Volume 46 No. 6

Official publication of the Australian Education Union (SA Branch)

Vol 46 I No.6

September 2014

AEUJOURNAL SA Deliver on funding: preschools lobby local MPs on workload

Inside: u EB

2015: consultation is underway

u WorkCover:

employers to benefit at workers’ expense

Running Head

2

Features President’s View

AEU Union Journal Training

Deliver on funding: preschools lobby local MPs on workload WorkCover page 6 Employers to benefit at workers’ expense.

Australian Education Union | SA Branch 163 Greenhill Road, Parkside SA 5063 Telephone: 8272 1399 Facsimile: 8373 1254 Email: journal@aeusa.asn.au Editor: Craig Greer AEU Journal is published seven times annually by the South Australian Branch of the Australian Education Union.

Deadline Dates Publication Dates #7 October 17 November 5 Subscriptions: Free for AEU members. Nonmembers may subscribe for $33 per year.

Print Post approved PP 531629/0025

15 0 2 5 1 B 0 E 2 5 1 B 0 E 2 8272 1399 journal@aeusa.asn.au B E ISSN 1440-2971

Cover photo: Louise Fielke and Cheryl Unglaube from Largs North Kindergarten sending their postcards to their local MP.

Inside: u EB

2015: consultation is underway

u WorkCover:

employers to benefit at workers’ expense

Printing: Lane Print

Illustration: Simon Kneebone

Preschools lobby local MPs on workload

EB 2015

pages 12 – 13 With workload constantly increasing, preschools campaign for increased funding.

pages 10 – 11 Consultation is underway.

Advertise in the AEU Journal. Reach over 13,500 members across South Australia.

Take Action

Solidarity! Take Action to support our union colleagues Workplace safety campaign launched The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) might be under attack by Abbott’s Royal Commission into Trade Unions but that hasn’t stopped them from launching an important new campaign around workplace safety. Stand Up. Speak Out. Come Home. was launched last month to highlight the dangers faced by the workers who build the cities, towns, hospitals, offices and stadiums we live, work and play in. The campaign website features some heart-wrenching personal accounts of

workplace accidents, along with a call to take action against the re-establishment of the anti-union Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC). n

The website can be accessed at:

8: www.standupspeak outcomehome.org.au

Nurses taking action against Uni fee hikes The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has called on MPs and Senators to reject the

Abbott Government’s proposed deregulation of university fees – amid concerns the cost of a nursing degree will skyrocket up to $100,000.

With universities able to set their own course fees, ANMF Assistant Federal Secretary, Annie Butler, warned that nursing and midwifery students will be “chained to HECS fees for life”, forced to work up into their late 70s, to pay off the debt. n

Support their campaign at:

8: www.anmftakeaction. org.au

continued over page 3 3

Enviroweek Take Action cont. continued

Occupied Palestinian Territories: Gaza Humanitarian Appeal Nearly over 520,000 people have been displaced due to the destruction of their homes and violence, the majority of whom are sheltering in UNRWA schools and other facilities. 44% of the Gaza Strip has been declared a no-go zone, forcing people

to leave their houses and belongings and seek shelter elsewhere.

Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA works with the MA’AN Development Centre, the Gaza Red Crescent Society and the Middle East Children’s Alliance to support Palestinians living in the Gaza strip and they are raising money to:

For more information, go to:

• Provide medical supplies for patients at the Red Crescent Society and hospitals • Distribute emergency food vouchers and items, such as milk and staples, to families who have been displaced by the bombings.

Donations will be directed to the areas of greatest need in the current emergency. n

8: www.apheda.org.au

AEU LEAdErs’ ConfErEnCE 2014 Friday 31 October 9.00am – 3.30pm

SCHOOLS OPEN REHEARSALS Dinner Guest Speaker:

Year 6-12 9.30am Pre-rehearsal talk/interview 10-11:30am Open Rehearsal

Jo Mason

Principals Institute Australia

FREE - bookings essential A wonderful opportunity for students to observe first-hand the artistic collaboration between world-class musicians and conductors.

Keynote Speakers: Assoc. Prof. Philip riley Monash University

Professor drew dawson Appleton Institute

Garry Costello & david Tonkin

Beethoven Festival Fri 19 September Adelaide Town Hall

Conference Dinner:

Gershwin

Fri 7 November Festival Theatre For more info check aso.com.au/learning

Thurs. 30 October 6.00pm

To book email ganne@aso.com.au or call 8233 6253

or “just because you think you’re overworked, doesn’t mean you’re not”

Leaders’ Workloads...

Australian Education Union | SA Branch To register go to: www.aeusa.asn.au>events & courses or for further information email Ken Drury: kdrury@aeusa.asn.au

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To arrange a worksite visit to hear my story and speak to a Palladium adviser, please email dino@palladiumwealth.com.au or call us on 8272 2298 to make a no cost no obligation appointment.

www.palladiumwealth.com.au

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4

President’s View

Action

Time to refocus

Anti-Poverty Week in 2014

AEU President David Smith says the merging of DECD and Families SA hasn’t worked.

The AEU lines, as they say, have been running hot regarding the effectiveness of the current configuration of DECD. The question has been raised about whether this one large department should once again be two. That is, should Education be separate from Families SA? Our members, including those in leadership positions in schools and preschools, are saying ‘Yes’. AEU Branch Council, this union’s supreme governing body, supported that by calling for the separation (see motion below right).

The original notion of making the combination was sound. Providing for the development of children from birth to 18 years of age seems a natural fit.

Indeed, there are some institutions which, on a formal level, do just that. It is, to adapt the saying, a village raising the child. And in doing so, the child’s social, emotional and educational development would be attended to in a coordinated way. The AEU supports that, to the extent of providing genuine ‘wrap-around’ services to support the development of the whole child.

But is combining the departments the best way to achieve that? No, at least not at this stage, nor in the current manner. Our members are saying quite clearly that the focus on education has been diminished. That’s what they are experiencing. Further, the functions of the two sections of DECD, while complementary, are separate and should be so.

Those involved in the education of children in public preschools and schools are of course fully committed to child protection, but they do not have to prosecute or follow through cases in the way that other government instrumentalities do. The combination of the departments has confused the roles and has given rise to inaccurate public perceptions.

The emphasis has shifted, and for education’s sake, it should be remedied.

Teachers, leaders and other education workers want to get on with their main role. Teaching and learning need

“The combination of the departments has confused the roles and has given rise to inaccurate public perceptions.” to be strongly reaffirmed as the central focus. We need to be able to inspire children to learn, to question, to experiment, and to grow. Educators need to be able to do those things too. That’s far more difficult in this, the Age of Measurement and Compliance. As in politics, we need inspirational, encouraging direction. There is much to do, and in preschools and schools our children need the undistracted attention to be right there on their learning, their education. It’s not only in education where the bureaucratic needs – briefly put, the loads of paperwork – are superceding the core needs. Workers in many other industries and fields of endeavour tell us they are being ground down in the same way. In the public education system here in South Australia we thought we may have solved that one when in 2010 the Industrial Relations Commission found that there were many tasks which should be reviewed, with a view to amending and even removing some of them from those working in schools and preschools. How much of that has happened? Indeed, there are more tasks for educators now than there were then.

We have written on other occasions about the growing emphasis on the management of education taking precedence over education itself. That is part of the broad picture, recently bolstered by the production of the new DECD Strategic Plan and associated documents.

Whatever else is going on, the public and media attention is definitely drifting to other matters at the real expense of education. Now is the time for a refocussing. Let the break be made, and return the province of education to the educators. The future progress of our State depends on it. n In solidarity, David Smith

Anti-Poverty Week in 2014 starts on Sunday 12 October and ends on Saturday 18 October. The UN’s International Anti-Poverty Day is Thursday 17 October.

