aeu journal vol. 41 no. 5 | august 2009

Vol 41 I No.5 August 2009

AEUJOURNAL SAOfficial publication of the Australian Education Union (SA Branch)

ArbitrationBegins: Our strong case for Public Education

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:15 PM

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Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:15 PM

to skim off the top of Building the EducationRevolution (BER) funding through ‘adminis-tration costs’. State Labor even has the gallto claim credit for some BER projects in theiradvertising to sell the State Budget this year.

The lack of federal protection over the BERfunds has been at the detriment of manyschools, who are being told they can no longerafford to build the facilities they desperatelyneed through each State education depart-ment’s approved builders. In NSW, the ailingReese Labor Government has completelydisregarded our federal education minister’ssentiments that improving school infrastruc-ture will have positive effects on the widercommunities around our schools. Whilebuilding in schools props up the constructionindustry, the NSW government plans to selloff land used for school and communitysport – some with playgrounds – from 690public schools. The sale will net $239m, bare-ly impacting on the interest on their estimat-ed $105b debt over the next four years.

And then there’s the League Tables thatwon’t be produced, until the media get theirhands on government ‘performance data’. Ofcourse, they won’t tell us much of what wedon’t already know – the media-compiledLeague Table in Tasmania indicated schoolsin the wealthiest parts of Tassie faired thebest and schools in the poorest areas werefound at the bottom of the list. What choicedoes exposing students of educational

3

PRESIDENT’S V IEWFEATURES AEU JOURNAL

*Winner of TOP LETTER!

Dear Editor,As an activist for Public Education, I often

feel like giving up and letting the politicians,media and those members of the public whodenigrate us and our work on a daily basis,see what a mess Public Education would fallinto if we didn’t take a stand for it. Althoughour bitter EB dispute might have us think soat times, we are not alone in SA. PublicEducation is under attack globally. WithinAustralia, our State and Federal LaborGovernments are at odds on education policyand are not prioritising a nationally consis-tent approach. They seem to agree on point-less and trivial initiatives, such as the FederalGovernment funding a national rollout of theineffective School Pride program startedhere in SA.

Pride in one’s school comes from dedicat-ed educators facilitating effective teachingand learning; and engaging in activities witha broader community who values them. It isnot a few signs with cheesy, self-congratula-tory slogans. Our governments disagree,however, on the important stuff, such as theFederal Government’s massive investment inschool infrastructure and the passive intro-duction of League Tables to rank schools. TheFeds, for example, have allowed the states

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The AEU Journal welcomes allletters. Top letter each issue WINStwo bottles of wine.

[email protected]

Arbitrationpage 12 – 13

The AEU’s arbitration case is underway in theCommission. Read about the key issues.

SSO & ECW Weekpage 8

Members write letters toDECS CE Chris Robinson.

ARE YOU ONE OF THE3,336 SSOs WAITING FOR

A PERMANENT JOB?

Advertise in the AEU Journal. Reach over13,500 members across South Australia.

8272 [email protected]

Education Workspage 16

Communities in the UpperSpencer Gulf vote NOafter lack of consultation.

TOPLETTER

Australian Education Union | SA Branch

Telephone: 8272 1399

Facsimile: 8373 1254

Email: [email protected]

Editor: Craig Greer

Graphic Designer: Jo Frost

AEU Journal is published seven timesannually by the South Australian Branch of the Australian Education Union.

AEU Journal 2009 DatesDeadline Publication date

#6 August 28 September 16

#7 October 16 November 4

Subscriptions: Free for AEU members. Non-members may subscribe for $33 per year.

Print Post approved PP 531629/0025ISSN 1440-2971

Illustration: Simon Kneebone

Printing: Finsbury Green Printing

disadvantage to public ridicule offer parents?They would more likely have no choice at allother than choose not to pick up the news-paper that humiliates them and their childbased on their postcode.

The only way we can improve results andultimately the future success of our most atrisk kids is through partnerships with parents,who are able to foster learning at home.United States academic Nel Noddings wroteextensively on the opportunity schools havein providing parent education in order tobreak cycles of poverty. She always conced-ed, however, that such programs in schoolswould require significant investment fromgovernment. Her work sometimes reflected atouch of pessimism that this will not occurbroadly in her lifetime.

The only people who appear to be tellingthe world that free-market approaches toeducation will fail are educators. Not becausewe don’t understand the free market, butbecause we know it well and understand theeducation sector better than politicians,parents and the media. Brett FerrisThe Heights School

ArbitrationBegins: Our strong case for Public Education

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UPCOMING AEU CONFERENCES

Australian Education Union | SA Branch

2009 REGIONALNEW EDUCATORS’CONFERENCEin Port AugustaAn evening and one-day residential conference for AEUmembers in their first three years of teaching.

fri. 21-sat. 22 Augustfri. 21 August | evening session | 6pmConference dinner and a practical workshop onclassroom management.

sat.22 August | program | 9am – 3pmWorking together on local issues – information, fun and challenging teamwork activities.

Conference Venue: Best Western Standpipe, Golf Motor Inn, Port Augusta

Share accomodation/Fri. evening dinner/Sat.lunch & refreshments provided by the AEU.

To Register: www.aeusa.asn.au/eventsFurther info: [email protected]

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5

As AEU memberssit down to read thisjournal, the AEU willbe in the IndustrialRelations Commis-sion of SA puttingforward the case fora new award for allemployees.

It has been 20months since we

began the current round of enterprise bargain-ing on behalf of members. No one could havepredicted the intractable, stubborn and con-temptuous attitude of the State Governmenttowards Public Education workers in SA.

Since the beginning of bargaining, AEUmembers have written letters, sent postcards,visited politicians, set boundaries aroundworkload, attended meeting after meeting,taken industrial action, rallied in their thou-sands, and much, much more. All of this actionhas been taken in the name of fair and justtreatment for Public Education, its workersand students.

Despite our collective efforts to seekimproved salary and conditions, the StateGovernment determined that they wouldoffer our members a salary package whichentrenched the most vulnerable, lowest paidand highly casualised sector of the workforce– non-teaching staff. This salary packagewould be implemented via regressive changesto school funding and working conditions. Isit any surprise we said NO? The real surpriseis that a Labor government would rathertake the AEU and our members to arbitrationthan to offer a fair and equitable deal forPublic Education. This seems to be a trendfor ALP negotiations. A recent decisionagainst our QLD colleagues orders them intoarbitration with their ALP State Government.

The State Labor Government’s industrialrelations continued to deteriorate when inJune this year, Treasuer Kevin Foley and hishighly-paid agents of spin laughed all theway to the State Budget lock-up, where they

SUB-BRANCH SECRETARY

put a 2.5 percent cap on public sector salariesand announced other spending cuts as partof what Treasurer Foley almost gleefullydescribed as a “tough budget”, all under theumbrella of the Global Financial Crisis.

But as tough as they seemed at the time,the majority of Mr. Foley’s cuts will actuallybe announced post-election in March 2010,soon after an economist specifically hired bythe government to slash spending in thepublic sector, has completed the necessarycalculations. Not surprisingly, ministerialstaff salaries have, in the meantime,increased. They seem to be immune to thecuts endured by the rest of the public sector.

Through all of this, AEU members haveremained resolute in their defence of PublicEducation and will continue to do so right upto the next state election and beyond.

The arbitration between the StateGovernment and the AEU is one of thebiggest industrial events for South Australia.The hearing is likely to take at least eightweeks and then we will await a decisionfrom the Industrial Relations Commission.We will keep you informed of progress viathe usual communication channels but alsothose via Twitter, short updates will beposted at (see ad below):

http//twitter.com/aeusaQuietly going about their business with

impressive efficiency and commitment, AEUindustrial officers and our lawyers have builta strong case in support of our Award Appli-cation. This has been done with the assis-tance of over 100 AEU members who havewritten witness statements along with mem-bers who have hosted site inspections. AEUBranch Executive wishes to publicly acknowl-edge the incredible dedication and effortthat all involved have shown and commendthese people on their commitment to achiev-ing the best outcomes for our preschools,schools and TAFE. �

In solidarity,Correna Haythorpe, AEU President

For arbitration updates go to:http://twitter.com

/aeusa

Our campaign continues in the Commission

AEU PRESIDENT’S VIEW

Power andStrength

Greenwith Primary School Japaneseteacher and Sub-branch Secretary, CarmenKowalski, uses a Japanese proverb todescribe her opinion about Public Educationand her involvement in unionism: keizokuwa chikara nari.

“Literally this translates as continuanceor power and strength,” Carmen says. “Whatit means is do not give up. Continuing tohold on will yield or reveal strength andpower; and to continue after a setback is itsown kind of strength – perseverance ispower. This is what we have to do tosafeguard the future in public education.”

Teaching backgroundCarmen was initially appointed as an

upper primary Japanese teacher at Greenwithand in her ten-years there has also workedas an ESL teacher; part-time librarian; actingIT coordinator and acting assistant principal.She began her teaching career at Para HillsWest Primary and has also worked atBrompton, Walkerville, Ridley Grove and TwoWells Primary schools.

Teaching JapaneseCarmen’s passion for the Japanese lan-

guage came through receiving a scholarshipto teach three days a week and study Japaneseat the University of Adelaide in 1996 as wellas studying LOTE at the University of SouthAustralia, culminating in a DECS exchangeprogram to Adelaide’s sister Himeji in 1998.“It was a fascinating experience. Being sur-rounded by the culture and language enrich-ed my learning and teaching. I was placed intwo public schools as an assistant Englishteacher. Over there education is the key toeverything. Respect for their teachers andtheir place in society was obvious. The edu-cation system is competitive and family expec-For regular updates on the AEU’s arbitration in the Industrial

Relations Commission, follow us on Twitter.

http://twitter.com/aeusa continued over page 3

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6

tations are very high which creates a lot ofstress for their children. There are entranceexams for every level of education.

Why did you join the AEU?I am a passionate union activist. I joined

the AEU when I was at teachers’ college.During my 13 years at Brompton I was moti-vated to become more involved in unionactivities. I participated in union educationtraining and was one of many women whogained confidence in combining the difficulttask of motherhood and a career. Therewere many issues facing working womenand I was one of the fortunate to be eligiblefor accouchement leave (12 months withoutpay for child rearing).

How did this evolve to sub-branchsecretary?

At Walkerville I had the opportunity tobecome a sub-branch secretary and becamemore aware of my role, which was to shareinformation as well as support and promoteAEU membership. In 1994, I participated inthe Anna Stewart Memorial Project andshadowed the CFMEU (ConstructionForestry Mining Energy Union) officials fortwo weeks. I gained a greater awareness ofthe diverse roles of women in the workforceand the part unions play in social justice. Iwas also a member of the Status of WomenCommittee where we provided direction onissues relevant to women and girls ineducation.

How did Greenwith Primary School getinvolved in the EB action?

We voted on the workload protectionand would like to acknowledge the supportof parents in the campaign. The positivecomments received from the communitywere displayed on our ‘apple tree’ in thefront foyer. We modified our student reportsbut ensured activities such as aquaticscamps that were a part of the curriculumwent ahead. Non-unionists at schoolsupported the sub-branch in the focus onlearning and workload protectioncampaigns. They agreed with the guidelinesso it was adopted by all staff.

What do you enjoy about teaching ?I love what I do, love teaching Japanese

and children are fantastic. I enjoy my classesand the kids make you come alive. If kidscan still do that for you after 40 years Iknow I’m in the right place. Relationshipsand making a difference is what I set out todo when I started teaching. Sometimes Ijust get excited when a Year 1 or 2 child canrespond in Japanese. �

SACE UPDATECONTINUED...

Professional developmentTerm 3 is a key period of professional

development for SACE teachers. Registrationsare open for Learning Area workshops andmiddle managers’ workshops to be held inmetropolitan and country locations through-out Term 3.

The Learning Area workshops will helpteachers understand how to adjust theirteaching programs and design assessmentprograms for the revised Stage 1 subjects tobe introduced in 2010.

