth convenience of the ESF, which took place at Istanbul, Turkey, in July.

Colleagues from GEW, Germany, held a seminar dedicated to the 1GOAL Campaign and took an active part in other education seminars.

French colleagues from SNES-FSU, SNESUP-FSU, SNUipp-FSU and SNCS were also very engaged in the forum’s activities.

ETUCE/EI members OLME, Greece, FLC-CGIL, Italy, and FECCOO and STES-i, Spain, also participated in more than 15 activities directly related to educational issues.

These activities were organised under the umbrella of the ESF’s Education Network, composed of the EI/ETUCE member organisations as well as NGOs and students’ associations.

The Network gathered in July for the Education Assembly, during which the European Trade Union Confederation call for a European Day of Action on 29 September was presented and welcomed by all participants.

A peaceful demonstration in Istanbul and a final General Assembly of all organisations closed the Forum. The seventh edition will take place in two years.

and develop internal structures that can facilitate collecting bargaining and negotiations.

All three Iraqi participants are now set to run their own courses throughout the 18 provinces of Iraq.

Their aspiration is to have covered the whole country by the end of a two-year period, with the result of building a strong teacher trade union base with a clear understanding of the role and merit of free independent unions in a democratic and stable society.

The positive impact of the course has already been felt: the first course to be run by Al Shiblawi took place in Baghdad between 28-29 May.

Of the 18 participants who were trained, 11 were women, while the feedback showed that all the participants felt

Iraq: Cooperation delivers quality training for Iraqi teachers

A long planned programme for training and development of teacher trade unionism in Iraq has begun under the expert guidance of NASUWT, an EI affiliate in Britain.

Nasser Behadili and Ahmed Al Shiblawi, both of the Iraq Teachers’ Union (ITU), joined Nadir Qadir, of the Kurdish Teachers’ Union (KTU), to attend the NASUWT’s annual conference, spending more than one week at the NASUWT headquarters in Rednal, Birmingham, where they participated in a major trade union training programme.

The latter covered a wide range of issues from why trade unions are important, essential union values and beliefs, through to how to organise and recruit teachers from the grassroots

‘very positive’ about the course.

Some trainees stated that the experience had encouraged them and clarified why they wanted to be active in the union movement.

In an emerging democracy like Iraq, with immense vulnerabilities, an independent, non-sectarian trade union movement of teachers has an undeniably major role to play in the stabilisation of the nation.

EI and the British Trade Union Congress (TUC) also brought their support and advice to the training.

The British teacher trade union movement has co-operated with either solidarity or conference visits from the NUT and ATL, while the international movement has helped through the active participation in the training of the French education union, UNSA.

EI releases global study on Early Childhood Education

The EI Early Childhood Education (ECE) Task Force has released a global study investigating ECE policies, systems, programmes and activities across the world.

The study Early Childhood Education: A Global Scenario was released at a meeting of the Task Force held in Copenhagen, Denmark in July, hosted by the Danish Federation of Early Childhood Teachers and Youth Educators (BUPL).

Initiated by the Task Force, the study was conducted in 2009, and reveals that ECE continues to receive more attention across the globe and that access has been increasing steadily. However, the study also reveals that progress has been uneven and a lot more remains to be done if this

important Education for All (EFA) goal is to be achieved by 2015.

The main findings of the study are:• M a n y E C E s y s t e m s a r e characterised by multiple providers and funders, some of which are government, private, community, faith-based and non-governmental organisations;• T h e E C E s e c t o r r e m a i n s p r e d o m i n a n t l y p r i v a t i s e d , particularly for younger children (usually the 0-3 year age group);• Access to ECE services remains lower in developing countries, particularly for the 0-3 year age group, poor and rural children, children with special needs and other vulnerable groups;• There is a general shortage of professionally trained and qualified ECE staff in many countries;• Men are under represented in ECE, with more than 90 per cent of the teaching staff being women.