The Week focuses on poverty around the world, especially in the poorest countries but also in wealthier countries such as Australia. Its main aims are to: • strengthen public understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and hardship around the world and within Australia • encourage research, discussion and action to address these problems, including action by individuals, communities, organisations and governments.

Interest has been growing steadily in Australia in recent years and activities such as public lectures, workshops, conferences, debates, concerts, displays, sports days, media briefings and other events have been organised.

How can your school get involved?

Involving children and young people through school activities is an essential part of Anti-Poverty Week, and as many schools as possible are encouraged to do something, however small it may be.

For information, materials and resources on how your school can run and activity or integrate Anti-Poverty Week in the curriculum, go to the official website: www.antipovertyweek.

org.au/organise-an-activity how-schools-can-get-involved

AEU Branch Council motion, Saturday August 23:

“That the AEU call for the separation of Families SA from DECD and the strengthening of educational leadership at the senior levels of DECD.” Supported unanimously.

5

WorkCover

WorkCover to save millions, at our expense AEU WorkCover Officer Ed Grue writes ...

A

re those with an anti-worker agenda in the South Australian Government ripping us off when it comes to WorkCover? Considering what they are saying about their proposed changes to workers compensation legislation as set out in the Return to Work Bill 2014 tabled in Parliament on August 6, the answer seems to be “yes”.

The government trumpets that 94% of injured workers will be better off under the proposed changes while painting the 6% who will be worse off as undeserving or malingerers. However, as is always the case, to establish motivation you need to follow the money. When this is done it we discover that $180 million will be stripped from injured workers and directly transferred into the pockets of employers by way of reduced premium rates.

So, you might ask, how are they going to reduce employers’ premiums?

Firstly, they’re going to restrict eligibility. Regarding physical injuries, it will 6

“…$180 million will be stripped from injured workers and directly transferred into the pockets of employers.”

no longer be enough to prove that work caused the injury, workers will instead have to prove work was “a significant contributing cause” of the injury. In the case of psychological injury, rather than showing employment was “a substantial cause”, workers will need to show that employment was “the significant contributing cause” of the injury. While these changes might appear innocuous, the Departmentpaid doctors, ironically referred to as “Independent Medical Experts” will be kept very busy writing medical reports stating that in their medical opinion work isn’t a significant contributing cause of particular injuries.

Secondly, if a worker gets past the eligibility restrictions, entitlement to weekly payments of income maintenance will be capped at two years. This is where they will save the bulk of the money. After two years injured workers are on their own whereas the current legislation provides for payments to continue for two and a half years with a continuing entitlement if there is no capacity for work (or no additional capacity for those who have made a partial return to work) and this is likely to continue indefinitely. There will be an exception to this cap and that will be for those workers deemed to be “seriously injured” based on whether they meet a Whole Person Impairment (WPI) threshold of 30%. While 30% WPI might not sound high, the AEU has assisted many members with what we and they would consider to be very serious injuries, some of whom have been unable to return to any work whatsoever. We are unaware of any member being assessed as having a 30% or higher WPI since the introduction of such assessments over 5 years ago.

Thirdly, the entitlement to reimbursement of medical expenses will cease 12 months after weekly payments of income maintenance ceases.

This is a particularly harsh measure compared to current arrangements that entitle injured workers to the reimbursement of all reasonable medical expenses associated with their work injury.

While the tightening of eligibility and, particularly, the time-limit on income maintenance and medical expenses will have a massive impact on some injured workers and reduce employer premiums, there are proposed changes that will benefit injured workers. It is proposed that there be a continued over page 3

Vice President’s Report return to the pre-2008 arrangements where injured workers were entitled to weekly payments of income maintenance at 100% of their pre-injury average for the first 12 months and 80% thereafter, rather than only 13 weeks at 100% with a step down to 90% and a further step down to 80% after 26 weeks. Also, workers with a 5 – 29% WPI will have an entitlement to an additional lump sum payment recognising economic loss in addition to the current entitlement to a lump sum payment for non-economic loss. The economic loss lump sum entitlement reduces as the worker ages and is also reduced for part-time workers.

“…workers will need to show that employment was ‘the significant contributing cause’ of the injury.”

One telling change is that the object of providing a fair system of compensation for injured workers will not be included in the Objects of the new Act as it is in the current Act. Another is that the Act provides for a maximum average premium rate of 2% for employers. These changes are perhaps the best indication of what drives this government.

DECD and TAFE are self-insured and do not pay a premium to the WorkCover Corporation.

You should always feel safe at work; it’s a basic human right. As communities become more complex, so then do workplaces for AEU members. The needs of the children and young people you work with are extremely varied, as are the experiences they bring with them every day.

Do all children have the right to an education? Yes. Does the right of an individual to an education mean that those who work in education do not have the right to a safe workplace? Surely not.

Not every school, preschool or TAFE campus currently has the resources, facilities and number of appropriately trained staff to provide the best possible learning program and support for every learner.

AEU officers continue to hear from a growing number of members who are concerned about their physical safety and that of their colleagues. Of course, fear for our physical safety can also lead to high levels of anxiety and psychological injury. Is it okay for you to be threatened, kicked, scratched, punched, bitten or hit at work? Should you expect to be assaulted or have things thrown at you as part of your work? No, definitely not.

If you have been assaulted or threatened and fear for your safety, report it to the police. Keep good documentation and inform your line manager. Make sure DECD is informed by lodging an ED155 or a Critical Incident Report. Raise it at your next AEU subbranch meeting and with your Health & Safety Rep. Any incidents of threatening or violent behaviour by parents or carers should be reported to your Education

Director. DECD’s Legal and Legislation section can write to parents or carers and, if necessary, DECD can issue notifications that prohibit those who are threatening or violent from coming onto school grounds.

Members of your AEU sub-branch can work together to develop plans around making sure your workplace is safe. In the case of violent children or students, you may seek additional resources such as personnel, training, facilities or equipment to ensure the safety of members. The sub-branch may decide that resources or processes need to be in place as conditions of reentry after suspension or exclusion, where members fear for their safety and wellbeing.

In the past, members have had concerns about students with disability and have been given advice that has lead them to believe their site’s behaviour codes and policies cannot apply.

This is not necessarily the case. In the often referenced case of Purvis v NSW Department of Education and Training in the High Court, an appeal was lodged after a student with disability was suspended and excluded. The issue in the case was whether the suspension, and subsequent exclusion of a student with disability who repeatedly assaulted other pupils and teachers, contravened the Disability Discrimination Act. The High Court dismissed the appeal and the decision of the Principal was upheld.

The whole decision can be read at:

http://bit.ly/1BomlJr Situations can become very complex, very quickly. The AEU Information Unit can be contacted for advice and support. Surely children and students have the right to learn, staff have the right to teach, and everyone has the right to be safe. If the behaviour of a child, student or member of your school community is putting others at risk, the AEU subbranch should work together to support all members. n 7

% 8272 1399

It is anticipated that the new legislation will operate from 1 July 2015 subject to its passage through parliament.

Concerned members should contact their local Member of Parliament. n

AEU Vice President Jan Murphy says everyone has a right to be safe in the workplace.

AEU Information Unit | Mon – Fri | 10:30am – 5pm |

The proposed changes include ability for injured workers with a 30% WPI to elect to seek damages at common law in the case of employer negligence. However, as the only workers that will have access to common law will be those with an ongoing entitlement to income maintenance and medical expenses, this change has been described as “illusory” as it is highly unlikely any injured workers would access common law except in very rare cases, if at all.

Do you feel safe at work?

Workers’ rights

Did someone say WorkChoices?

Tony Abbott said it was dead and buried but anti-worker industrial reform is still well and truly on the table writes Giles Goldsmith.