The Term 3 middle manager workshopsare designed to build practical understandingof assessment and performance standards.

To book your place visit:

www.saceboard.sa.edu.au/sace-bulletin (and follow the links to professional development). You can also call(08) 8226 2362 for learning area work-shop information or (08) 8372 7552 formiddle manager workshop information.

The SACE Board will provide informationabout Term 4 professional developmentopportunities later this term. Term 4 oppor-tunities are likely to focus on preparing forteaching the Research Project in 2011 andsupporting the preparation of Stage 1 Learn-ing and Assessment Plans.

If your preferred workshop date andvenue is full, please register your interestand the SACE Board will accommodate youas soon as possible.

Vocational education and trainingThe SACE Board has endorsed key direc-

tions for recognising vocational educationand training (VET) in the new SACE. TheBoard has announced the new recognitionarrangements will begin in 2011.

Consultation on the proposed new arrange-ments was completed in June, with significantfeedback received from schools, the AEU andSA Unions, business and industry, VET provi-ders and many other stakeholders. At a meet-ing of the SACE Board in July, membersendorsed the key directions of the newarrangements which offer increased flexibilityfor students to include VET in SACE studies.The Board endorsed key directionsincluding:• An expanded role for VET in the SACE,

which was strongly supported by stake-

Latest developments fromthe SACE BoardNew SACE Stage 1 subjects set to be taughtfor the first time in 2010.

holders in the consultation.• The development of a SACE Recognition

Register which will guide the fair andconsistent recognition of VET unitstowards the SACE.The final recognition arrangements will

come into effect from 2011.For SACE students studying VET in 2010,

50 hours of accredited VET will be recog-nised as 10 SACE credits. This continues thecurrent approach where 50 hours of VETequal one SACE unit.

The final arrangements will be shaped bythe advice of a VET partnership group includ-ing representatives of the three schoolsectors, unions, the Department of FurtherEducation, Employment, Science andTechnology, Business SA, private and publicregistered training organisations, theTraining and Skills Commission and theuniversity sector.

Guidelines for how to include VET path-ways in the new SACE and details about howindividual VET units will be recognised in theSACE through the use of the SACE Recogni-tion Register, will be finalised and availableearly in 2010.

Transition arrangements will be in placefor students who include VET as part of theirSACE studies next year, but do not completethe SACE in 2010. The arrangements will ensurestudents will not be disadvantaged.

A policy circular will be sent to schoolssoon with more detail.

Tertiary entranceSATAC has published the booklet, Tertiary

Entrance 2010, 2011, 2012, which explainstertiary entrance for students in Years 10, 11and 12. This includes arrangements for using

the new SACE forhigher and furthereducation selectionfor 2012 entry.

The booklet(pictured) is beingdistributed to schoolsand will be madeavailable fordownload on theSATAC website:

www.satac.edu.auNote: The AEU has printed this information atthe request of the SACE Board.

For more information about the new SACE including subject outlines, professional

development opportunities and more go to: www.saceboard.sa.edu.auhttp://twitter.com/aeusa

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

I T ’S A FACT

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With the State Government intention toforce TAFE staff into a separate enterprisebargaining agreement, now is the time tobuild our union density across TAFE. Thegreater our membership, the more we canact collectively to resist the State Govern-ment’s desperate attempts to attack wagesand conditions of TAFE employees.

To this end, the AEU arranged a series ofsuccessful recruitment drives in 2008 andagain this year to increase new TAFE mem-bers in the Riverland, Murray Mallee, Berri,Renmark and Murray Bridge. In the southernmetropolitan area we targeted Noarlungaand in the Pirie district we concentrated onPirie and Kadina campuses. The success of arecruitment blitz depends on the preparatorywork done by the local AEU delegates. Wherethe local sub-branch secretary has alreadyapproached non-members on site andarranged times to meet with the AEU organ-iser one-on-one to discuss the benefits ofjoining the union, our success rate is gener-ally much better. For example, recently atPirie TAFE where the Sub-branch Secretary,Andrew von Neidermueller had alreadyapproached staff, we were able to pick upsix new members. This significantly liftedthe union density at Port Pirie.

At Kadina, with a number of staff off-siteon the day we were there, we picked up onenew member. Because of the union presenceat Kadina we had constructive conversationswith existing members and a productivelunchtime meeting where staff expressedconcerns about the latest managementrestructure in regional TAFE. We began theprocess of establishing a local campaigncommittee which will be the focus for ongo-ing discussion and development of strate-gies to ensure the workload of staff is notimpacted on as a consequence of reducedmanagement.

At Noarlunga TAFE, a much larger campuswith a number of quite distinct programs, wewere again assisted by the preparatory workof Sub-branch Secretary Bob Biglands, alecturer in the building and constructionprogram. There is already good union densityin that program and in engineering, but notas much in some of the other programs.Because of the size of the campus, Bob washaving difficulty getting to know all staff.One of the first things we did was identifykey AEU members in each of the otherprograms and set up a Workplace OrganisingCommittee (WOC) with the intention of themmeeting once a month to discuss across-campus issues. This will then help Bob whois also the AEU representative on the ICC(Institute Consultative Committee).

During the blitz, we recruited several new

members but more importantly were able tomeet with a number of staff to build relation-ships and create conversation around issuesof interest. As a networking activity, thereare plans to hold a lunchtime BBQ in a fewweeks. All staff will be encouraged to comealong for a feed and an opportunity to meetother union members.

With arbitration about to get under way,it is the AEU’s intention to concentrate on anumber of other blitzes of other campusesthroughout the remainder of this year,including some follow-up at those campusesalready visited.

Profile: Sub-branch SecretaryBOB BIGLANDS

First JobBob Biglands left school at the age of 15

and trained as a shipbuilder. This was thefirst step in a varied career, initially workingin joinery and cabinet making, and then inbuilding and construction. While there was aperiod when he was self-employed as abuilding contractor, much of his working lifehas been in teaching.

Teaching LifeBob has worked as a TAFE lecturer since

2001, but he has been involved in trainingwith different organisations and in differentcapacities since 1976. Now at the Noarlungacampus Bob teaches wood trades to prevo-cational students. “My passion is workingwith young students where hopefully I canmake a difference by introducing them to thetrade and developing their interest andskills,” Bob says.

Union InvolvementBob is the sub-branch secretary at the

Noarlunga campus of TAFE. He took on therole a couple of years ago and has done sowith gusto since he is also the current AEUrepresentative for Noarlunga on the ICC. Bobis a strong advocate on behalf of other mem-bers and has supported a number of col-leagues who were experiencing difficultiesin their employment. Bob is keen to get a

Profile: Sub-branch SecretaryANDREW VON NIEDERMUELLER

Teaching BackgroundAndrew von Niedermueller has worked as

a secondary humanities teacher in bothSouth Australia and the Northern Territory;as part of an overseas aid program teachingin Zimbabwe for three years; at CharlesDarwin University and at TAFE since 1990. Heis now based at Port Pirie campus.

TAFEWhen in the Northern Territory, Andrew

was teaching Aboriginal Education at MurrayBridge TAFE as a contract lecturer in 1990.Between then and 1998 when Andrew wonthe position as the student services officerat Port Pirie, he had appointments inmetropolitan and country schools whichincluded a three-year position at CooberPedy coordinating and teaching vocationalpreparation.

AEU InvolvementAndrew has now been the sub-branch

secretary at Port Pirie TAFE since 1994. In hisrole as an SSO, Andrew says he is well-known by all staff which is helpful fornetworking with members and potentialmembers. Andrew is one of the first batch oflong-term contract lecturers who becamepermanent as a consequence of thepermanency conversion criteria negotiatedby the AEU. “Why contract lecturerswouldn’t join the union, which negotiatedtheir right to be converted to permanent Ican’t understand,” Andrew said.

Future of the UnionAndrew is keen to recruit more members

as he sees the benefits of good uniondensity at the workplace. With a lot of thechanges happening in TAFE at the moment,particularly in the Regional Institute,members will need to act collectively toensure proposed changes don’t add to thealready excessive workloads of staff. �

Building union density in TAFETAFE MATTERS

AEU members must take a leading role in increasing unionmembership in the workplace

campus organising committee up and run-ning as forum for members to discuss issuesacross various workgroups. �

Bob Biglands (2nd from left) with colleagues atNoarlunga TAFE5

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The AEU traditionallycelebrates SSO Week earlyin Term 3, but this year theusual celebrations took onan additional significance.

Branch Executiverecently decided that, from2009 onwards, the AEU

would designate this time to acknowledgethe work of both SSOs and ECWs, and theirinvaluable contributions to schools andpreschools in South Australia.

A major focus this year was a continuationof the AEU campaign to achieve much higherlevels of permanency for SSOs and ECWs.The vast majority of SSOs and ECWs areemployed on a casual or contract basis. Onlytwo in five SSOs and a mere one in five ECWshave permanent appointments.

During Week 1 of Term 3, more than 100SSOs and ECWs wrote personal letters toChris Robinson, Chief Executive of DECS,seeking his intervention to put an end to thisunacceptable situation. Thank you to allmembers who sent letters to Mr Robinsonand the AEU. These members have beenemployed continuously by DECS in long-term positions, some for more than 20 years.Copies of these letters have been forwardedby the AEU to the Premier, Mike Rann. It isimportant to note that Public SectorManagement (PSM) Act employees in DECSand other public sector agencies areautomatically made permanent followingtwo years of continuous service.

Sub-branches also wroteto the chief executive, sup-porting permanent appoint-ments for their colleaguesand fellow union members.The need for ongoing andstable employment is akey feature of our award

application for the arbitration hearing com-mencing on Monday 3 August.

Of late there have been signs that DECSis beginning to respond to the ongoing AEUcampaign for more secure employment forSSOs and ECWs. On 2 July 2009 DECS distri-buted circulars to Principals and PreschoolDirectors stating that they were consideringa one off conversion to permanency for SSOsand ECWs with five years continuous serviceand in positions of at least 15 hours per week.

In addition, 14 SSOs and ECWs who arepart of the Munno Para B-12 and Playford B-7Education Works Stage I sites have just beenmade permanent. DECS has made a commit-

SSO & ECW WEEK 2009 SSO MEMBER PROFILE

Permanency a big deal forSSOs and ECWs

Gwenda’s storya familiar onefor SSOs

Progress is being made asAEU campaign continues.

AEU Journal recently caught up withcontract SSO Gwenda Herbert.

What is your role atCleve Area School?

I work with a widerange of students withspecial needs andcurriculum support. Iprovide services to theschool in many areas

including science and the community library;and have also been involved with thesuccessful running of the community studiesprogram preparing students for the workplace.

What are the main issues facing SSOs?After 20 plus years of continuous work as

a school services officer at Cleve Area School,I would like to see improvements to employ-ment conditions for casual and temporarySSOs. We need to consider long-termemployment for SSOs. They have a wealth ofknowledge and experience gained over manyyears of dedicated work.

My lack of job security as a temporarySSO has been stressful and a financialburden; it’s not much fun waiting to see ifyou have secured the hours you need. Often,I would not know if I had a job for the yearuntil partway into the first term.

How does this impact Public Education?I have seen many highly-skilled employ-

ees moving to different industries that canoffer permanent positions. This means currentSSOs need to be constantly training new staffto take over the temporary position. The struc-ture that exists within DECS has never seem-ed to assist me in reaching my goal of becom-ing a permanent employee.

Funding has always been a big issue. Ifeel we deserve a much better deal and I amhoping that I one day will achieve a perma-nent position at Cleve Area School. Applyingfor my contract each year has been anotherprocess I have had to learn to deal with.

What is the school attitude towards SSOs?I have had positive support from staff to

further develop my skills, taking on extratraining and development in order to give mean edge. I have worked extremely hard tokeep my skills to a high standard and takenon the many changes in order to managestudents.

My conditions of employment have chang-ed from year to year. Very early in my career Iworked hours as low as one to two hours perday over the whole week. Recently I havehad more support from within our school -we know by the end of the year what ourhours will be for the following year. �

ment that further conversions topermanency associated with other Stage Isites will occur in due course. The AEU hasalso been informed that most AboriginalSSOs and ECWS will soon receive offers ofpermanency.