• The conditions of service for ECE teaching staff tend to be inferior to those of counterparts in other education sectors. This might be linked to the generally lower levels of qualifications in the ECE sector; and•The quality of ECE services is higher in urban areas and lower in rural areas, partly due to the uneven allocation or availability of resources, including qualified teaching staff.

E I V i c e P r e s i d e n t a n d Chairperson of the Task Force, Haldis Holst, said: “This is the first comprehensive study that addresses ECE issues from a global perspective.” The Task Force also deliberated on issues concerning the 1998 EI Congress Resolution on ECE and will present its recommendations to the EI Executive Board in due course.

Teachers out of pocket for classroom essentials

A survey carried out by the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF) has discovered that in the 2008-09 school year each Canadian teacher paid out from their own pocket an average of $453 for essential classroom materials or class-related activities.

Announcing the results of the survey at the Federation’s President’s Forum, held in July in Edmonton, Canada, the CTF President Mary-Lou Donnelly told delegates: “One of the barometers of education under-funding is a growing reliance on outside sources of funding.

“Teachers in classrooms across this country are spending significant sums of their own money to fill the funding gap in order to address their students’ learning needs.”

She noted that a similar survey conducted by the CTF five years earlier estimated the average amount spent per teacher at $344.

Donnelly also described how parents, students and other school community members also contributed to filling the funding gap.

According to the EI affiliate members’ on-line survey, 95 per cent of teacher respondents noted that their schools regularly conduct fundraising activities through sales, community donations, contests and admission fees to school-related activities.


Legal Briefs Andrew Knott, Macrossans Lawyers

Many teachers, particularly those in school leadership positions, would answer this question with a resounding “Yes!!!”.

The subject is the theme for this year’s Australia New Zealand Educat ion Law Associat ion Conference, to be held in Sydney at the end of September (further details below).

Teachers are confronted with regulation in new areas of law such as privacy, discrimination, disability law, the risk of education negligence c la ims , new accountabi l i ty processes, interaction with family law and of course the old stand by duty of care (manifesting itself in new circumstances).

One of the features we observe on an almost daily basis at Macrossans is the extraordinary detailed regulation which is now introduced both in Acts of Parliament and in employer directions, often designed to implement what are really quite simple and uncontentious principles.

The key note addresses at the conference will be delivered by the New South Wales Ombudsman, the President of the New South Wales Teachers Federation, and a Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

In addition to those key note addresses and the papers listed

below, there will be a forum for two hours on the last afternoon entitled “Is the Law Part of the Solution to the Problem of Cyberbullying Occurring in Schooling Contexts?”

This was conducted, and well received at a major bullying conference in Melbourne earlier this year, and is being repeated by request.

The topics of the papers are as follows:

• Should the Teaching Profession be Regulated to Protect Children?

• Impact of DDA Amendments on Safe Schooling – Purvis Revisited

• Future Educational Negligence in Austral ia for Vulnerable Students

• C o m p e t e n c e , S t a n d a r d s , Professionalism and Best Practice in Teaching – Hooray for Regulation

• N e w Z e a l a n d T e a c h e r ’ s A c c o u n t a b i l i t y P r o c e s s e s – A Necessary Safeguard or Accountability Gone Mad?

• Codes of Conduct: More Over Regulation

• Regulating the Boundaries between the Public and Private Lives of Teachers in a Changing Cultural Context: A Comparative Analysis

• Not Regulated Sufficiently as Yet

• Family Law Issues and the School – View from the School, and Court

• Delivering In-House Justice? Practice and Procedure in University Hearings

• Duty of Care Owed by Schools to Others Arising from Excursions

• Duty of Care – Just One More “Regulation” for Teachers to Worry About, or a Misunderstood Bogeyman?

• Certification of Teachers, Pre-Service Teacher Education, Tests and Legal Issues; United States’ (US) History and Australian Trends

• Beyond Double Jeopardy: The Burgeoning Regulatory Framework Concerned with Teacher Discipline i n V i c t o r i a n G o v e r n m e n t Schools

• Social Networks: Are They Destined to be Regulated in the K-12 Arenas of the United States to Protect Students and Teachers?