F

ormer Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his minister for industrial relations Julia Gillard made quite a show of binning Howard’s WorkChoices legislation in 2008. Unfortunately, it was never shredded. Large chunks were retained in subsequent Fair Work Australia arrangements. Now it’s the Abbott Government diving into the wheelie bin to retrieve some of the worst aspects of the odious WorkChoices industrial relations regime.

As the AEU Journal goes to press, the Abbott Government is pressing ahead with plans to introduce its Fair Work Amendment Bill. The unassuming name conceals a grab bag of employer demands. If it gets passed by the Senate, the Bill would: • Take away protections for workers on individual contracts that can cut wages, including weekend and penalty rates 8

“...attempts to restore important components of WorkChoices without reviving a widespread public debate over industrial relations have already hit a headwind.”

• Give employers a veto over industrial action • Allow employers to not pay out some annual leave if a worker is sacked or leaves a job • Reduce the rights of workers to talk to their union at work if they need help • Give mining and construction employers a special deal that allows

them to write their own enterprise agreements* Employers have been applying a lot of pressure to Abbott & Co regarding industrial relations. The Royal Commission into union governance and (presumed) corruption has been a bonanza for right-wing ideologues seeking to drive a stake into the heart of the trade union movement but more is being demanded. Employer groups aren’t in the mood to wait until after the 2016 federal election for the next major leap backwards in industrial relations.

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox used a speech to the Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association conference to warn of an outbreak of frustration and unhappiness in the big end of town.

“One year of the government’s term has almost passed but the window for reform is narrowing,” Willox said.

“There is no time to waste if significant progress is to be achieved during this term of Parliament in restoring balance to Australia’s workplace relations laws and achieving a more productive, flexicontinued over page 3

Protest ble and fair workplace relations system.”

Right on cue, the Coalition government reveals this latest effort to keep faith with big business. Of course, it’s not being presented that way. The “amendments” are said to be tailored to suit Australia’s small business sector which would, it is claimed, rush to hire more young people if only they could be forced to forego penalty rates for working anti-social hours and a range of other important entitlements.

Big retailers are in there pushing.

Australian Retailers Association executive director Russell Zimmerman is right behind any government move on workers’ penalty rates. “Quite honestly, if something is not done about penalty rates soon, Australia will become totally uncompetitive with rest of the world.” he said. Australia’s place in an international race-to-the-bottom is at stake.

Family owned businesses will have to wait nervously to see whether the big chains finally get the green light to wipe them out.

Abbott and his team will have to find a way to woo senators sitting on the cross benches. This won’t be easy given how poisonous the memories of WorkChoices and individual Australian Workplace Agreements are in the electorate. Back in the day, a former industrial relations minister by the name of Joe Hockey said the laws were introduced with “the best intentions” but “went too deep”. “WorkChoices is dead and there is an overwhelming mandate for the Labor Party’s policy of tearing up WorkChoices,” he said in a 2007 interview.

Current attempts to restore important components of WorkChoices without reviving a widespread public debate over industrial relations have already hit a headwind. In response to an ACTU call, over 17,000 letters were delivered to cross bench Senators in a very short time frame. Debate of the Fair Work Amendment Bill will have to wait until the next session of Parliament. Unionists should use the time gained through their campaigning to drive home the message that workers won’t wear a reintroduction of WorkChoices by stealth. n *actu.org.au

“Healthy Welfare Card” penalises the poor A protest was held outside the State Administration Centre on Tuesday September 9 against Premier Jay Weatherill’s endorsement of all 27 recommendations contained in the Forrest Report, which aims to quarantine 100 percent of the unemployed’s Centrelink payments, giving them no access to cash.

The motion reads: “That the AEU deplores the Weatherill Cabinet’s rushed embrace of the Forrest Report and communicate to the Premier its concern at the Report’s advocacy of financial penalties for welfare-recipient parents as a means of improving school attendance; its attack on TAFE funding and its replacement by vouchers that would only fund training for employerapproved courses; its call to block cash payments for welfare recipients via the Healthy Welfare Card; and its bland acceptance of increased crime in the community that will flow from the implementation of its recommendations.

That the AEU Executive seeks support

for this position by presenting it as a recommendation to the SA Unions Executive meeting on September 18.”

Billionaire mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, who was commissioned to produce the report by the Abbott government, wants 100% of welfare payments placed onto a debit card, to be called the Healthy Welfare Card.

Purchases would again be restricted to approved items.

Protest organiser Pas Forgione told the AEU Journal there is an absence of any evidence to support the Forrest recommendations. “None of the recommendations are based on hard data about what turns people’s lives around, improves education outcomes, financial literacy, health and wellbeing and so on. There have been millions wasted on income management already; the idea has completely failed. If anything, the evidence shows it actually reduces people’s budgeting skills rather than improving them,” he said. n

ADministrative officer vacancies Australian Education Union | SA Branch The term of office of the positions is from 1 February 2015 to 31 January 2018

Industrial Officer The Officer will plan and implement industrial strategies and advocate AEU claims in appropriate tribunals.

Organiser (TAFE Focus) The Officer will be responsible for developing and supporting member activism and providing advice and assistance to members on work related issues.

Job and person specifications and details of the selection process for these positions are available from:

Irene Tam on 8272 1399 (email - aeusa@aeusa.asn.au) Applicants must address the requirements of the job and person specification in their application.

Leave without pay may be negotiated for AEU members whose employer is a state government agency.

Applications must reach the Branch Secretary, AEU (SA Branch), 163 Greenhill Road, Parkside, SA 5063 by Friday, 10 October 2014.

9

Running Head Enterprise Bargaining

EB 2015 Enterprise bargaining consultation underway EB 2015 EB 2015 A Area meetings and member meetings held in Week 9 of Term 3 have provided opportunities for members to take part in the consultative process for developing the AEU’s claim for a new enterprise agreement. report on timelines, member consultation and future endorsement of the claim was given at August Branch Council. A number of discussion papers and a feedback summary are on the AEU website to facilitate members involvement in the AEU’s claim development.

AEU Consultative Committees, Area Meetings and a range of other forums will provide further opportunity for members to provide feedback and have a say. It is imperative that members in all classifications are included in the AEU’s claim in order to demonstrate the strength of our cohesive Union. Branch Council will consider the AEU’s claim in early 2015 for endorsement.

The first round of Area Meeting consultation took place in late August and members have identified some of the issues that need to be considered during the drafting of our new claim.

Pay and Classification Members said that 2.5%, as per the governments pay policy, was too low. A more competitive pay level is needed for HAT and Lead Teacher salary and AEW classification levels, and criteria need to be improved. The SSO and AEW reclassification process needs to be streamlined.

Workload The hours staff are being required to work is clearly excessive and unreason10

able, and depending on the site and situation the factors members say are contributing to excessive workload are many and varied.

Workload stressors for preschools and schools in summary include but are not limited to: • Data collection and record keeping • Lack of meal breaks or meal breaks not of sufficient length • Emails (too many) • Behaviour follow-up • Lack of Panels • Replacement of SSOs on leave • Increased SSO support • Yard duties • VET • Transporting students • Running Records • Holiday work • Reporting and Assessment • Individual Education Plans • Red tape and short time frames • National Quality Framework • EALD • TfEL and PLC • Changing of the strategic directions and system change • Curriculum development • Picking up the former work of regions • Engagement of secondary students • Attendance follow-up • Same First Day

• Automatic police checks for permanent ancillary staff • Ratios for provision of AEWs • Lunch Care programs.

Face-to-face teaching time, NIT, non-contact & admin time Members are telling us there are too many things to do but too little time to do them.

It appears that more and more is being expected of teachers and leaders during their NIT, non-contact and admin time. The work required usually exceeds the time provided and more tasks continue to be added without any consideration of the impact on hours of work.