In the aarbitration process, the AEU willbe arguing that permanency should begranted after 12 months continuous service.However, we welcome the fact DECS seemsto be acknowledging the current system ofemploying SSOs and ECWs year after year ona temporary or casual basis is unjust andunfair, and at last there is progress inaddressing this situation.

The sweetest victories are those that arehardest fought and all AEU members are tobe congratulated on their steadfast andunited stand in achieving a measure ofjustice for SSOs and ECWs in this campaign.

Morning Tea BreaksA number of sites have asked the AEU for

clarification regarding morning tea breaksfor SSOs.

Currently, DECS policy, which is similar tothe practice which applies to other DECSemployees and the wider public sector is,although tea breaks are not an Awardprovision, it is expected schools, in terms oflong-standing custom and practice, willmake arrangements to provide SSOs andother ancillary staff with the opportunity tohave a cup of tea or coffee.

Arrangements need to be made at yoursite so essential school services such asfront office reception and telephone dutiesare covered at all times.

AEU members should ensure this policyis applied in a fair and reasonable mannerand this practice is consistent between allschool staff (teaching and non-teaching staff).

SSOs who believe current arrangementsdo not reflect this policy, should discuss thematter with your AEU Sub-branch Secretaryas soon as possible. In the unlikely circum-stance this situation is not resolved at yourschool, members are advised to contact theAEU – Phone: 8272 1399 �

Anne Crawford | AEU Vice-PresidentIrene Tam | Organiser SSO Focus

Anne Crawford

Irene Tam

ARE YOU ONE OF THE3,336 SSOs WAITING FOR

A PERMANENT JOB?

Join the AEU and help us fight for your right to permanency

20–24 JulySSO WEEK 2009

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Officers of the A

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onday – Friday from 10.30am

– 5.00pm. Phone:8

272 1399

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spreading session in the discussion hub ofthe school - the staffroom. We used resourcesprovided through the “appleforteacher”campaign and added some of our own. Weused A3 apple posters to advertise a morn-ing tea for all staff with apple pies and applestrudel and we discussed the value of PublicEducation and how important it is to standup for our students.

It was excellent to see members feelingempowered and able to have open conversa-tions with non-members. The Public Educationpetition was signed by all people who werein the staffroom and we even gained somenew members.

We made the most of a Youth Week eventon the Tumby Bay foreshore with an Applefor Teacher stall. With large glossy appleposters, displays demonstrating the impactof the proposed funding model and brochuresexplaining the truth of the dispute; we hadreal conversations with parents, encouragedthe community to sign the petition and hand-ed out apples one of our members broughtfrom her farm. I was very proud to be man-ning the stall with such committed and pas-sionate educators.

To celebrate Public Education Day, eachfamily and student wrote uplifting, encour-aging and motivating messages about edu-cation and/or our school. One memberapproached three local businesses to displayour apples trees and it was a great way tosee positive messages about public educa-tion and our school around town.

Since increasing activism in our area wehave gained more support from parents andraised the morale of members as well as help-ing empower them to make a difference andtruly stand up and fight for our students. �

SUB-BRANCH REPORT

The Tumby Bay sub-branch has always hadpassionate members who have been trulycommitted to providing the best educationfor our students. As Sub-branch Secretary, Ihave felt very supported by our memberswhen it comes to attending area meetings,rallies and taking industrial action.

In recent years we have worked hard tomaintain and raise the level of membership.It has been great to have a broad range ofmembers including SSOs, teachers, coordina-tors, the deputy and principal. We now havemore members on staff than non-members.

When the current enterprise bargainingprocess began and changes to the fundingmodel were announced, the Tumby Bay sub-branch was ready to take action, demandrespect from the government, stand theirground and say “hands off public education”.

While the dispute has gone on longer thanwe would have liked, it has had the positiveeffect of reinvigorating members. After eachArea Meeting, Branch Council and BranchExecutive meeting, I reported back and itseemed members began to get angrier andmore determined to take a stand.

The biggest stumbling block was how toget the message to parents and our commu-nity. We wanted our parents and widercommunity to truly understand the fight isnot just about improved working conditionsfor all education workers; it’s also aboutensuring a high quality education remainsaccessible for our Tumby Bay students. Tothis end, we are lucky to have a very support-ive School Governing Council that has workedwith us to get the message across in theschool community.

Before venturing into the wider TumbyBay community, we decided to start a littlecloser to home and have our first message

Public and Very ProudTumby Bay Sub-branch Secretary and AEUExecutive member Lesley Lindsay-Taylor(pictured) charts their road to success.

1 Tumby Bay members in actionduring the appleforteacher campaign

AEU INFORMATION UNIT

Q & A from theWorkplace

QAre the 37.5 hours of training andprofessional development now

compulsory for all education workers?

A The training and professional devel-opment hours are still voluntary. The

scheme is now a self-declaration model whichinvolves employees signing a form at the endof the year affirming they have completed the37.5 hours (or pro rata if contract or part-time). This form is then acknowledged by thesite leader and filed in the employee’s file.

The scope of relevant activities, traveltime that may be claimed, who is eligibleand other matters related to this schemecan be accessed on the DECS Website at:

www.decs.sa.gov.au/documents/1/TrainingandProfessionalSu.pdf

QWhat is the minimum amount of non-instruction time (NIT) a teacher

should be allocated in any one block?

A The minimum amount of non-instruc-tion time in any one period should be

no less than 30 minutes. This allows a teacherto use the time meaningfully for preparationof lessons; assessing student’s work andreport writing etc.[Source: Clause 39.8.1 SA Education Staff(Government Preschool, Schools and TAFE)Certified Agreement 2005.]

QWho makes the decision about howFlexible Initiative Resourcing (FIR) is

to be used?

A Our enterprise agreement with DECSrequires the involvement of the school’s

PAC to be effective in the decision-makingof how FIR is to be used in the school. ThePAC must consult with staff before advisingthe principal on the recommended use ofFIR. It should be remembered that FIR is anallocation to relieve teacher workload. Thiswas negotiated between DECS and the AEUand registered in the Industrial Commissionin March 1997.

QHow much notice do I have to give if I wish to retire?

A If you are 55 years of age you need onlygive two weeks notice as a person may

retire on or after the day on which they reachthe age of 55. (s.25 Education Act, 1972)

If under 55 it will be treated as a normalresignation and you must give 20 teachingdays notice prior to December 1st and 40teaching days notice after December 1st.[Administrative Instructions and Guidelines s.2para 71]

Anne Walker,AEU Legal & Information Officer

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

decade and are the result of increasing pres-sure to maintain or improve school rankings.

Intensive test preparation at the expenseof time spent on non-tested subjects is anoth-er commonly used tactic to boost schoolresults and which is already becoming toocommon in Australia. School systems aroundthe country are pushing schools to devotemore time to test practice at the expense ofscience, history, the arts and music andphysical education.

Last April, the head of the VictorianDepartment of Education, Peter Dawkins,sent a memo to all principals suggestingmore time be spent on preparing studentsfor the National Assessment Programme forLiteracy and Numeracy (NAPLaN) tests so asto improve Victoria’s results.

On April 13 this year, The Age reportedthat teachers were being pressured to putmore time into test practice. The Courier-Mail in Brisbane reported in March thateducation officials were putting tremendouspressure on teachers to lift results bypractising for tests. The West Australianreported on April 14 that up to a quarter ofschool time was being spent on preparingfor the tests.

Not only does teaching to the test comeat the expense of non-tested subjects, but italso replaces teaching the more complexthinking and writing skills, which are centralto quality education.

The West Australian case is the latest inthe accumulation of examples of how schoolsrig their results under the pressure to improveor maintain their ranking on school perform-ance tables. It is an example of a well-knownphenomenon in social science research calledCampbell’s law. Campbell’s law states: “Themore any quantitative social indicator is usedfor social decision-making, the more subjectit will be to corruption pressures and themore apt it will be to distort and corrupt thesocial processes it is intended to monitor”.

Far from improving transparency andschool results, school performance report-ing leads to manipulation of school results,greater opaqueness and complexity. Itmisleads rather than informs. It fails toachieve real improvement in student out-comes at school. �

The above is an abridged version of Trevor Cobbold’s article. It is available at:

http://www.soscanberra.com

REPORTING AND LEAGUE TABLES

dents had opted for new courses at the easi-est level, which did not involve exams.

“I had expected this would be more pre-valent in schools from lower socio-economicareas, but indeed it is schools from acrossthe socio-economic spectrum, including somehigh-profile independent schools,” he said.

This could be the tip of the iceberg. Lastyear, the Sydney Morning Herald (7 June)reported that a Sydney private school wasforcing students to complete their HSC atTAFE if it appeared they would not scorehigh marks.

Parents said their children had not beenallowed to sit their exams at the school. Theschool had rapidly improved its ranking inThe Herald’s HSC results league table inrecent years.

Such practices have been a feature in theUS and UK education systems over the past

Too much time spent on testing will lead to poorer outcomes forstudents argues Trevor Cobbold.

School performance reporting and leaguetables create pressures and incentives forschools to fudge their results.

Competition for higher rankings forcesschools to ‘play the system’ to show improve-ment even where there is none. Playing thesystem is the quick route to better results. Itis a feature of school performance reportingwherever it has been adopted.

A whole range of devices are used, includ-ing: poaching high achieving students fromother schools, denying entry to low achiev-ing students, suspending low achievingstudents on test days, encouraging lowachievers to take courses not used to rankschools, helping students with answers,changing answers and devoting more time to rote learning and testing skills. It is nowall beginning in Australia.

The West Australian reported on 13 Julythat WA schools are pushing many Year 12students to choose easier subjects so theycan avoid exams and schools can lift theirranking on league tables. If struggling stu-dents are funnelled into courses with noexams, their scores will not be counted in aschool’s overall tertiary entrance results whichare used to measure school performance.

The WA Curriculum Council chief executive,David Wood, said he was concerned thatYear 12 enrolment data showed many stu-

The fudging of school results begins

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“The more any quantita-tive social indicator isused for social decision-making, the more subjectit will be to corruptionpressures...”

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

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School vouchers are still a bit ‘out there’as social policy ideas go in Australia. Theyare an article of faith for neo-liberals whosetime, according to some, has passed. Unfor-tunately, the reports of the death of ‘extremecapitalism’, privatisation and the dictatorshipof the market have been greatly exaggeratedand nowhere are the vital signs stronger thanin the current debates over public education.The skewed state and federal funding systemfavouring private schools is locked in. Theblurring of the lines between governmentand non-government schools is continuingapace. School performance league tables seeminevitable in one form or another and a lot ofwork is being done by think-tanks to makeschool vouchers sound mainstream – some-thing parents ought to be clambering for.

A paper on the subject from the Liberal-aligned Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) hasbeen getting a good reception in thecolumns of the major dailies. Vouchers are‘one in the eye’ for centralised government,educational bureaucrats (‘educrats’) and, ofcourse, teacher unions. “With studentsobserved to register academic improvementsin a voucherised environment, this fundingreform promises to redress educationaldisadvantage in ways that previous effortshave failed to do. There is little doubt thatvouchers come with a big tick of approvalfrom parents, as evidenced by surveys in

several countries,” report author Julie Novakwrote in The Australian recently.

So what is a school voucher fundingmodel? For this the API’s paper (A RealEducation Revolution: Options for voucherfunding reform) refers us to a 1955 article by none other than Milton Friedman. Thearchitect of Pinochet’s post-coup economicpolicy in Chile puts it this way:

“Government, preferably local units, wouldgive each child, through his parents, a speci-fied sum to be used solely in paying for hisgeneral education; the parents would befree to spend this sum at a school of theirchoice, provided it met certain minimumstandards laid down by the appropriategovernmental unit. Such schools would beconducted under a variety of auspices: byprivate enterprises run for profit, non profitinstitutions established by private endow-ment, religious bodies, and even somegovernmental units”.