• Parental Responsibilisation and Australian Legislative Attempts to Curb Truancy

• Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child:

Should the Abolition of Corporal Punishment be Reversed?

• Teacher Dismissal in Public Schools

• Coronial Inquests: Key Issues for Educators

• Regulation of the School Teaching Profession 1970-2010 (Mid-career Reflections)

• Education Law – Issues Commonly Arising from the Application of Legislation Regulating the Legal Profession: The Brisbane Catholic Education Example

• Hands Off? the Use Of Reasonable Force by Teachers in a Modern School Environment

• Search and Seizure Law and Policy in the Schools

• So You Think You Can Dance on the Tables on a Saturday Night?

• Can Student Safety Really be Ensured in Government and Non-Government Schools?

• Professionalism or Control – Do Professional Standards for Teachers Serve the Profession?

• The Regulation of Religious Dress by Teachers in State Schools: Unnecessary Intrusion or Healthy Separation of Religion and the State?

Is the Teaching Profession Over Regulated?

• Historical Perspectives on New Zealand’s Education Regulatory Environment: More of the Same for 140 Years

The national conferences conducted by the Australia New Zealand Education Law Association are very friendly and welcoming.

The organisers are desirous having many more persons who work in schools attend those conferences (and to see them contribute their own ideas).

This year’s conference will be held in Sydney, primarily at the New South Wales Teachers FederationConference Centre at Surry Hills, commencing on Wednesday, 29 September 2010 with a WelcomeReception at the Dinosaur Gallery, The Australian Museum, College Street, Sydney at 6pm and then extending throughout Thursday and Friday (with a dinner at The Sebel Pier One on the evening of Thursday, 30 September 2010).

Persons interested in attending can access all relevant information on the web site of Australia New Zealand Education Law Association which is www.anzela.edu.au .

(The writer should declare an interest as he is the Secretary of the Queensland Branch of theorganisation.)

With society increasingly expecting higher standards of care by school staff, legal protection is vital when working in a school environment.

The benefits of being part of IEUA-QNT includes access to legal advice regarding work/school matters, as well as Public Liability/Professional Indemnity Insurance cover.

Increasingly, members are confronted with issues relating to: the use of school technology;

contact with students via text messages, emails and/or Facebook; personal information placed on public sites by teachers; and students using the new technologies against teachers and/or other students.

It is therefore very important that members are aware of the legal status of their interaction with students and the community via modern technologies, the implications of breaching a reasonable “professional distance” with both students and parents, disciplinary action that may

be taken against them and remedies they may seek should they be the subject of new technologies used against them.

T h e B a y s i d e a n d L o g a n IEUA-QNT Branches are hosting a Legal Issues Seminar on 2 September. Andrew Knott, from Macrossans Lawyers (education law specialists), will discuss new technologies and education workers and will recommend ways that members can reduce the risk of complaints or legal action against them, as well as discussing possible

legal remedies that may be accessed by our members should they fall victim to inappropriate conduct by others.

Education workers, students and new technologies

Do you know your rights and responsibilities?

All members are welcome to attend. RSVP by 30 August to [email protected] for catering purposes.

IEUA-QNT Legal Issues Seminar

Guest Presenter: Andrew Knott, Macrossans Lawyers

Education workers, students and new technologies – do you know your rights and responsibilities?

2 September 2010, commencing at 4pmCarina Leagues Club


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HHealth & ealth & LLifestyle Tipsifestyle Tips

Did you know?

That soft drinks and cordials are really bad for your teeth?Plaque bacteria in our mouths digest the sugar in soft drinks and cordials and produce a diluted acid. It is this acid that eats into tooth enamel and creates cavities. If that wasn’t bad enough, these drinks (even diet ones) are acidic which again causes problems for your teeth. In fact, a tooth dropped into glass of soft drink, would fairly rapidly dissolve!