Concerns were raised over the disparity in NIT between secondary and primary schools and the lack of admin time in preschools. Area school NIT is also an issue. The proposition that there be increased NIT for Year 6 and Year 7 to make it consistent with Year 8 and 9 was raised.

Members also raised the issue of required attendance at PLCs during NIT and expectations that data collection and surveys will be undertaken during NIT. It was proposed by a number of areas that a ban on averaging and banking NIT be implemented.

Members in country areas said that additional time should be provided if you are teaching outside of your subject area.

More administration time is clearly needed for small schools and preschools. The lack of leadership density in these sites means the administrative load is unreasonable.

Band B1 leaders say the administration time is inadequate for the work required. Counsellor positions also need to be funded as a coordinator rather than a teacher.

Class and Group Size Class and group sizes are considered to be too high. Concerns include: • Large groups in preschools due to policy of staffing on attendance rather than enrolment • Composite classes are making the teaching of Australian Curriculum difficult • Composite senior secondary classes are impacting on SACE delivery • Junior primary classes are seen as too large and early years funding is continued over page 3

•

• • • •

being spent on class size reduction.

If four-year-olds are in school classes then the class sizes need to be reduced Class /group size and complexity and enrolment of students with special needs Upper and Middle Primary class sizes of 30 The total number of students that a teacher has responsibility for Practical class sizes in secondary are unsafe Stronger enforceability clauses needed to ensure that large class and group sizes do not occur.

Special Education The increased number of students with special needs in mainstream settings is adding to complexity and workload.

Of particular concern is the need for greater support for children with autism and an increasing number of children who have complex needs but don’t meet funding criteria.

Waiting times for assessments in preschools and schools is unacceptably long.

Funding should be provided for any child that requires an adjustment and there is a need to increase existing allocations so that the needs of the child are met. Loadings on disability funding are needed for students with disability in country schools and preschools.

An allowance for SSOs working with students with disability is required and also an allowance if SSOs are required to toilet students.

Release time to write plans is not always provided and stronger provisions are needed.

Country Incentives Improved incentives to attract and retain teachers and leaders in country areas are needed. There is general consensus that country incentives should be extended beyond the current five years.

In remote schools, teachers that are required to clean their own classrooms (e.g. Lands) say they should be paid an additional cleaning allowance and employees working in remote areas should also be paid a freight allowance.

Study leave should be paid every two years if people stay in remote schools not just the current one-off provision.

Permanency Improved access to permanent employment is a concern in schools and preschools for both teaching and ancillary staff.

Ancillary staff additional hours register processes need to be refined.

Wording on permanency conversions needs to be stronger to ensure that long-term temporary employees are actually converted to permanent employment.

Teacher transfers and the ability to transfer out of hard-to-staff locations is an issue. Permanency for those that win leadership positions needs to be addressed.

Training and Development Cost, release time and access to quality training and development is a widespread concern.

Training for behaviour management is seen as important. First Aid training and its cost is also a widely and deeply felt issue.

SSOs want paid release time to gain qualifications.

Access to training and development for contract and TRT members is a concern with particular emphasis on mandated training like First Aid.

Provisions to ensure that the employer supports teachers (including TRTs) to achieve teacher registration requirements are needed.

Leave Concerns were raised about the method of debiting sick leave for parttime teachers, long service leave for contract teachers and TRTs.

PAC It was acknowledged that school PACs were important in ensuring compliance with industrial conditions.

In schools where there were issues the following was identified: • Poor consultation and decision-making • Budget documents and other information being withheld n • No regular meetings.

The AEU will be holding ongoing enterprise bargaining consultation meetings as the process continues.

Keep an eye on the AEU website and e-News for details and do your best to attend and provide feedback. You can also provide EB feedback via email to:

feedback@aeusa.asn.au

EB 2015 Discussion Papers Have your say on our claim for a new agreement.

EB 2015 EB 2015 We have published a range of EB discussion papers and we encourage members to access them on the AEU website:

8: www.aeusa.asn.au>issues>EB2015 The AEU encourages members to attend area and any member meetings that arise during the development of our new claim and through the course of negotiations.

We want to hear your views on what should be included in our claim. It’s your chance to have a say about your wages and conditions.

The AEU will provide regular updates throughout the EB process, so please make sure your email and mobile phone details are up-to-date.

8: updates@aeusa.asn.au

Email any changes to

11

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COver story: Preschool workload

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Members ramp up the preschool workload campaign

1 AEU preschool campaign postcards

Preschool communities around the state have sent postcards to local MPs urging them to lobby for increased staffing. AEU Vice President Howard Spreadbury explains.

This term the preschool workload campaign has taken on another focus with members and parents sending campaign postcards to their local Members of Parliament. As preschools provide a valuable educational program in local communities, it is important that local parliamentary representatives understand the nature of our members’ work. This can best be conveyed by the parents who access and value the programs offered to their young children and who understand first-hand some of the work related pressures currently experienced by dedicated staff teams.

Last year, as a result of an e-lobby campaign, Education Minister Jennifer Rankine provided an allocation of $1500 per centre to assist in the implementation of the Same First Day Policy and its ramifications on preschool enrolment trends. Whilst the grant was welcomed, it has not been sustained and the administrative and teaching workload of members has not diminished this year.

Government initiatives, both federal and state, continue to place demands 12

on the time of directors, teachers, early childhood workers and school services officers over and above the face-to-face teaching time and associated planning, assessment and reporting requirements.

Members and parents have been encouraged to send postcards to their local MP to remind them of the great work they do and to seek their support in advocating through the Parliament for additional resourcing for administrative tasks related to national quality standards and state-based policy.

Additional resourcing for extra administration staff will enable educators to do what they do best – teach our young children. Enhanced work/life balance would also be a welcome spin-off.

Federal funding for 15 hours of preschool education is now assured for 2015. On 5 September, Assistant Minister Sussan Ley announced a further $406 million nationally to maintain Universal Access for preschool children and their families. The South Australian government is in the process of determining the proportion of funds to this state and whether it will be sufficient to maintain existing provision. The timing of the announcement is welcomed given

that earlier statements from Canberra indicated a reliance for the decision on the report from the Productivity Commission Report Inquiry into Childcare and Early Learning which is not due until next term. This decision of the federal government has been made as a result of community pressure and members are to be congratulated for their efforts in this regard.

It is disappointing that the funding is only available for 2015 thereby providing no guarantee of continuity of preschool programs for 2016 and beyond.

We will need to maintain the pressure next year to ensure early childhood programs are not wound back in the future.

This year the AEU and DECD negotiated a new preschool teacher recruitment and selection policy which reflects practice in schools whereby vacancies not filled by permanent staff requiring placement can be advertised on DECDjobs and managed through a local selection process. As teacher positions are no longer tenured, this means that temporary teachers previously employed on short-term contracts can be recruited permanently. It is pleasing to see that 29 positions have been recently advertised through this process. It is anticipated that the policy will bring about a reduction in the historically high levels of contract employment in a sector where members have had little opportunity to gain permanent employment. continued over page 3

Preschool members in Naracoorte say workload is out of control On a recent visit to the South East, the AEU Journal caught up with preschool members in Naracoorte to hear their views on workload.

Sandra Williamson Teacher, Naracoorte North Kindergarten

Gerry Mathieson Director, Michelle De Garis Memorial Kindergarten, Naracoorte

Teacher, Michelle De Garis Memorial Kindergarten, Naracoorte

AEU Information Unit

Questions from the Workplace

Q

I work as an SSO and an ECW. My Police check through the Department of Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI) has expired and I am still waiting for my new clearance check to come through. What are my options?

There has been a backlog of applications for DCSI Screening Checks.

Some SSOs and ECWs have been waiting for over three months to get their clearance renewed.