The federal opposition is excited by theidea. Turnbull has long favoured vouchers –“This is core Liberal stuff,” he said in 2002.

So are voucher systems as effective and as popular as the author claims? It is statedthat systems are in place in “30 countriesaround the world from the United Statesright through to developing countries suchas Colombia”. The idea of playing social

policy catch up with strife-torn Colombiaboggles the mind but the US might havesomething to teach us. It turns out vouchersystems are not widespread stateside.Voucher systems have been decisivelyrejected 22 times across the country inreferenda from 1967, most recently in the1990s in California, Oregon, WashingtonState and twice in Colorado.

The cities of Cleveland, Milwaukee andWashington DC have vouchers and their exam-ple has not set the education system on fire.When US parents were polled by Phi DeltaKappa/Gallup on the subject, respondentspreferred “improving public schools” to “pro-viding vouchers” by 75 percent to 22 percentdespite heavy campaigning in favour ofvouchers by neo-liberal and religious groups.

Of course, the API paper appears to putchildren from disadvantaged backgrounds atthe centre in its variants of a voucher scheme.As well as a universal scheme with a $12,000voucher for every Australian child, there is aproposition for “differential vouchers”. Thisinvolves higher voucher values for Indigen-ous students (including a $7,000 relocationpayment), disabled students and those whosefamily income is less than $1,000 a week.‘Targeted vouchers’ would be a limitedscheme where only the aforementioneddisadvantaged groups receive a docket for

SCHOOL VOUCHERS

their education. All of the scenarios are more expensive

than the present funding system and predicta drift from government to non-governmentschools – an alarming result for equity ofaccess to quality education according to a2006 Australia Institute report on vouchersbut scarcely commented on by the API.Novak does not explain, either, how disadvan-taged children would suddenly be able toenrol in distant elite schools with staggeringfees. The truth is the concept is not concern-ed with disadvantaged children.

According to Professor Michael Apple inhis book Educating the Right Way (2001),vouchers are a form of middle class ‘gatekeeping’: “By changing the process ofselection to schools, middle class parentscan raise the stakes in creating strongermechanisms of exclusion for blue-collar andpost-colonial peoples in their struggle forequality of opportunity”.

AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatosis quick to nip the idea in the bud. “The inter-national evidence shows the introduction ofvouchers has increased the privatisation ofeducation and failed to increase the overallquality of education being delivered. Ourstudents and schools are not a marketplaceand no place for a radical right wing agendato be rolled out.” �

School vouchers are back on the agenda says Giles GoldsmithFrom fringe to ‘the way to go’

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

increase of $126. A move to WesternAustralia will result in an extra $115 perweek. South Australian teachers may shareborders with Victoria and Western Australia,but they do not share pay equity.

In TAFE, the AEU seeks to move to a fivestep salary classification including theretention of the Advanced Skills Lecturerclassification. The new TAFE structure wouldabolish the lecturer assistant classificationand adopt the five step scale with minimumrequired qualifications for progression andprescriptions for education managers.

COMPLEXITYAEU members are well aware that there

has been a significant increase in studentcomplexity in the past few years. This hasdirect implications in relation to increasedworkloads for all employees.

In the past decade, there has been anincrease in the number of students withdisabilities, an increase in the number ofAboriginal students, international students,refugees and immigrant students, studentsliving in poverty, guardians of the ministerand students with mental health problems.

Of particular concern is that between1999 and 2008 there has been an increase of62% in the number of students withdisabilities. Current statistics show that onein every thirteen students enrolled isclassified as having special needs whereasin 2000 the ratio was 1:20. This is coupledwith a 48 percent increase in special needsstudents in mainstream sites and a decreasein per student funding from DECS.

Funding has not kept pace with the level

ARBITRATION

Background:After twenty long months of enterprise

bargaining and member action the AEU willnow argue its case in the Industrial RelationsCommission of South Australia. Here are thekey components of the AEU’s Application fora new Award.

SALARIESA key component of the AEU’s case is the

need for nationally competitive salaries. In2006, we had a midpoint salary benchmarkand now, in 2009, we sit firmly on thebottom of the national salary scale with theState Government’s offers keeping us therefar into the future. Recruitment andretention of high quality education staffrelies heavily on the achievement of a strongwage outcome.

By January 2011 there will be a newbenchmark rate for the top of the scaleteacher of about $84,800 at the high end ofthe range and about $81,000 at the low end.Clearly, our claim is absolutely essential ifwe are to maintain benchmark salaries inline with our interstate colleagues.

The evidence:South Australian teachers are the worst

paid teachers in the country and have beenso since at least October 2007. In October2008 SA teacher salaries were $5,991 perannum behind the national average.Currently SA teacher salaries are $6,384behind the national average. This is ashortfall of 9% of their current salary. ASouth Australian teacher who moves toVictoria will be rewarded with a weekly pay

1 2

of complexity in public preschools, schoolsand TAFE and this has placed additionalburden and workload on staff.Other Complexity Issues in short:• Student behaviour management

practices and their associated tasks • Increasing abuse and violence from

parents and decreasing cooperation• Poverty• Mental healthAdditional workload issues:• Extra-curricular activities (camps,

excursions, rehearsals etc)• The raise in the leaving age• Increased marketing and entrepreneurial

role of teachers

• Grant and funding applications• New programs such as SACE• Voluntary work• Increase in data recording and reporting• Information Technology• Devolution of responsibility from central

office

The evidence:1. To perform the additional workload

identified above, there has been a vastincrease in the number in the number ofhours of work of classroom teachers andleaders since 2000. Working hours areexcessive and unreasonable for bothclassroom teachers and leaders.

2. Classroom teachers currently work about55 hours per week. In 2000 they wereworking about 45-50 hours per week.

3. The hours of work of beginning teachersare particularly oppressive. Many areworking over 60 hours a week. Beginningteachers are working longer hours thanthe average Principal.

4. The evidence also shows a huge burdenbeing carried by leaders. They arecurrently working over 55 hours perweek. Most principals work significantlyin excess of 60 hours per week.

The AEU is seeking:• a maximum number of hours of face-to-

face teaching in any one week forordinary classroom teachers as follows:(a) In Secondary schools 20 hours; and(b) In Primary schools 21 hours 30

minutes.• An improved definition of face to face

teaching

For arbitration updates go to:http://twitter.com

/aeusa

Arbitration under way in the IRCHere we outline the key items in the AEU’s Award Application

7 At the Commission (from left): Dan FarmerAEU Industrial Coordinator, Mark IrvingBarrister, Michael Ats Solicitor, CorrenaHaythorpe AEU President, Mordy BrombergSenior Counsel, Liz Roberts AEU IndustrialOfficer and Anne Crawford AEU Vice-President.

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

1 3

• Paid overtime• A right to refuse unreasonable additional

workload

CONTRACT AND CASUALEMPLOYMENT

Contract and casual employees are signif-icantly over-represented in our preschools,schools and TAFE. While there are manyteachers and lecturers employed under suchconditions, by far the most affected employ-ees are School Service Officers and supportstaff. The AEU has fought long and hard forconversions to permanency for these staff,many of whom have been employed ascontract workers for more than ten years –some for as long as twenty.

The evidence:a) Fixed term contract teachers now make

up about 30% of all classroom teachers.In the preschool sector, fixed term contractteachers now make up about 47% of allclassroom teachers.

b) Fixed term contract SSOs on short term(less than 1 year) contracts now make upabout 62% of all SSOs and support staffon short term contracts now make upabout 61% of all support staff.

c) Of the total TAFE workforce 39% are ininsecure employment with 49.27% ofLecturers (Levels 1-8) in temporaryemployments. These statistics show evidence of a

marked increase in short-term casual andcontract labour. The AEU clause seeks thatan employee will be engaged as either anongoing employee, fixed term/task employeeor casual employee.• An “ongoing employee” means an employ-

ee employed for an indefinite period• A “fixed term/task employee” means an

employee whose employment is subjectto a contract that specifies a date whenthe contract will end, or identifies aspecified task to be performed by theemployee, the completion of which willend the contract

• A “casual employee” means an employeeengaged to meet the short term andtemporary operational needs of theemployer resulting from an unexpectedshort term absence of another employeeor an event or events which could notreasonably have been planned for orforeseen by the employer.

LEADERSHIPThe AEU is seeking changes to the

principal classification levels. This wouldcreate a new classification level (PCO9) andtranslate all principals to the next highestlevel in the classification structure. Underthe proposal principals would be classifiedPCO2 to PCO9. The PCO1 classificationwould be retained for the classification ofdeputy principals.

The AEU also seeks two changes to thecurrent classifications of Deputy Principalsand assistant principals. Firstly, a merger ofthe deputy principals and assistant principals

classifications and secondly, an alteration tothe alignment of deputy principal andprincipal classification levels for the 12.6%of deputy principals who are currently in theschools where the principal is on one of thethree highest classifications. This increase insalary and classification is necessary due tothe increased workload and complexity.

Further, the AEU is seeking that thecurrent three classifications of coordinatorsbe reduced to one coordinator positionconsistent across the primary and secondarysector.

CLASS SIZESThe arguments for reductions in class

size are many and varied. Ultimately,reductions in class size will contribute tobetter learning outcomes; teacher workloadwill be reduced, providing students with theindividual attention they need in order toachieve their full learning potential.

The Government has proposed newclauses in relation to class size which willprovide the capacity for class sizes toincrease under future funding regimes. Thetable below clearly demonstrates this:

In relation to class sizes, the AEU’sproposal would result in the maintenance ofexisting average class sizes with a slightimprovement in class sizes for years 8 – 10.The AEU table can be downloaded at ourwebsite: www.aeusa.asn.auCOUNTRY INCENTIVESThe AEU is seeking:a) increases in the length of time during

which the country incentives will apply,from five to ten years;

b) incentives for experienced leaders morecommensurate with their salaries;

c) that employees engaged in district

offices, seconded teachers, hourly paidinstructors and temporary relievingteachers be eligible for countryincentives;

d) the establishment of a Board of Referencefor the determination of the appropriateCountry Incentive Allowance zone foreach work site and specified adjustmentsto the zoning of various work sites.

e) the reinbursement of freight costs forbasic groceries to employees appointedto the remote communities ofPipalyatjara, Amata, Fregon, Ernabella,Mimili, Muruptja, Kenmore Park,Indulkana, Oak Valley, Yalata andOodnadatta; and

f ) an induction for SSOs in Aboriginal andAnangu schools.

The evidence:Many regional and remote schools have

staffing shortages and the capacity toadequately attract and retain employees inmany rural, regional and remote worksites isa major problem. The shortages are notsimply quantitative but are also qualitative.There is a widespread shortage of experi-enced teachers in regional and remoteschools in circumstances where because ofthe prevalence of beginning teachers inthose schools, access to more experiencedteachers is crucial. Inexperienced teachersrely heavily on the more experiencedteachers. Without them their workloads areaffected. The small number of experiencedteachers means that they are in nearconstant demand to provide support,thereby adding to their workload. For further information about the AEUAward application go to:

www.aeusa.asn.au

ARBITRATIONFor arbitration updates go to:http://tw

itter.com/aeusa

DECS Award Application – Class SizesCurrent DECS Proposed % Increase inAverage Average Class Size under

Class Size Class Size DECS Proposal

Years R – 2 IOED Category 1 16 26 62%







Year 3 Category 1 and 2 22 30 36%

Year 3 Category 3 – 7 24 – 26 30 15 – 25%

Years 4 – 7 IOED Category 1 22 30 36%







Years 8 – 10 20 29 45%

Years 11 and 12 19 26 37%

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

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Choice – whether parents, teachers andstudents want it or not.

And it won’t be just any old choice. Bychoice, the Revolution means the choice itchooses to offer.