That sports drinks are acidic?Your enamel is at risk of erosion when you sip a sports drink, especially when you’re dehydrated. Be wise – drink water!

That most people brush their teeth too hard?In fact you can actually ruin the gum tissue causing the gums to recede – and it never grows back. You can also strip enamel from the tooth making it sensitive to heat and cold. Stripped enamel reveals the underlying tooth layer called dentine. Because the dentine is yellowish in colour, the result is an ever-increasing yellowing smile. As with gum tissue, enamel never grows back either. So go easy!

That many babies and young children suffer from extensive tooth decay?Just like an adult’s mouth, a baby’s mouth is full of bacteria. These bacteria feed on sugars found in the liquids there. Many parents put

their baby to sleep with a bottle to help soothe and settle them. Unfortunately, the fluid (milk or juices) from the bottle pools around the teeth. Bacteria multiply and form acids, which damage the baby’s teeth. Milk and natural juices contain sugars, so the liquid of choice for the baby’s bottle is water, and remember not to put the baby to bed with a bottle.

Sugarless chewing gum can help your teeth?The chewing action stimulates saliva flow. Saliva works as our natural mouthwash by dissolving sulphur molecules which causes bad breath. It also neutralises acids produced by plaque bacteria, and helps clear the mouth of food that plaque bacterial feast on.

Gastric reflux can cause tooth erosion?Dental enamel is attacked by the acid in the reflux. Dental erosion involves the loss of enamel by chemical process that does not involve bacteria (such as occurs in typical teeth cavities). If you have reflux, rinse your mouth with water only. Don’t brush your teeth straight after a reflux attack as the tooth brushing combined with the acid from the reflux increases enamel erosion.

Tooth enamel has no nerve fibres?While acid is attacking tooth enamel, you can’t feel a thing. But once the acid has begun to create a cavity and attacks the dentine under the enamel, the nerve fibres begin to send out a message that something is wrong. By then, you have tooth decay. So don’t wait until it hurts!

and hurts of these social pressures. Some children develop symptoms that are like a migraine in the stomach. If they are stressed the stomach goes into spasm and ultimately they vomit. They typically do it with great grace, not nearly as painful an experience as it is for adults.

One of the strategies to help them overcome anxieties is to teach children about words to describe their emotions and how their bodies reflect these to the outside world, and that their bodies are like hands waving out to signal to adults for help; when they are not coping. Other strategies that work well are cognitive behaviour techniques [CBT], which often include things like keeping a diary and noting thoughts, feelings and alternative responses rather than her current withdrawal pattern. CBT is a tool for life that gives her options about the way she thinks and responds to different circumstances. Relaxation and meditation techniques are also useful tools.

It may or may not ultimately emerge what it is that has been troubling her. However, the important thing is not to focus on that but be clear that as her parents [and grandparents], your first job is to ensure your children are protected and supported and learn ways to manage stress, in order to reach their full potential.

At TUH Supportline (1800 655 302) we frequently counsel family members about anxiety issues. Our counsellors are highly skilled in helping children and their parents learn how they can assist when their children are displaying signs of ‘not coping’.Jo

Dear Jo,I write for some ideas to help my granddaughter. She is almost 10 years old and until recently was consistently outgoing and confident. Her teachers have noticed as have the family that she has recently become withdrawn. She suffers stomach pains, and vomits as a result, about once or twice a month at night time. This has stepped up lately and it only takes a small worry, like when walking to school and thinking of some activity that is planned for that day and she vomits. Checked by the GP, no organic problems. She is always well supervised and protected and denies that she has any secrets from her parents, or that there is she is being bullied in any way. Her big brother has recently moved on to high school. Mum has recently gone back to university. Concerned Nanna

Dear Concerned Nanna,Your granddaughter shows some signs of anxiety and it’s important that we are aware of changes like the ones you describe in her personality; as we can give them various strategies to cope, before these behaviours become fixed habits. Most people will recall that when they no longer had their bigger sibling to go to in the playground. This can make a big difference to their world. Mum being busy with university may have made another marginal difference to her feelings of having to be more independent.