The AEU advises that as soon as you receive your renewal notice you should lodge your application. This way you allow the greatest amount of time for your application to be processed. If you can show that you got your renewal application in to DSCI in plenty of time for them to process it and the delay is with DSCI, the DECD position is:

A

If you are permanent or still in a contract, the site leader can do a risk assessment to determine what work you can undertake. Such work must not involve working with children or students’ records and should be supervised. You will continue to be paid. [You cannot be made to take your own leave. This may occur, however, if you failed to act once you received your renewal notice.]

If you are out of contract you will not be eligible for employment with DECD until your new check is completed.

The AEU has been informed that DCSI staff numbers have been increased and DECD are also providing staff who can complete the screening checks and help deal with the backlog.

Please note: Teachers will undergo an enhanced screening check when they seek teacher registration or re-registration. Applicants will be required to consent to the transfer of relevant child protection information from Families SA in the same way they do in relation to the National Police History checks.

Q A

I am a PRT and my base school is having a school closure day. Am I entitled to this day too?

If your base school has a school closure day, then as a PRT appointed to that school as your base school, you will be entitled to that day off as well, unless alternative arrangements have been negotiated with you.

This is different from pupil free days and training and development days.

The South Australian Permanent Relieving Teacher Procedures (HR26) states: “…the Statewide Relieving Teachers are entitled to participate in a base total of 7 days training and development including student free days each year. Area and Local Relieving Teachers are entitled to a base total of five days training and development including student free days each year.

The student free days at the beginning of each school year are included within this entitlement. Other mandatory activities may be undertaken in addition to the base entitlement as determined by the Superintendent, Site Human Resources.” n

Anne Walker, AEU Legal & Information Officer 13

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“Some small schools with only thirty odd kids have a finance officer and a secretary, yet preschools with more enrolments don’t get those staff. It’s inequitable and makes no sense.

The new Partnerships are all very well but they expect us to attend two meetings a term; I only get four leadership days a year! So if I chew them up with eight partnership days, there’s twice as many gone before I actually take any admin time. I’ve also got serious concerns about the prospect of reduced support around the interagency support system. We’ve had great support from the Mount Gambier office but now we’re in the Murray Bridge “channel” and there are all kinds of problems with that, from the potential for reduced service to longer travel time for meetings and so on.

IT is a serious problem for us too.

Our internet connection is only 512kbps so it takes forever to load pages. Every time they put a new portal on the Edu-

Chantelle Weckert

“The NQF and other reforms such as the Early Years Learning Framework has created a lot more work and there’s a lot to get your head around.

There seem to be changes happening all the time and they’re (the Department) are always expecting more. I’d do at least a couple of hours extra work every night. When we did the workload log last year I found I was working 60-65 hours a week.” n

AEU Information Unit | Mon – Fri | 10:30am – 5pm |

“Recording, filing, putting information on the EYS and financial tasks all take lots of time and there simply isn’t enough time in the day to do it all. I know a lot of the preschool directors in the region and they work seven days a week and often until 7pm at night. Here we start at 8am and don’t leave until 5pm at the earliest. Directors, well their workload is massive, and half a day admin time at the end of the week is just not enough.

We need ongoing SSO admin support.

Our parents are fundraising to cover extra staffing to carry out this work, and that shouldn’t have to happen.”

Portal it just gets slower and slower; thankfully the AEU has taken that issue up. It got to a point where I couldn’t even do a full enrolment, I’d get half way through and I’d have to do the rest in writing. I work on weekends so I can get access online when there aren’t so many people logged on. I’d like my Saturdays back actually. On average I work around seventy hours per week.”

MERIT SELECTION

Member Profile

Merit, it’s everyone’s business

Jenna talks to the AEU Journal

We have now entered the busiest time of the year for Merit Selection processes in DECD. There will be thousands of panels formed and run over the next few months including leadership, teaching and non-teaching vacancies.

All of these panels must be formed according to the 2010 Merit Selection Policy, Procedures and Instructions. All long-term leadership and teaching vacancies require trained AEU representation. Therefore it is extremely important that sub-branches have a number of trained members ready and willing to sit on these panels. Don’t let your entitlement to representation on selection panels in your site slip away because you don’t have enough trained members.

Jenna: I’m teaching Reception and I love it. You can really see the growth in the students from the start of the year until the end and they’re incredibly enthusiastic. I like to focus on making the school a safe place for them and something they love.

Journal: Why did you take on the role of Sub-branch Secretary?

Jenna: The previous Sub-branch Secretary thought is was time for someone else to have a go and I think it was just at that time when I was starting to think of what I could do for the school that was beyond the sphere of my classroom, so I put my hand up for it. I like being able to talk to other staff about issues that are happening and I learn a lot myself. Also, I have a law degree, which was another reason I wanted to get involved with the union.

Did you know?

Every DECD employee must be merit trained before they sit on a merit selection panel.

If the policy calls for an elected staff/ AEU/teaching or non-teaching rep there must be a call for nominations from trained staff and a vote to determine who the representative will be; this is not a decision made by leadership or the chairperson of the panel.

The AEU Merit Selection Panellist Handbook 2014 clearly states that in the first instance the AEU rep on a panel is the Sub-branch Secretary. However, if they are not trained, not interested, or applying for the position, the Panellist Handbook also states that the Subbranch Secretary is not required to be the AEU representative on all panel processes. Indeed, in order to share the load, sub-branch secretaries are encouraged to give other AEU members in the site the opportunity to take part in panel processes. n Visit the DECD website (link below) for scheduled training sessions and register to attend if you are currently not trained.

8

: www.decd.sa.gov.au/hrstaff/ hrstaff/pages/recruitment/ paneltraining/?lid=events 14

Journal: How long have you been teaching?

Jenna: This is my third year as a teacher. It was a steep learning curve to begin with but I feel like I’m starting to find my feet. In the first two years I was very focused on my own classroom and my own teaching but now I’ve started to look beyond just what I need to do with my students and get more involved in other aspects of the school.

Journal: Are you from the South East?

Jenna: No, I’ve moved around a bit. I lived in Alice Springs until I was 19 and it was a nice change to move away and go to university but I’m always drawn back to smaller areas. I did a university placement in Naracoorte because my parents were living here and now I’ve been made permanent which is a big relief.

Journal: What year group are you teaching?

Journal: What kinds of issues have you supported members with at your site?

Jenna: Mainly it has just been the dayto-day issues that staff find difficult like access to training and development and support services, making sure their wellbeing is being prioritised, and listening to their concerns and making sure they’re being brought to the AEU’s attention. Just getting more information for them really.

Journal: Why do you think it’s important to be a union member?

Jenna: I think in this day and age where there’s a lot of pressure on teachers and the accountability is really high, as it should be, we are subjected to a lot of criticism and a lot falls back onto teachers; that can be difficult if you don’t have support. It’s also important to be part of the collective. If you have weight in numbers then you as an individual or even as a worksite aren’t having to deal with things on your own. It’s good to know if you have an issue you have that support. I think AEU membership is a must. n Jenna Newman is a teacher and Subbranch Secretary at Naracoorte South Primary School

New Educators focus

PAC Handbook

Trouble understanding this?

1 New Educator members participating in the recent Tri-state conference

AEU members from three states networked and shared ideas at a well attended conference in mid-August.

N

ew Educator AEU members from the Riverland were lucky enough to be invited to a conference that is very unique – it is for beginning teachers from SA, Victoria and NSW! Held every three years as part of our regional commitment to training for AEU members, this year’s conference included workshops on student engagement, public speaking, LGBTI inclusivity and “testing”, along with some fun team building activities. It was also attended by the ever-enthusiastic AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos who spoke passionately on why public schools need the full six years of Gonski funding.

From the feedback received so far, the workshops, the networking and the generous time given to the event by AEU member and staff presenters were very well received. There is so much for New Educators to know and AEU training is always a balance between content and confidence building.