Now we know we’re up against a seriousproblem here, because given a choice, mostparents would choose to send their childrento free, adequately-funded, well-run, localschools where they can be taught by quali-fied teachers. But that is not the kind ofchoice we want them making. Give people aCHOICE like that, they’ll start thinking theycan CHOOSE whatever they like. Cleanenergy, for example, or forward-lookingwater policies, a functioning health-caresystem, an independent foreign policy. Thelist just goes on and on.

LEADERS

Shane’s w

ork is available at:ww

w.shanem

aloney.com

1 Principals (from left): Tony Hoff, Kangaroo Island CommunityEducation, Kingscote, Ray Marino, Oakbank Area School, Amanda O’Shea, Yorke & Mid North Regional Office, Clare

Principals, deputyprincipals, assistantprincipals, actingprincipals, aspirantprincipals, seniorteachers, teachers,level-co-ordinators,curriculum coordina-tors, bursars, studentteachers, photocopymechanics, ladiesand gentlemen.

Let me first extend apologies from theminister: she is unable to be here on thisoccasion as she is very busy at the moment,working on the government’s global warmingprevention scheme. As you know, the govern-ment is very concerned about the concernabout global warming. Even as we gather heretonight, the minister is attending a meetingwith business leaders to discuss ways in whichthe Rudd Labor Government and Business canwork together to more effectively prevent theprevention of global warming.

Education, however, is never far from theminister’s mind. It is, at least for the currentparliamentary period, a matter very close toher heart, insofar as she might be said topossess one.

You’ll be pleased to know that she spentthe afternoon at Flat Earth Secondary Collegein Ipswich, where she turned the sod on theirnew stimulus-funded Scripture Hall and help-ed Senator Fielding to colour-in a picture ofNoah and his Ark in one of the college’ssenior biology classes. The senator himselftook the opportunity to raise his excitingnew proposal for the replacement in thephysics curriculum of the scientifically-con-

tentious, so-called ‘theory of gravity’ with anew idea he picked up on a recent trip to theUnited States called ‘intelligent falling’.

Although she can’t be here in person, theminister did however ask me to pass on herbest wishes to you for your deliberations thisevening, and to say she knows she can relyon you to vote Labor - come what may - soyou’ll understand she can’t be expected tofritter away her very valuable time talking toa bunch of losers.

So in the absence of the minister, it hasfallen upon me to explain to you the basicsof the Rudd Education Revolution and outlinethe ways it will transform the ongoing deliv-ery of educational services in this countrymoving forward, to add value to its clientbase and bring it into line with the standardsnormally associated with education systemsin our major international competitors –benchmark countries such as Angola, Tobagoand Kazakhstan.

Many of us – and by us, I mean you – areresistant to change. None more so thanteachers – who are by nature sneaky, greedy,lazy and unreliable. And on these attributes,the minister, as a professional politician,knows whereof she speaks.

As the persons responsible for wranglingthese feather-bedded recalcitrants, theminister wants you principals to be in nodoubt whatsoever that this is a revolutionwe intend to see right through to the end –or until the next really good idea we have –whichever comes first. And it is a revolutionwhich will brook no opposition.

So what are the essential elements ofthe Rudd-Gillard Revolution? The first isChoice. Come the Revolution, there will be

That sort of envious thinking cannot beallowed. It must be nipped in the bud. You’vegot to draw a line in the sandpit and educa-tion is where the sandpits are kept. TheRevolution will give the people the only optionthat really counts - the one that suits us.

We want people to make the right choice– in other words, they must be made tounderstand that education is their respon-sibility – not ours. The sooner parentschoose to take their snotty-nosed brats offthe public tit the better. There are muchbetter ways to spend people’s taxes thaneducating their bloody kids. Talking up aload of claptrap about choice will make iteasier to slip under the radar.

The second element (or slogan, as we sayin the Revolution racket) is TRANSPARENCY.To quote the minister’s press release:“Transparency measures will give parents,communities and the commentariat (sorry Imisread that), the public, information aboutthe performance of schools”.

Exactly what kind of information, howmuch of it and in what form is yet to beannounced. Suffice to say, we’ll be doingour best to ensure it’s the right informationto make people draw the right conclusionsin order to make the right choice. That is,the choice we want them to make.

We certainly have no intention of allow-ing transparency to extend to us. We’re notplanning on revealing our consultant-to-pupil ratios or our expenditure on spin-doctors or American ‘experts’ or ministerialadvisors or the deals we do in cabinet.We’re not talking about making Freedom ofInformation easier. We might be nuts butwe’re not insane. �

School leaders event:Education Revolution at The TivAbridged speech as delivered by Shane Maloney of the MinisterialTaskforce for Innovation as Education Strategy (MinTIES)

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

1 5

government-sponsored web-site will make public the per-formance of schools using arange of criteria includingNAPLaN test scores.

Justified as a measureto give parents moreknowledge about the

performance of schools, where might such asystem of publicly assessing and ratingschools lead?

In the United States the answer is unequiv-ocally towards privatisation. This takes theform of closing ‘failing’ public schools andhanding them over to any range of corporate‘charities’ or for-profit education providers.Although they continue to receive substan-tial amounts of public funding, charterschools are privately owned and operatedand governed by self-appointed boards oftrustees.

Although they commonly replace publicschools serving poor and minority commu-nities, they are not neighbourhood schoolsand may accept or reject students.

Charter schools were part of the neo-liberal ‘reform agenda’ and supported asplaces of innovation in learning that wouldcomplement and assist the performance ofpublic schools.

In reality, they have had a questionableacademic track record. In Ohio, for example,Democratic Governor Strickland recently wonoffice, ending 15 years of Republican control,by running on an anti-charter school plat-form, accusing the schools of siphoning offpublic funds under the pretence of educa-ting students.

And a recent study by Stanford Universityhas found 37% of charter schools were pro-viding a “significantly worse” education thanpublic schools, while only 17% delivered abetter education.

Yet the ideology of ‘private good, publicbad’ runs deep in the US. Following his elec-tion, President Obama appointed Chicagoschools ‘CEO’ Arne Duncan as EducationSecretary knowing full well that under hiswatch, Duncan had closed numerous ‘failing’public schools – most in black neighbour-hoods – and turned them into privatisednon-union charter schools.

Significantly, Obama chose TeacherAppreciation Week last May to ignore teachersin the nation’s 95,000 plus public schools,choosing to salute only the personnel of the3,500 charter schools.

England has made similar moves, trans-forming failed schools into foundations,

LEAGUE TABLES

After league tables, relegation?

trusts and academies. The latter are similarto charter schools being centrally funded butindependent of local government control.

While some academies are run by tertiaryinstitutions and diocesan boards of edu-cation, quite a few are run by entrepreneursand corporations with little or no overt con-nection to education.

A list of Academy sponsors includes BobEdmiston, who has the UK franchise for Subaruand Isuzu cars. He is one of the wealthiestpeople in the UK and a Pentecostal Christianrunning two Grace Academies. Unfortunatelyfor him, his elevation to the House of Lordswas blocked after he was caught out in the‘cash for peerages’ scandal.

Then there is David Ross who made hishundreds of millions of pounds out of mobilephones. He has two academies and is saidto be “passionate about education”. Thissolid citizen is a resident of Switzerland fortaxation purposes, and has been investigatedfor illegal and undeclared share guarantees.

Even more committed to academies iscarpet and mattress magnate Phil Harris(Lord Harris of Peckham to you). He has nineacademies and growing.

Through his Emmanuel Schools Founda-tion, fundamentalist Christian car dealer SirPeter Vardy runs several academies whichopenly teach creationism.

To this list of individual philanthropistssponsoring Academies, we can add the likesof Northumbrian Water, Bristol’s Society ofMerchant Venturers, Holiday Extras, Vodafone,Rolls Royce, BMW, KPMG and the Haber-dashers and Temple Grove Trust!

Needless to say, academies are contro-versial. Like charter schools, their claims toacademic performance are patchy, and theydamage communities by having selectiveentrance requirements while being publiclyfunded.

Idiot politicians who need to be seen tobe ‘doing things’ embrace regressive meas-ures without understanding them.

In May, British Prime Minister GordonBrown visited Sheffield Springs Academyand uttered glowing words of praise. ButOffice for Standards in Education (Ofsted)inspectors who came in the following weekfound problems including students’ needsnot being met, poor leadership and poorgovernance.

Even so, a government White Paper oneducation released last June quite openlypushes the privatisation agenda. EducationSecretary Ed Balls is proceeding with astricter regime of Ofsted school inspections,and school will each be given report cardscarrying an A to D grade. Those that get intodifficulties will face a limited menu of optionsincluding closure and academy status, orbeing forced to be part of an AccreditedSchools Group.

The latter is a new scheme. According tothe White Paper “we will require local authori-ties to consider the use of accredited providersto tackle underperforming schools”. Accord-ing to the Times Educational Supplement,Balls hopes to use “accredited providers” to“raise standards and to reduce costs”.

By 2011 all secondary schools must haveat least 30 percent of pupils achieving fiveGSCE A*-C levels. Those not achieving thisbenchmark will be closed or transferred intoacademies or trusts.

The advent of Gillard’s public ‘like schoolscomparison’ has already emboldened theLiberals to resurrect their voucher systemproposal. And why wouldn’t they? The onegrows quite easily out of the other.

So does the transfer of failing publicschools to car dealers and carpet salesmen.

As Rudd has put it, “It’s all about lettingparents choose with their feet”. �

AThe use of ‘rich data’ to make ‘like school’ comparisons is almostupon us writes AEU Research Officer Mike Williss.

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

If you’ve been keeping up with the issuein recent Journals and in the media you willbe aware of the recent community outragearound the Education Works process in theUpper Spencer Gulf towns of Port Pirie, PortAugusta and Whyalla. Parents of children atlocal preschools and schools in these loca-tions were pressured by DECS to make diffi-cult decisions about the future of theirschools by 30 June. Of great concern to theschools and communities involved was thelack of consultation from DECS. Rather thanagree under pressure to amalgamate 44schools into nine larger sites, the communi-ties, after much public discussion votedoverwhelmingly against DECS’ proposal.

Recently, AEU Journal caught up withsome school staff and community members,asking them why they voted ‘no’.

Jan Wakeling | Parent, Whyalla“The steering

committee seemed tospring up out ofnowhere. We weretold about two daysbefore the votingtook place that therewas opportunity forparent membershipon the committee butthere wasn’t. There

were three parent members but representingover 3,000 kids. The committee consisted ofthe Regional Director, a number of principalsreps and an early childhood director.”

“DECS, rather than trying to sneak thewhole thing in, each school and its commu-nity, should have had input into how theyhelp the process take place. There wouldhave been ownership at the local site leveland then everybody would have been onboard.” �

Katrina Hanlin | SSO, Port AugustaWest Primary School

“At one point as aschool communitywe were makingplans for the futureand all of a sudden,without any notice,we were pushed intomaking a decisionwithin one month.”

“While I didn’t geta vote – I’m a staff

member, not a parent – I believe that parents

1 6

Education Works… when communities are consulted

Mary-Anne Keenihan | SSO,Davoren Park Primary School

“It’s an excitingprocess to be goingthrough, but as excit-ed as I am there areso many questionsthat need answering.For instance, as anSSO I’m wondering ifI’ll even be part ofthe new superschool. There are

issues around closing our schools success-fully and making a smooth transition to thenew site.” �

Jamin Lee | Teacher, SmithfieldPlains High School

“At the momentthere are a lot ofthings that concernme about the Edu-cation Works processin terms of the lackof meaningful infor-mation filteredthrough to staff andthe lack of adher-ence to timelines.”

“While we’ve had consultation at variousstages, we haven’t had ongoing consultationthoughout.” �

Angela Sudomlak | Library SSO, Gepps Cross Primary

“I know nothingabout the libraryarrangements at thenew school. We’vedone a lot of work toimprove our libraryand arrange thingshow we need them.We’ve had noopportunity toconsult with the

other schools on how it will be arranged.We’re going to be moving onto the GeppsCross oval which I presume means there willbe no oval at the school now. Noboby knowswhat’s happening.”