However, most importantly for children of this age is their social lives. The playground is often the battleground of some major disturbances and sometimes it is hard to describe to adult, the slights


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Many people think that once they stop working, so too does their money. You accrue your superannuation savings through contributions and investment returns while you’re working, then spend that money in retirement. But, that’s not the case at all. Money is anything but static, it keeps working for you long after you retire. Somewhat surprisingly, the majority of your investment earnings aren’t accumulated while you’re still in the workforce, but after you leave. For the average Australian, projections show that approximately 66% of their eventual retirement benefit will come from investment returns earned on their super after they retire. The chart below shows where your total retirement income is likely to come from during the whole life of a retirement investment. It shows that returns earned before retirement contribute only 28% of the overall amount.

*Projection assumptions: 9% contributions from age 21, 4% pa wage increases, with no career breaks, 7.5% pa net investment return pre-retirement, 6.5% pa net investment return post-retirement from age 67 retirement drawdown 60% of pre-retirement salary thereafter increased in line with inflation of 2.6% pa. Source: Securing Retirement Incomes, Mercer 2009

Your investment horizon is the length of time you expect your money will remain invested. Because this horizon covers both the period you’re in the workforce and your retirement years, it makes sense to rethink traditional approaches to retirement investing by taking a whole-of-life, rather than a whole-of-working-life, view. This way, you’re more likely to make choices that serve you long term, keeping your benefit working for you, even while you’re drawing an income from it.

Fill up that nest eggIf you haven’t retired yet and have many more years of saving ahead of you, it’s important to accumulate as much superannuation as you can before you stop working. The more you have in your nest egg, the more you stand to benefit from that hard-working money that never stops. That means you should be taking advantage of regular top-ups through a pre-tax salary sacrificing arrangement, or making a post-tax contribution, eg, using your tax refund or a work bonus. If you’re eligible, you should also consider the government’s co-contributions scheme, or the benefits of making spouse contributions.

Check your profi leWhile topping up with regular and extra contributions is the best way to build up your super, it’s even more important that you put this money to work in those pre-retirement years by choosing the right investment profile.Many people don’t make a deliberate choice when it comes to their super account’s investment profile, instead accepting the default investment option offered by their super fund. However, the default option may not take into account your personal investment needs, nor accurately reflect your risk profile. Default profiles are also typically conservative, often limiting opportunities for investment growth. Your choice of investment profile can affect your final super benefit as highlighted in this second

Rethinking the life of your investment Rethinking the life of your investment chart. You may want to consider reviewing your investment profile and adjust it over time, as your circumstances

change. It’s important to ensure your money is working to your advantage over the long term.

Super after retirementThe fact that investment returns have such a large impact on retirement income is great news, particularly for people who

may have been expecting to rely on the Age Pension for support in retirement. If you are in this group, it might be worthwhile giving your super another look. Because most investment returns are earned after retirement, you may find that it’s not too late for an investment strategy that’s aligned to your full, ie. ‘whole-of-life’, investment time horizon. Your investment horizon should include your years in retirement as there is potentially still time for compound interest to be working for you—your money earns interest on interest already earned. This whole-of-life approach also gives your retirement savings the opportunity to ride out the highs and lows of the market, even once you retire. A longer time horizon may provide more certainty in gaining higher returns through exposure to growth assets. This is because predictability of returns becomes more certain the longer the investment timeframe.

Get adviceWhatever stage you’re at in life—saving your super, almost retired, or in retirement already—it’s never too late to get the right advice. Your money has got time on its side, so speak to a financial adviser about keeping it working, long after you stop.This article has been compiled by Outlook Financial Solutions Pty Ltd and is presented by QTCU Financial Planning Pty Ltd, Authorised Representative of Outlook Financial Solutions Pty Ltd, ABN 40 083 233 925, AFSL 240959. Please note that this article contains general advice only and we recommend that you seek professional advice before making any decision regarding fi nancial products.

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