Glossop High School teacher Mark Trimboli told the AEU Journal the Conference was a great experience. “The AEU Tri-State New Educators Conference, held recently in Mildura, was a real ‘eye-opener’ for me. As a teacher

with only 18 months experience, I was really looking forward to meeting and speaking with new educators from other parts of the nation. This conference was the perfect opportunity to compare notes with other teachers, to determine if the kinds of issues I had experienced were to be found elsewhere and to source some strategies other teachers had found useful or innovative.”

“As with other AEU conferences and workshops I have attended, the level of professionalism was at a premium and all aspects – arrangements, catering, the relevance and applicability of the workshops, and so on – were outstanding. The added bonus of being able to ‘tick a number of boxes’ relating to the Teachers’ Standards, was also a factor in my enjoyment and appreciation of the event.”

It’s opportunities like these that add to the value of your AEU membership.

Be sure to keep on eye on our website for upcoming training and development opportunities. The AEU can usually assist with travel and accommodation expenses to make attending our events that little bit easier. Thanks to everyone who made the 2014 Tri-State New Educators a success through attendance, presenting, or assisting with the organisation. n

New Eds

Tri-state conference brings New Eds together

The AEU New Educators Network has identified concerns with the PAC Handbook definition of “Beginning Teacher”.

While members are aware the current definition allows far more beginning teachers access to increased NIT it can be difficult to understand (i.e. “Gap year” and “Start of the Year” definition etc).

Here’s the relevant section of the PAC Handbook. “The hours of face-toface teaching and NIT will not be averaged over a school term or the school year for secondary school beginning teachers or beginning ATSI teachers or for primary school beginning teachers or beginning ATSI teachers.”

For the purposes of clause 5.2.8 the additional non-instruction time applies to the following: a) Beginning teachers appointed to a permanent (ongoing) position or; b) Beginning teachers appointed to a full year contract or; c) Mid year graduates, employed on contract at any time in the balance of the year of graduation. lf they obtain employment at the start of the following year, the balance of the 207 duty day entitlement will be provided in that year. d) Beginning teachers employed on contract for Term 1 at the start of the year in the first or, in the case of a gap year, the second year after graduation, and continues for each adjacent sequential term employed.

“Start of the year” means: starts employment at some time, whether as a TRT, or contract, during the first four weeks of Term 1, and then continues on contract for the rest of the term.

“Gap Year” means: the calendar year after graduation. Casual or short term contract service during a gap year will not alter entitlements to support for continuing beginning employment under c) and d). n If you would like to provide feedback about this section of the PAC Handbook, e.g. where it has/hasn’t worked and/or how it can be improved or more easily interpreted, please email (attention: AEU Organiser, Sam Lisle-Menzel) at:

8: feedback@aeusa.asn.au 15

SSO Focus 7SSOs members at Adelaide West Special School loving the recently published SSO Handbook

National Support Staff Week celebrated SSOs, ECWs and ACEOs take action to improve conditions. AEU Organiser Lisa Sigalla reports.

O

SSOs

ur AEU colleagues in Victoria, ACT and Tasmania joined members here in SA to celebrate National Support Staff Week in Week 5 of this term. All states celebrated the wonderful work and dedication AEU members show to public education by holding morning teas and other fun events. Here in South Australia, AEU officers visited many schools and preschools around the state to share in their celebrations, and we signed up over 40 new members!

National Support Staff Week in SA also saw the release of the new AEU SSO Handbook, which has been updated to provide the key industrial entitlements SSOs need to know.

Throughout the week there was a focus on permanency; many AEU members are still on contracts despite working in the same roles for long periods.

The new Recruitment and Selection Policy has seen over 400 SSOs converted SSOs at Madison Park celebrate with six new members! 3

16

the eligibility criteria. If you would like more information on how you can begin this at your site please contact the AEU via email at aeusa@aeusa.asn.au The contributions of ECW members in their preschool communities were also celebrated. Children made badges and displays to thank their wonderful ECWs for all the hard work they do at their preschool.

Along with celebrating the work of ACEOs, the AEU action for Aboriginal members involved collecting and sending information to the union to support our work around the funding and allocation of support hours.

Every year we will be celebrating National Support Staff Week with our AEU colleagues in other states and look forward to making sure our support staff are valued, respected and recognised for everything they do in public preschools and schools. n A copy of the 2014 SSO Handbook is available for all AEU members in the SSO section of the AEU website:

8: www.aeusa.asn.au>

your AEU>sectors>SSOs

to permanency but there is still work to do. Our plan for National Support Staff Week was to begin the process of educating sub-branches on how they can use this policy and the PAC to declare ongoing vacancies, and to recommend for conversion to permanency those SSOs who meet the criteria.

As this process is now ongoing there will be many more opportunities for our members to start the discussion with their school about converting them into ongoing vacancies, provided they meet

1 SSO members at Melaleuca Park - three new!

Class Size

NAPLAN

Feds break NAPLAN promises Prior to the last Federal Election, Christopher Pyne announced plans to overhaul the My School website, saying that NAPLAN had been “bastardised from something useful into something loathed”.

He acknowledged that publication of school results on the website placed “unnecessary stress on teachers” and had created a “highly stressful ordeal” for students.

Class size – it’s a big issue

B

ased on feedback from our continuing consultations around the next EB, class size is still a major issue for members. This is despite the legion of class size deniers who claim either that it is the quality of the teacher, not the number of students, that matters, or who concede that there may be some gains in large reductions of students per class but that small incremental reductions are not worth the cost required for their implementation.

The latter point has been made by Prof. Ben Jensen of the Grattan Institute in a number of papers over the last couple of years. However, Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach from the US’s Northwestern University reviewed research on class size in 2014 and concluded differently.

“Some researchers,” she wrote, “conclude that the evidence supports better outcomes only if classes are below some threshold number such as 15 or 20…In fact, the per-pupil impact is reasonably stable across class-size reductions of different sizes and from different baseline class sizes.”

Principal-turned-academic David Zyngier from Monash University has made a comparative review of 112 research papers from 1979 to 2014 and largely agrees with Schanzenbach, and emphasises the importance of smaller class sizes in the first four years of school.

He makes the obvious point that reduc-

“…do not trade off smaller class sizes for other perceived advantages.”

tions in class size are most likely to be effective when combined with “appropriate teacher pedagogies suited to reduced student numbers.”

Sub-branches and PACs have an important role to play in ensuring that school-based personnel policies do not trade off smaller class sizes for other perceived advantages.

But something more than just gut feeling and instinct is required to win the argument.

Members will find the AEU Victorian Branch’s summary of class size research a useful source of materials to be drawn upon and placed before staff meetings, sub-branch meetings, PACs and Governing Councils. It can be found on our website (see link below).

It’s your profession – make sure you’re part of professional decisions in your workplace.

Mike Williss AEU Research Officer

8: www.aeusa.asn.au>Issues>Class Size

He said that if elected, a Coalition government would remove the publication of individual school results on the My School website and restore the tests to a diagnostic tool.

Only the improvement made by schools in tests would be published on the website, he said.

A Senate enquiry established under Labor handed down an interim report in June 2013 and its final findings earlier this year. Central to its recommendations was that comparative functions be stripped from the My School website to “limit the disingenuous use of data to rank schools”.

It has taken until August 28 for the government to respond to the report.

Recommendations that there be a quicker turnaround of test results and that the needs of students with disabilities and those from non-English speaking backgrounds be taken into account when designing tests were agreed.

However, the government rejected recommendations that it “remove the functionality that enables ranking and comparisons of individual school results”.

It also rejected recommendations for the removal of school level data if it was still used improperly to construct league tables, and another calling for clarification of the use of NAPLAN data as a diagnostic tool.