“The session here has been goodbecause it’s the first time I’ve had a chanceto hear details on what’s happening.” �

were forced to make a decision that theyhadn’t been consulted about. If they hadbeen given more time and more concreteinformation perhaps the outcome wouldhave been different.” �

Amanda Smith | Parent, Port Pirie“I was unhappy with the process but I am

also concerned about the whole concept.There may be losses of teaching staff and wecan’t afford that in a small community.Children have different special needs and Idon’t know if they would all be catered for ina large site.” �

On Friday 24 July, members representingthe schools and preschools identified tobecome part of the six new Education WorksStage 1 sites, met at the AEU to develop acampaign to support sub-branches throughthe transition period and into the establish-ment of new schools. Members had alreadybegun to identify the broad range of issuesinvolved in closure, building, moving andsettling in and one of the aims of the daywas to focus issues within a number of keyareas such as decision-making, humanresources, physical space, design and infra-structure, OHS&W and professional develop-ment. Members also had the opportunity todevelop a series of questions addressing keyissues which were subsequently put to DECSofficers at the end of the day.

Vicki Minnes | Teacher, Stuart HighSchool, Whyalla

“There was somecommunity consul-tation but more fromthe point of the steer-ing committee talk-ing to the governingcouncils, not in thewider community.The informationreleased was veryjargon-rich. Most of

our parents didn’t really understand whatwas being proposed.”

“When we were finally able to release itto the community in plain language, parentsstarted to ask a lot of questions about whatwas going on and were saying “why weren’twe told this before? Site leaders were tellingparents that the information was released inthe newsletters but many parents were sayingthat they did not understand what it meant.”

EDUCATION WORKS

Parents in Spencer Gulf pressured to make quick decision.

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

1 7

WOMEN’S FOCUS

AEU Women’s Officer Tish Championexplains why.

Women members need support

In a recent train-ing session at theAEU, I was invited totalk about the role ofthe Women’s Officerwithin our union. Ayoung woman at thetraining asked mewhy there was still aneed for a Women’sOfficer given that in

education everything seems so even for menand women and should the union considerhaving a Gender Equity Officer instead? Thisinnocent question provoked me to think longand hard about our membership, my roleand where our women members are in thebigger picture. Even today the AEU continuesto fight for improved conditions for women

After many years of persistence and effortthe proposed amendments to the EqualOpportunity Bill have finally passed throughParliament. Those members of various asso-ciations and bodies as well as Members ofParliament who have dedicated so much timeand effort over the past 15 years shouldsurely be given their Persistent Pete certifi-cates. Many of the changes which have finallybeen passed and will hopefully take effectbefore the end of this year are minor andnow bring us back up to the Commonwealthstandard. South Australians’ have alreadyhad protection under Federal DiscriminationActs and this new bill simply means thediscrimination issues can be dealt with at alocal level rather than federally.

South Australia was the first state to intro-duce EO Legislation but was very quicklysurpassed by other states. The changes tothe EO bill will now see SA back at the fore-front of EO legislation where it belongs.

The new laws will prohibitdiscrimination on the grounds of:caring responsibilities, disability, breast-feeding, Identity of spouse, religiousappearance or dress, association with a child

There are also changes regarding:religious institutions, sexuality, sexualharassment and contractors.

For further information regarding changes tothe EO bill call: 1800 188 163or visit: www.eoc.sa.gov.au

to professional development than otheremployees. The AEU continuously campaignsfor the rights of these women to better andfairer conditions. The recent DECS commit-ment to convert some contract SSO and ECWworkers to permanency would never havebeen achieved without the long, hard workand pressure of the AEU and our members.The most vulnerable employees are thosewho are on contract and casual and in DECS,these employees are predominantly women.So yes, the AEU stands firmly by the ongoingneed for the Women’s Officer Position ratherthan a gender equity position. While womencontinue to be predominantly disadvantagedby their conditions of employment andgovernment policy, there will always be aneed for AEU women to stand together andmake noise. �

the non-teaching sector, are filled withwomen. They have no security and lessaccess to entitlements such as paid maternityleave, right of return to part-time or access

WOMEN’S FOCUS

in education who account for 75 percent ofour membership. Through enterprise bargain-ing and arbitration the AEU seriously tacklesthe big picture issues which ultimately affectwomen in terms of their participation inleadership, low levels of permanency andfamily friendly conditions and work + lifebalance. This has definitely been a majorfocus of the current negotiations.

Feminism was originally based on thepromotion of equal contract and propertyrights for women and the opposition tochattel marriage and ownership of marriedwomen (and their children) by their husbands.By the end of the nineteenth century, feministactivism focused on gaining political power,particularly the right of women’s suffrage(voting rights). Women also continued toactively campaign for women’s sexual,reproductive and economic rights.

Feminist activists in many countries havesuccessfully campaigned for women’s legalrights; for women’s right to bodily integrityand autonomy, for abortion rights, and forreproductive rights; for protection of womenand girls from domestic violence, sexualharassment and rape; for workplace rights,including maternity leave and equal pay;and the protection of women from variousforms of discrimination. In many countriesaround the world, women still do not enjoythe same rights that their sisters in othercountries have. These women are still bannedfrom voting, working, traveling and driving.They have no laws to protect them fromdiscrimination, attack or abuse and they canbe completely at the mercy of the man withwhom they live.

Unfortunately, like women around theworld, not all AEU members enjoy the samerights and conditions. Predominantly, thecontract and lower paid positions, such as in

EO FORUMThe Equal Opportunity Commissionin conjunction with the AEU is plan-ning to host an information forum.

If you are interested in attendingan information evening contact: Tish Champion on T: 8272 1399 E: [email protected]

EO 2 slow!!

1AEU President, Correna Haythorpe speaking to a full house of women at the recent AEU Women’s Conference

“The AEU continuouslycampaigns for the rights ofthese women to better andfairer conditions. There willalways be a need for AEUwomen to stand togetherand make noise.”

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

New

Educators

NEW EDUCATORS

1 8

as part of cultural protocol and learning; and songs are taught in Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri,Narrunga and TSI languages.

“It’s about each community having specif-ic needs and the uniqueness of our commu-nity with different cultural groups and lan-guages. We take children on day trips to seethe whales, Port River dolphins, Kaitpo forest.During Reconciliation Week our studentsperformed at the Noarlunga Health Villageand Flinders with Archie Roach singing tothe children. They’re also going to performfor Noarlunga High School students. It’s allabout getting the children into the commu-nity, getting to know the community andaccessing the community.”

Margie says this community support isextended to the families of new arrivals andrefugee-status children as well. “We extendto them the same support as we do for ourAboriginal children.”

CDK is also trialling the shared leader-ship program with Margie working 0.8 andCatherine Cavouras 0.2 in the director posi-tion. “For me it’s not just about leadershipbut about learning new skills,” Catherinesays. “Our roles are worked out on sitebetween ourselves.”

With around 40 children of varying agesand a fluctuating movement of children inand out of CDK, Catherine is proud of thedifferences between CDK and other kinder-garten models. “We keep our doors openand have an occasional care program tosupport families in need without judgementor expectations. Education is meant toincorporate that – it’s not just buildings withdefined rules.”

“We try to teach our children to be confi-dent about themselves and be resilient. I thinkif you can tap into their inner wellbeing thenmaybe there will come a time when it’s therefor them. Sometimes we lose much of what’simportant in society. Our theme for NAIDOCweek was honouring our elders and nurtur-ing our youth – building those respectfulrelationships. It’s about doing the best youcan for them in the time we have them.” �

CHRISTIE DOWNS KINDERGARTEN

Kindy kids in great handsChristie Downs Kindergarten (CDK) direc-

tor Margie Goodwin says the most importantaspect of education for her preschoolers is aholistic approach to teaching and care involv-ing community.

“Our approach is about holistic learning –connections with the wider community;accessing space and place which belong toour community; and building up our staff,”Margie says. “We go beyond the role of justeducation and look at a positive learningexperience for the students and thecommunity. We see this as essential.”

For starters, a school bus ensures childrenattend school by picking them up each morn-ing from as far away as Reynella, MorphettVale and Christies Beach. Thereafter, childrenenjoy the breakfast program run by the schoolto ensure their nutritional needs supporttheir learning needs.

With 80% of students of Aboriginal orTorres Strait Islander background and theother 20% mostly new arrivals and refugeesfrom various countries, Christie DownsKindergarten integrates cultural diversity inits education delivery through use of variousATSI languages; an outdoor program relatingto the community and having elders come into teach and share.

“We have elders on our school manage-ment committee which we call the CommunityCircle. Our treasurer, Connie, works for anaged-care facility in the community as wellas with local people such as Aboriginal artists.She put forward a proposal for a hopscotchmosaic incorporating Kaurna language and art.

CDK is funded for Aboriginal literacy devel-opment to begin with three-year-olds throughthe Early Intervention Program, which includesimproving their verbal communication skillsthrough to recognising and valuing their firstlanguage. A hopscotch mosaic made by stu-dents will incorporate Kaurna language innumbering; ATSI art and design developedby the children and indigenous flora andfauna with a kangaroo, witchety grubs, honey-ants and red berries.

Children are encouraged to approachteachers with the title of aunty and uncle

Meet thePrincipalsForums

For a number of yearsthe AEU has been hostingforums to provide graduateteachers an opportunity toimprove their employmentprospects.

These evenings are infor-mal and operate using the “speed dating”model. Thus we bring in five principals oneach of the two evenings and the new grad-uates move from table-to-table discussing arange of relevant issues with the focus onproviding them with tips and advice on howbest to place themselves in the job huntingprocess.

The two forums this year were a greatsuccess with plenty of passionate and livelydiscussion on public education matters. Theforums covered both primary and secondaryyears levels. Our student members heardabout each principal’s experience of andviews about the local selection process andtheir recollections about their early experi-ences when many of them began theirteaching careers in SA country locations.

After these brief introductions, the funbegan with each principal spending about 15minutes on each table of students and so bythe end of the evening all students hadheard from a range of principals with verybroad and valuable insights and experiences.

Graduates were able to ask about jobopportunities, what to expect at schoolsacross the state and where vacancies maybe. The feedback from graduates was over-whelmingly positive and many commentedthat it was invaluable to access so muchknowledge and expertise from those ‘in the know’.

Thanks to the principals who gave so gen-erously of their scarce time, a number travel-ling long distances from sites in the country.

We are planning to hold two forumsagain in June next year. If you are a graduateand interested in attending, contact me on:[email protected]

If you are a principal who would like tosupport our next generation of educators bybeing involved in a forum, contact Ken on:[email protected]

Finally, good luck to our graduates asthey begin their teaching careers. It wasmost encouraging to see that such optimisticand enthusiastic members are the brightfuture of our public education system. �

Daniel Pereira, AEU Organiser

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

At a time of global financial crisis it is par-ticularly important to understand economicissues. The prevailing economic conditionsare adversely affecting people’s living stan-dards in various ways. There are shrinkingjob opportunities; lowered interest paymentson bank deposits; declining asset values; andfalling incomes for retired workers depend-ent on superannuation. We all need to knowwhat it is about capitalism and the currentinstitutional arrangements that make us sovulnerable to these adverse economic impacts.We also need to know what could be done toproduce better economic outcomes.

Unfortunately, both the professional liter-ature and the popular media commentary oneconomic issues all too often fail to illuminate.The former is full of jargon and abstract theo-ries, rendering it inaccessible to most people,whereas the latter, until very recently, hastended to accept the inevitability of capital-ism and neoliberalism as if there were noalternative.

Jim Stanford’s book Economics for Every-one, meets the urgent need for a readableand progressive explanation of how the econ-omy works – and why it doesn’t work well

1 9

BOOK REVIEW COMMUNITY EVENT

Economics for Everyone: A Short Guide to the Economics of Capitalism by Jim Stanford.

for many people. It is the book that, for manyyears, people in the labour movement havebeen saying should be written. It explainsthe characteristics of modern capitalism inlanguage that is readily accessible to workersand members of the general public who havenot had a formal education in economics.The style is informal and conversational, thearguments readily intelligible.

The author of the book, Jim Stanford, isan economist who works for the Canadianauto workers union. He has written an excel-lent resource for activists. Implicitly, hisapproach derives from the Marxist approachto political economy – seeing the source ofprofit in work done by labour and emphasis-ing the competitive forces shaping the usesof capital. However, the book is open todiscussion about different strategies bywhich organised labour can seek politicaleconomic change.

Remarkably though, there is little feelingof ‘talking down’. Indeed, some very sophis-ticated aspects of the economy are addressed,including money and banking, fiscal and mon-etary policies, the distribution of income‘dividing the pie’, the causes of recessions,the operation of stock markets and theprocess of financialisation.

Emphasis is placed on how the economydepends on social relationships, not justtechnical relationships, leading to changeover time. Concurrently, economics is shownto be inherently subjective, value-laden andpolitical.

One chapter explores strategies for improv-ing the capitalist system by striving for reformsdirected at achieving a ‘high-investment,sustainable economy’, while another looksat what it means to pursue a socialistalternative in the current era. In this way,tools for understanding the system and de-mystification of economic theory are com-bined with an open-ended activist orienta-tion. As Stanford puts it (pg. 338) “workersand poor people only get as much from theeconomy as they are able to demand, fightfor and win”. �

Jim Stanford’s economics website is:www.economicsforeveryone.caReviewed by Frank Stilwell. FernwoodPublishing, Nova Scotia, Canada, 350 pp.$28AUD plus postage

Lecture by Dr Jim Stanford

Adelaide: Wednesday 19 August | 6.00pmRoom K12 Napier Building, University of Adelaide (just off Nth Terrace entrance)

“Beyond the Economic Crisis: how the economic system can be changed”

Refugee Campcomes toAdelaide

Médecins Sans Frontières invite SouthAustralian education networks, teachers andtheir students to experience a refugee camp,brought to the big city in a free event createdby Médecins Sans Frontières.

You may or may not be aware of MédecinsSans Frontières is an independent, medical-humanitarian organisation delivering emer-gency aid in over 58 countries. Each year,our field staff including doctors, nurses,logisticians, water and sanitation experts,administrators, and other medical and non-medical professionals depart on more than3,400 aid missions around the world. Theywork alongside more than 22,000 locallyhired staff to provide urgent medical care.

After travelling the world for more than adecade, Refugee Camp in Your City will setup in Adelaide this September to show localswhat life is like for refugees and displacedpeople around the world. With this event weaim to create a better understanding of thevulnerability of life for displaced people andrefugees who have fled their homes and toeducate students about the medical-humanitarian activities undertaken byMédecins Sans Frontières in response to themany health needs of displaced people.

We would like to invite South Australiansecondary-level students to walk throughmakeshift tents, see beds built for cholerapatients and touch a tyre sandal made byrefugees in places such as Pakistan andSudan. Our experienced field staff will betheir guides, sharing their own experiencesabout working in a refugee camp.

The event will take place at: Victoria Square, Adelaide

Sunday 20 September – Sunday 27 September 2009

Entry is free. Group bookings for second-ary schools and community organisationsare now open via our website:

www.refugeecamp.msf.org.auMore than 9,000 visitors, including 3000

school children, experienced Refugee Campin Your City in Brisbane, Sydney and Canberrain 2008 for the inaugural Australian tour. Wehope South Australian secondary studentswill also take up the invitation to meet realfield workers and discover life in a refugeecamp this year. �

Contact Lee-Anne Cameron on Phone: 1300 136 061 for more information on this initiative.

From the Geography Teachers'Association of South Australia

Website: www.gtasa.asn.au

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

2 0

AEU ELECTIONS 2009

Australian Education Union, South Australian Branch

ELECTION NOTICE Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009

Nominations are called for:

BRANCH PRESIDENTBRANCH FEMALE VICE-PRESIDENT BRANCH MALE VICE-PRESIDENT

ORDINARY BRANCH EXECUTIVE OFFICERS [12]In accordance with Branch Rule 7(5) “the 12 Branch Executive Officers shall include at least 6women”. Further, Branch Rule 54(2)(b) states, “if the number of women candidates is lessthan the number of women to be elected, the remaining position or positions in question willbe filled by a male candidate or candidates”.

In accordance with Branch Rule 48(14)(b), “in respect of the voting papers for the 12 BranchExecutive Officers positions, candidates may request to have their names grouped and orderedwithin a group on the voting paper”. Each of the candidates must notify me not later than theclose of nominations that they wish to have their name included in a group. Forms for thispurpose are available from me.

ORDINARY BRANCH EXECUTIVE OFFICER (SCHOOL SERVICES OFFICERSMEMBER)

ORDINARY BRANCH EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CHILDREN’S SERVICESMEMBER)

ORDINARY BRANCH EXECUTIVE OFFICER (TAFE MEMBER)

ORDINARY BRANCH EXECUTIVE OFFICER (ABORIGINAL OR TORRESSTRAIT ISLANDER MEMBER)

FEDERAL CONFERENCE DELEGATES REPRESENTING THE GENERALDIVISION [6]In accordance with Federal Rule 24(3A), these 6 positions shall include at least 3 women.Further, Branch Rule 54(2)(b) states, “if the number of women candidates is less than thenumber of women to be elected, the remaining position or positions in question will be filledby a male candidate or candidates”.

FEDERAL CONFERENCE DELEGATE REPRESENTING THE TAFE DIVISION

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER FEDERAL CONFERENCEDELEGATE

NATIONAL TAFE COUNCIL EXECUTIVE MEMBER

NATIONAL TAFE COUNCIL DELEGATES [2]In accordance with Federal Rule 47(3), these 2 positions shall include at least 1 woman.Further, Branch Rule 54(2)(b) states, “if the number of women candidates is less than thenumber of women to be elected, the remaining position or positions in question will be filledby a male candidate or candidates”.

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER EDUCATIONCOMMITTEE (GENERAL DIVISION) MEMBER

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER EDUCATIONCOMMITTEE (TAFE DIVISION) MEMBER

NATIONAL PRINCIPALS’ COMMITTEE (GENERAL DIVISION) MEMBERNATIONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD COMMITTEE (GENERAL DIVISION) MEMBER

Written Nominations, which comply with the Rules of the Union, may be made atany time from Friday, 14 August 2009 and must reach me not later than 12.00 noonon Friday, 4 September 2009. Nominations cannot be withdrawn after this time.Nomination Forms are available on request.

How to Lodge Nominations By Post: PO Box 344, Adelaide, SA 5001 By Fax: (08) 8237 6553

By Hand: Australian Electoral Commission, 9th Floor, Origin Energy House, 1 King William Street, Adelaide, SA 5001.

The ballot, if required, will open on Tuesday, 6 October 2009 and close at 9.00amon Monday, 26 October 2009.

Changed Address? Advise the Union now.

Note: A copy of the AEC’s election report can be obtained from the organisation orfrom me after the completion of the election.

Eldon Booth Tel: (08) 8237 6501 Returning Officer August 2009

AffordableComputer Training 223 Angas Street Adelaide

Phone: 8223 1979 or visit

www.wea-sa.com.auto enrol

Courses: August – SeptemberAccess Excel Word

Graphics Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Indesign MYOB

Microsoft Project

Quickbooks Outlook

Touch Typing Internet

Digital Video Editing

Create your own Web Page

Burn A Cd Publisher

Vista & Office 2007 Update

BRANCH EXECUTIVECANDIDATESSTATEMENTSCandidates in the 2009 Branch Executiveelections are entitled to a quarter pageadvertisement free of charge in the nextedition of the AEU Journal to be pub-lished prior to elections. Statements ofnot more than 175 words must belodged with the Editor by 5.00pm onFriday 4 September 2009.Candidates should provide good qualityphotograph. Submit either a photographor a jpeg picture file (size: 1Mb+).Email: [email protected]

Old Scholars Seacombe/SeaviewHigh Schools

Celebrating 50 Years of Education in 200912 Aug | 6.30pm Musical ‘50 Up’

5 Sept | 7.00pm DinnerAllan Scott Park

13 Sept | 1–4pm Back to School

details: www.seaviewhs.sa.edu.auor call: 8377 8000

ADS

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

SuperS

A B

oard Elections

2 1

AEU 2009 TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SUPERSA BOARD ELECTIONS

2009 UNION MEMBER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

TERM 3 | 2009 AEU/DECS MERIT & PAC TRAININGMerit Selection TrainingDATE VENUE TIME

Wednesday, 19 August Tumby Bay Area School 1.00pm – 7.00pm

Saturday, 29 August Yulara 8.30am – 3.00pm

Wednesday, 9 September AEU Parkside 9.00am – 3.30pm

Thursday, 1 October AEU Parkside 9.30am – 4.00pm

PAC TrainingDATE VENUE TIME

Thursday, 20 August AEU Parkside 1.00pm – 4.00pm

Saturday, 29 August Yulara Education Centre 3.30pm – 6.30pm

Wednesday, 2 September Bordertown High School 4.15pm – 7.15pm

Wednesday, 16 September AEU Parkside 9.00am – 12.00pm

Tuesday, 29 September AEU Parkside 9.30am – 12.30pm

Merit Selection Pannellist RetrainingDATE VENUE TIME

Wednesday, 19 August AEU Parkside 4.15pm – 6.15pm

Wednesday, 16 September AEU Parkside 4.15pm – 6.15pm

Thursday, 1 October AEU Parkside 9.30am – 11.30am

Book online at: www.decs.sa.gov.au/HR1/pages/default/training_dates/

Potential Branch CouncilDelegates CourseFriday 20 November | 9:15am-4:00pmA 1-day course on decision making in theunion and the role of council delegates forthose who may be interested in becoming adelegate in the future.

Branch Council MeetingsUpcoming dates for 2009 are:November 21

TAFE Divisional Council MeetingsUpcoming dates for 2009 are:November 20

‘09Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October

AEU FEDERAL WOMEN’S CONFERENCE

Call for nominations: The AEU | SABranch is currently seeking nominations forwomen delegates to attend. The conferenceis held in Melbourne. All travel andaccommodation costs will be coveredby the AEU. The SA Branch is entitled tosix delegates.

Any member who successfully applies toattend the conference and identifies asAboriginal or Torres Strait Islander is alsoencouraged and supported to attend theconference’ Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander Caucus on Friday afternoon(2 October) with accommodation andmeals provided for this extra day.

Register your Interest! To registeryour interest in being a delegate submit a300 word statement which outlines yourcommitment to women’s issues and unionismby Friday, 21 August to: Status of Women Consultative Committee163 Greenhill Road, Parkside SA 5063 oremail: [email protected]

For further information: Tish Champion | AEU Women’s OfficerT: 8272 1399 E: [email protected]

TAKING ON GLOBAL CRISES:sisters with solutions

For more info, relief funding or to register:

www.aeusa.asn.au/events

AEU New Activists’ ConferenceMonday 23 November | 9:15am-4:00pmA 1-day conference for new teachers andyoung activist members. The conferencefeatures workshops on current and difficultissues in education and democratic educa-tional practices. Participants will find outhow to energise the teaching profession andengage the next generation of AEU members.

Leah York BA, Dip Ed, B Ed (Inservice), LLB(Hons), Grad Dip Legal PracticeIndustrial CoordinatorAustralian Education UnionI am currently a Deputy SuperSA

Board member and a member of the SuperSAMember Services Committee. In these roles Ihave advocated for members on a range ofissues, including:• Fair administration fees for members in all

schemes and products.• Improved consultation with members.• Target projects and policy to increase

contributory membership of the Triple SScheme for women and contract/casualemployees, particularly those who have notpreviously contributed to superannuation.

• Improved family friendly arrangements forwomen and men who take breaks in servicefor child bearing and rearing purposes, orfor aged relative care.

• Transition to retirement schemes in bothdefined benefit schemes and the Triple SScheme.I am currently Vice President of the South

Australian Government SuperannuationFederation, a body representing public sectorunions and superannuants which providesfeedback to SuperSA Board members on arange of matters, and lobbies politicians onproposed amendments to legislation.