These were the major promises made by Pyne on November 26, 2012. n Mike Williss AEU Research Officer 17

TA FE Focus

Students and industry the losers if TAFE jobs go “TAFE is now forced to compete in the open market for three-quarters of total government funding to the VET sector.”

A recent news article claims massive job cuts are imminent in TAFE

A

cation and Training (VET) is completely decimated. “If it’s true that 800 more jobs are to be slashed from TAFE by 2017–18, alarm bells should be ringing for South Australian students, workers and industry,” he said.

“It seems the government is prepared to risk the long-term prosperity of South Australia in order to make some shortterm budget savings. It’s completely wrong-headed,” said Mr. Smith.

TAFE SA is recognised by most in industry as the highest quality VET provider in the state. Despite this, the alleged cuts will roll out at a time when high quality skills are in demand. Who will retrain the thousands of GM Holden workers looking for a job when Holden’s Elizabeth plant closes in 2017? The Minister went some way to answering this when she told the Advertiser, “Workers affected by the closure of GM Holden will be able to access the training available under Skills for All and the jobs and skills package, through the State’s Retrenched Worker Program.”

She then revealed that TAFE will be in competition for that funding, “About 15 registered training organisations, including TAFE SA, have been identified by the Automotive Transformation Taskforce as potential providers of services,” she said.

AEU President David Smith said the state government seemed to be showing complete disregard not only for highly trained and experienced TAFE staff but for the thousands of Holden workers who will be forced to retrain with expensive and perhaps poorer

18

TAFE

news report based on a leaked ministerial briefing paper, which appeared in the Advertiser on September 3, has foreshadowed a loss of 800 jobs in TAFE over the next three years. If accurate, the report does nothing to alleviate AEU members’ concerns about the devastating impact of the state government’s market-based Skills for All regime and reinforces suspicions that a full privatisation of VET is on the cards in South Australia.

In response to a request for an interview with TAFE Minister Gail Gago, the AEU Journal was directed to the TAFE media unit which provided what can only be described as 100 words of spin. Spin or otherwise, the statement strongly implies significant cuts will take place when it says, “TAFE SA’s teaching model continues to evolve in order to provide more flexible delivery options for students, taking advantage of the latest technology and relying less on the traditional face-to-face teaching methods.”

Over 400 TAFE staff have already been laid off over the last two years and the prospect of another 800, or one in three staff, would be devastating for TAFE. “TAFE members I’ve spoken to are really concerned about this report,” said AEU TAFE Divisional Council chairperson Paul Petit.

In a press release distributed across the state on the day the article was published, AEU President David Smith said the attacks on TAFE need to stop before publicly funded Vocational Edu-

quality private training organisations via the Skills for All scheme. He went on to say that Skills for All has been a failed experiment.

“The marketisation of VET is a disaster. All around the country it’s leading to higher costs for students and has resulted in a proliferation of low quality ‘tick and flick’ providers who are cashing in on taxpayer-funded handouts. Yet the State Government is clearly prepared to continue down this destructive path.”

Since the inception of Skills for All, the amount of public funding available to for-profit private providers has increased rapidly. TAFE is now forced to compete in the open market for threequarters of total government funding to the VET sector. If this trend continues Jay Weatherill may have the infamous distinction of being the premier who presided over the complete destruction of TAFE and public vocational education and training.

“The government either needs to come clean and admit it’s moving to kill off TAFE and fully privatise VET, or shelve its plans to cut more jobs and start putting taxpayer dollars back into TAFE where quality takes priority over profit,” said AEU President Smith.

“Apart from the 800 TAFE staff who will soon be joining the jobless queues, the big losers here are students and industry; students because they will be paying through the nose for poorer quality training, and industry which will be forced to spend thousands of dollars retraining staff who have missed out on publicly available high quality training through TAFE,” he concluded.

The AEU has written to the Minister to seek further information and clarification on the cuts. We are still waiting for a response. n

Women’s Focus

8: tchampion@aeusa.asn.au

Email Tish Champion on

“Send This Instead” AEU Women’s Officer Tish Champion discusses the issue of “sexting” and a clever way for students to deal with it.

W

hen I was growing up there were often uncomfortable moments when a delusional peer thought that an inappropriate sexual comment was the way to someone’s heart. These moments usually occurred in front of friends and were therefore dealt with in the blink of an eye. We dealt with it in whichever way came naturally to us. Spontaneous responses included face-slapping, arm punching, screaming, swearing, storming off in tears or smiling and giggling.

Everyone dealt with these inappropriate advances differently depending on individual tolerance levels and expectations of acceptable social interaction.

Unfortunately today, with modern technology and social media, these advances can be more sinister and are often far less public. Young people are dealing with sexual advances and requests alone and are often too embarrassed or shy to tell others.

For several years now, schools, teachers, the police and social workers have been trying to deal with the ever-growing problem of sexting. Young people are told they shouldn’t do it. They have been warned of the dangers and the lingering problems it can cause when things are posted online where they can and are freely distributed and stored. There have been instances where young people have been prosecuted for producing and distributing pornography, which originated as sexting material. In the United States, many young people found themselves on the National Sex Offenders register.

Statistics suggest that one in six young people have received a sext containing a naked selfie and asking for one in return.

For further information contact: AEU Women’s Officer | Tish Champion

T: 8272 1399 E: tchampion@aeusa.asn.au

istockphoto.com

Talking to young people about the dangers of sexting is clearly not working.

The peer pressure is too immense. I have two young sons and while I intend to make sure that they fully understand the dangers of sexting, I am not naïve and know that the pressure to conform is often too great. And let’s face it – parents know nothing!!!

Recently a new app called “Send This Instead” was launched as a humorous and alternative way for young people approached via social media for naked photos to say, “Um, let me see … NO!!!”

While the app does put the onus on the harassed individual to deal with and counteract the behaviour of others, we have to try something different. Perhaps those behaving inappropriately on social media will finally get the message if it is delivered in a more humorous way.

Joseph Versace, a programmer with the Ontario Provincial Police, Sexual Exploitation Unit in Canada, developed this free app as a way to give kids a pointed, witty response when approached or pressured to send nude images of themselves online. Seen as an alterna-

tive to sexting, this app can also be used by kids to deal with nude images they have received and to report persons who are harassing them and others for nude pictures. n

Did you Know?

DECD Paid Maternity Leave – Phase 2 Did you know that the DECD Paid Maternity Leave payments changed slightly from July 2014.

If you are entitled to Paid Maternity Leave and have been employed

by DECD for less than 5 years you will receive 16 weeks of full pay maternity leave.

If you are entitled to Paid Maternity Leave and have been employed

by DECD for 5 years or more you are now entitled to 20 weeks of full pay maternity leave. n Women’s Focus continued over page 3 19

Women’s Focus Cont.

AEU Training and Development Program 2014

PPL – are we there yet?

E vents & C ourses 2 0 1 4 Terms 3 & 4 + Holidays Mon 29 Sep

B

efore the election, the Coalition promised big changes to the existing Paid Parental Leave Scheme (PPL). We are now 12 months into a Coalition government and no closer to really knowing what is on the table for families expecting a child. Latest comments by members of the Coalition suggest that in July 2015 the government intends to implement a very watered down version of their election promise.

The original election promise included full wage replacement for 26 weeks capped at $75,000. Effectively this meant that a woman earning $150,000 could have full salary replacement maternity leave for six months, including superannuation contributions. After they were elected, however, the Abbott government quickly reduced the cap on their proposed PPL scheme to $50,000.

Recent media comments by Tony Abbott and other senior Coalition MPs have indicated that if the Coalition scheme is to be accepted it will require even greater changes/reductions. They have hinted that they are now looking to maintain the current scheme’s basic minimum wage payments but increase them from 18 weeks to 26 weeks with superannuation contributions included.