I have made representations to the Treasurerregarding improved services for members andsuperannuants, including income streamproducts and financial planning services, andto lobby against cuts to public sectorfunctions. �

Kevin CrawshawBSc (Hons), Dip Ed, MBA, FAICD, FAMI

The last three years havebeen terrible for contributors tosuperannuation.

Members have watched their hard earnedinvestments disappear at fightening rates.Many have been forced to postpone theirplanned retirement.

Looking to the future, the important thing isto learn from this unprecedented period. Asmember-elected director I would encourageFunds SA to review the products it offers tomembers and its overall investment strategy inthe light of this experience. If elected as yourrepresentative I acknowledge that I will havean important role in this.

To make this change please support me asthe member-elected director on the Funds SAboard.

I have a proven track record as a director ofsuch highly successful companies as Savings& Loans Credit Union (where I currently chairthe Audit Committese) and Health Partners(where I chair the Governance Committee).

I also have 12 years direct superannuationinvestment experience – building members’wealth.

As a former teacher and hospital ChiefExecutive Officer and now as a senior publicservant, I understand the importance to membersof achieving positive investment returns. Now is the time to make a positive change. �

The ballot opens Friday, 4 August andcloses at 9.30am on Monday, 28 August.

Leah York’scandidacy

for Super SA

Board elections

isendorsed by

Australian Education U

nion SA B

ranch ExecutiveKevin Craw

shaw’s

candidacyfor Funds

SA Board elections

isendorsed by

Australian Education U

nion SA B

ranch Executive

Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:16 PM

2 2

NOTICE BOARD

Members’ Market KOH SAMUI ISLAND GULF OF THAILAND: Fully selfcont. 3BR, 2 bath, spacious newfamily home w. lge private pool &spa in quiet street of friendly mix-ed nationalities 300m from sunsetbeach. Enjoy the best of old world& new with shops, stalls, restau-rants & cafes + many attractions.Avail. for short/long term rental.Starts @ $50 per night 1–2 people.T: (08) 8955 8114 Hm: (08) 89562990 M: 0413 581 730

HOLIDAY RENTALNORMANVILLE: South ShoresHoliday Villa #25. 3BR (sleeps 8).Secure gated community behindthe dunes at Normanville. Golf,horse riding, pools, beach, lawns,cafes. Avail. all year incl. schoolholidays. T: 0413 155 460www.stayz.com.au/23983

HOUSEBOAT: (near Mannum)There is still plenty of water forrecreational boating and theshoulder and off peak seasonsare the best ones to relax andenjoy the river. AEU members areoffered a 10% discount duringthese times. Bundara accommo-dates up to ten people.Visit us at: www.bundara2.net/ E: [email protected] T: (08) 8277 8751

VICTOR HARBOR Holiday Hse:Enjoy a Break at ‘Southern Escape’!A beautifully renovated 3BR hsewithin walking distance of beach,skate park, shops, restaurants andthe city centre. A ‘Home awayfrom Home’ with all facilities. Lgeyard, great for relaxing and enjoy-ing a BBQ and wine under thePergola. T: 0413 920 554HOLIDAY HOUSE, 'NORTHBAY', CARRICKALINGA:Architecturally designed new twostorey beach house. 4BR, 3 bath,2 living areas, European stainlesskitchen, extensive decking andviews. Suits 2 families. Sleeps upto 10. Play equipment for the kids.View: www.stayz.com.au and visitNorth Bay at Carrickalinga for rates& availability. T: 0403 015 964 FRANCE – SOUTH:Lovely Village House. $700 pw.www.hermes.net.au/villeneuve Contact Julie on: 0403 314 928HOLIDAY RENTAL:Yorke Peninsula: Brand new up-market esplanade beach house‘Manyana’ at Wool Bay (nearEdithburgh). Features incl. spa,plasma TV, DVD, stereo, dish-washer. Tastefully furnished &

quality equipment, 3BR, sleepsup to 7. Enjoy panoramic seaviews, beach walks, walk to jetty,good fishing etc. Avail. sch. hols,L/weekends, weekends etc.Info/bookings: T:(08) 8832 2623W: www.countrygetaways.infoMARION BAY: ff, near new hse.Gateway to Innes National Park.Sleeps 8, 3BRs, large living area,TV and DVD. Spacious balcony w.outdoor setting and BBQ. Only 5mins to Willyama Beach and 5kmto National Park. Info/bookings:E: [email protected] GETAWAYSVICTOR HARBOR:All Seasons Lakefront Getaway:Stunning self-contained luxurycolonial home in the picturesquesurrounds of Encounter Lakes,Victor Harbor. Priv. secl. sandybeach and lake at your back door!4BRs. Sleeps 8. 2 spacious livingareas. 2nd bath, 3 toilets &laundry. Huge lawned backyard.Lakeside Getaway: Stunningmodern villa at Encounter Lakes,Victor Harbor. Only 100m to clean,sandy beach and lovely reserve.5-min. walk to scenic Esplanade,walk/bike trail, cafes, restaurants

• Free advice on real estate queries.

• 25% off the Statutory or Land BrokersSociety recommended fee structure.

• Expert and experienced professional workwith Mortgages, Transfers, Strata Plan andPlan of Division Lodgments, Caveats,Discharges of Mortgages – indeed, allfacets of conveyancing work.

Contact Anne Walker or Simon WillcoxPhone: (08) 8410 6788 Fax: (08) 8410 6799

Located at SATISFAC •151 South Terrace • Adelaide SA 5000

SAIT ConveyancersWe offer AEU members:

If you are buying or selling or are involvedin any real estate matter, either through aland agent or privately, consult us.

On the edge of a desert, at the end of a river Climate change conferenceSeptember 24th 2009Wayville Showgrounds

and general store. 3BRs. Sleeps6. Spacious Lounge/ Fam/Dine rm.2 way bathroom, separate toilet& laundry. Info/bookings: T: 8344 7921 M: 0419 868 143E: [email protected] www.victorharborholidayhomes.spaces.live.com

Kangaroo Island GetawayKI RURAL RETREAT: Attractiveself cont. large rendered countryhome surrounded by garden andnative bushland on 260 acres.Great for families or couplesescape. Sleeps 2 to 12; 2 bath, 2 queen beds, 2 spacious livingareas, laundry, large patio. From$180/night. T: 0407 790754 a.h.E: [email protected]

Kangaroo Island HOLIDAY HSE:Set in bushland beside HarrietRiver and on Vivonne Bay, (Aust’sbest beach), is Kangastay a 3BRfully equipped and comfortableholiday house. Close to all majorattractions (Seal Bay, Remarkables,Admiral Arch and more) and greatto relax, swim, and fish. Sleeps6, linen provided, winter specialdiscounts. Available for rent allyear. Prices start at $100/night.Book through the owner [email protected] or T/textRos on: 0407 215 345.

Call for AEU members to nominate to attend SA Unions ClimateChange Conference. The conference will address: 1. Awareness raising about the problem and what needs to

be done to address it.2. Exploring the issue of a green economy and green jobs

and what that means for our state. 3. Examples of union and workplace efforts in educating

members and implementing practical measures toaddress climate change.

4. Developing plans to shift union policy and implementchanges at work in SA.

Members should email a half page expression of interest [email protected] explaining your interest in this subject.Please include all contact details and what support you needwith your expression of interest. Expressions of interest are dueThursday 17 September. Successful nominees will be advisedon Friday 18 September by email.

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NOTICE BOARD

ABSOLUTE SEAFRONT HOUSELacepede House on SeaSTUNNING SUMMER BEACHSeafood - Wine - DolphinsHouse 4th night free or BalconySuite. $80 plus, dble 6th & 7thnight free. Discount meals. Condsoff-peak. Kingston near Robe.T: 8338 2316 a/h: 0402 922 445 FOR RENT: Yorke Peninsularight on the beach – hard to beat!Sleeps up to 8, all mod. cons.incl. R/C heat/cool. Avail. also forschool holidays & L/weekends.Reasonable rates. Min. rental 3nights. M: 0428 780684 T: (o8) 8449 8626

ROOM FOR RENT: Share 3BRhouse with 2 others in Gawler.$70 per week plus expenses. T: 0409 679 902

FOR RENT: f.f. private apartmentin Glenelg for Xmas holiday orweekend rental. Heated pool,spa, steam-room, sauna, gymetc. Plasma TV, 100m to beach. T: 8376 3747 or 0403 606 05235mm SLIDE SCANNINGAdelaide and Hills:Do you have old 35mm slidesgathering dust and deteriorating?Have them professionally scannedat high resolution and transferredonto CD. 17 years exp., reason-able rates. T: 0401 590 875

ACCOMMODATION: Prospect. v.attractive f.f. 3 BR hse (bungalow).Lounge/Dining/open plan kitchen/family RM + study. Low mainten-ance, close to public transport,UniSA and facilities. Excellentlocation. Avail. July 16 for at least6 months. No pets/smoking.E: [email protected] T: 0419 868 143WORKSHOP: Stress manage-ment, personal development andlearning difficulties: Brain Gym-an introductory workshop. Move-ments to ‘switch on’ the brain.T/fax: 08 8768 2537 E: [email protected] TO BUY: Wood ovenfor cooking and heating suitablefor indoor use. E: [email protected] SALE: Mitsubishi Lancer,2003, CG VRX, Silver, 90,000km,excellent condition, full servicehistory, WXO372, $11,250 ono. T: 0428 733537FOR SALE: Certified organiccosmetics & personal products.www.bodytune.mionegroup.com FOR SALE: Retirees/Semi Retirees.Modern beachside hme, Sth Arm(0pp Bruny Island) Tas. 3 – 4BR,easy care landscaped garden w.glass encl. spa. $400,000.T: 8177 0040

Advertise in Members’Market for FREE!Rent, sell, buy or offer goodsand services. Send ads to:

[email protected]

Available all year round for shortor long term stays. Corporaterates for AEU members. Info/Bookings: Ceduna TravelWorld,T: 8625 2780 and 8625 3294GO SCUBA DIVING WITH ELITE DIVE ACADEMY:Are you a diver, but haven’t beenin the water for a while?! Getready for the coming season torediscover the underwater world!Not a diver yet? You can earn yourcertification in as little as 2 days.Special Discover Scuba or Get-Back-Into-It. offer avail. untilOctober. T: (Steve) 0413 134 827 E: [email protected]: www.elitediveacademy.com.auTo learn about everything scuba.Courses, high quality hire gear,local, interstate and internation-al travel.RESOURCES NEEDED:Unwanted literacy and numeracyresources for use in small villageR- 9 schools in Bougainville.E: [email protected]

WILLIAMSTOWN 5 ACRETRANQUIL PROPERTY:Are you looking for a magnificentcountry property near Gawlerwith beautiful surrounds? Solidbrick 4BR home, 2 with BIR’s, 1with full wall bookcase, roomsare spacious, all in top condition.Garden shed, Security system,low maintenance garden recentlyrelaid solid drive, dog yard, mainswater. T: 8524 6043Reduced to sell at: $469,950.Inspect by appointment. SEAFRONT HOLIDAY HOUSE: Yorke Peninsula – “OceanfrontEscape” 2-storey holiday housew. pergola overlooking beach &farmland on other side. V. seclud-ed, sleeps 9, 4 BRMs, full kitchen,barbecue, DVD, VCR, TV, Billiardtable, fish cleaning room (greatfishing). Peaceful and relaxing,great beach for kids to swim andexplore. Contact Brenton on: T: 0409 864 682/(08) 8387 1659E: [email protected] CEDUNA BEACH HOUSE:Self-cont, fronting a secl. swim-ming and fishing beach. Stunningsunsets and bay views all yearround. Features: BBQ, DVD, wide-screen LCD TV, R/C aircon, largebath, fully equipped kitchen,large yard. Walking distance tomain street and jetty. Sleeps 6.

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Journal-No.05_09 4/8/09 3:17 PM

aeu journal vol. 41 no. 5 | august 2009

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