The Dad and Partner Leave Scheme, which was introduced in January 2013 is still an entitlement in the Coalition’s scheme. However, these two weeks of salary at the basic minimum wage will no longer be an independent payment.

They will be tied to the PPL payments and be taken directly from the 26 weeks of entitlement for the mother, effectively reducing the PPL payments for mothers from 26 weeks to 24 weeks.

If you are currently expecting a child or planning a family it is important to note that the pre-election scheme introduced by the Labor government, which included 18 weeks at the basic minimum wage, will continue until July 2015. n 20

9:30am – 3:00pm

Thurs 6 Nov

SSO General Reclassification Workshop [Port Augusta]

AEU/DECD Personnel Advisory Committee [PAC] Training

A one day practical workshop to assist SSOs in applying for reclassification.

Open to: Financial AEU members working as an SSO.

The AEU strongly recommends that all members of the PAC, including principals, AEU representatives, equal opportunity and non-teaching staff representatives who did not complete the update or full training in 2013, register for PAC training. In 2013 there were significant changes that will affect the PAC.

Mon 29 Sep

9:30am – 2:30pm

Safe Schools! Diversity and Gender Identities Workshop “The Rainbow Spectrum” [Murray Bridge] This is a practical workshop on creating schools as safe places supportive of sexual and gender diversity and free from homophobic bullying and harassment.

Open to: All AEU members.

Tues 7 Oct

9:15am – 3:30pm

Overseas Trained Teachers’ Workshop A workshop on the range of issues facing teachers who were trained overseas.

Open to: All AEU members who were initially trained overseas.

Wed 8 Oct

10:00am – 3:00pm

AEU Food and Film Feast for member wellbeing See Advertorial right on Page 21.

Fri 10 Oct

9:15am – 3:30pm

Early Childhood Conference “Where the Wild Things Play” A one day conference for early childhood educators. The conference dinner will be held the night before the conference.

Open to: AEU members working in early childhood settings. See Ad on Page 23.

Fri 31 Oct

9:00am – 3:30pm

AEU Leaders’ Conference “Leaders Workloads... or just because you think you’re overworked doesn’t mean you’re not” A full day conference for leaders. The Conference dinner will be held on Thursday 30 October. See Ad on Page 4 Open to: Educators in leadership positions, aspiring leaders in DECD schools and preschools and DECD corporate leaders.

Book Online: www.decd.sa.gov.au/hrstaff/

Fri 7 Nov

9:15am – 3:30pm

Middle Schooling Conference A one day conference with a focus on Australian Curriculum for teachers working with students in years 5–10.

Open to: All working with years 5 –10. AEU members no charge; Non-members $165.00.

Fri 21 Nov

9:15am – 3:30pm

AEU Aboriginal Members’ Conference A one day conference for AEU SA Branch Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members on current educational issues of concern. There will be a conference dinner Thursday 20 November.

Open to: AEU SA Branch Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members.

Sat 29 Nov

2:00am – 4:00pm

LGBTI Workshop: Education through Film A workshop for educators on the use of film and visual texts to support awareness of LGBTI issues. This workshop will be held at the AEU during the FEAST Festival activities.

Members are welcome to bring a colleague.

See FEAST Ad on Page 22.

Mon 15 Dec

9:30am – 12:00pm

Curriculum Organiser Online (COO) Intro Workshops A short introduction to the AEU’s Curriculum Organiser Online and how it can help members’ teaching Foundation – Year 10, plan and program based on the Australian Curriculum.

Open to: Everyone interested in finding out how COO can help them in their Australian Curriculum preparation.

For further info on any of the above events and courses, email Saniya Sidhwani on : training@aeusa.asn.au To register go to : www.aeusa.asn.au>events &

8

8

courses

* Upcoming Event

AEU Food & Film Feast for member wellbeing Wed 8 October from 10.00am - 3.00pm

Movie Screening 3: 11:40am – 12:45pm

The Finland Phenomenon Inside the world’s most surprising school system.

W

hy not come along to our holiday ‘drop in day’ featuring AEU cooks running cultural cooking demonstrations and a selection of films relevant to global education issues? The day is designed to support members’ physical and intellectual wellbeing in an holistic way. The event is open to all. Family members and friends are also welcome.

Below is the program of documentaries and feature films to be shown.

Bring a bean bag and enjoy the popcorn.

Chat about the films between sessions.

Documentaries Movie Screening 1: 10:20am – 10:25am

Change the World in 5 Minutes: Every Day at School Australian primary age students make an environmental impact.

Academies and Lies: Parents, The Politician and the Carpetbagger Parents and teachers from Downhills School, UK try to stop the Education Secretary from forcing their school to become part of the Harris academy chain.

Movie Screening 5: 1:50pm – 3:00pm

2 Million Minutes in China A deeper look at Chinese Education.

Feature Films Movie Screening 6: 10:00am – 10:30am

Two Brothers Walking Australia (2013)

A documentary about spiritual people in spiritual country. It reveals the creative and regenerative force of Rainbow Serpent Dreaming that extends from Central Australia to Far North Queensland.

Movie Screening 7: 10:45am – 12:30pm

Movie Screening 2: 10:30am – 11:30am

Trans USA, 2012, Rated M (Mature themes & coarse language)

2 Million Minutes

TRANS is an extraordinary documentary feature about men and women, and all the variations in between. The transgen-

A deeper look at students in US, India and China.

For further information or to register go to

Program

Movie Screening 4: 1:15pm – 1:45pm

der community is perhaps the most misunderstood and mistreated minority in America and around the world.

TRANS provides a very personal look into the lives, loves, and challenges of a remarkable cast of characters , children and adults.

Movie Screening 8: 1:30pm – 3:00pm

Monsieur Lazhar Canada, 2012, Rated M (Mature themes)

In Montreal, a Year 6 class is shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of their beloved teacher. Having learned of the incident, Lazhar, a 55 year-old Algerian immigrant, offers his services as a substitute teacher. Lazhar comes to understand his endearing students.

While the class begins to heal, nobody in the school is aware of Lazhar’s painful past.

Nourish

10:00am – 10:20pm & 12:45pm – 1:15pm

AEU staff, members and sponsors will be presenting cooking demonstrations and tastings with healthy snacks.

10:00am – 3:00pm

There will be a special SSO Info Booth to provide advice and consultation for potential and existing members. AEU staff, Teachers Health, ME Bank and Super SA will also be in attendance to answer questions.

This program is available to download on the link below 5

8: www.aeusa.asn.au>events & courses 21

Council Dates for 2014

NOTICE BOARD

Branch Council Meetings Upcoming dates for 2014 are:

Saturday, November 22

TAFE Divisional Council Meetings Upcoming dates for 2014 are:

Friday, November 14 Foster Carers can be from all kinds of family types: singles, couples, people at home, working full-time, part-time or studying.

Free training and ongoing professional support (inc 24hr assistance) is provided.

You are invited to attend one of our information sessions:

Loxton Primary School

> Tuesday 11 November Woodcroft - Morphett Vale Neighbourhood Centre 175 Baines Road, Morphett Vale SA 6:30–8:30pm > Tuesday 9 December, AnglicareSA 4-8 Angas Street, Kent Town SA (Stairs access only) 6:30–8:30pm

Invitation to our Centenary Celebrations 1914 – 2014

Friday 31st October & Saturday 1st November 2014 Calling all old scholars, staff and families Contact Cathy Adams or Colleen Heaney: (08) 8584 7408 www.loxtonps.sa.edu.au Like us on Facebook

* Upcoming Events

Saturday 29 November 2.00pm-4.00pm LGBTI Workshop: Education through Film The AEU is holding a workshop for educators on the use of film and visual texts to support awareness raising of LGBTI issues. This workshop will be held at the AEUSA during the FEAST Festival.

Members are welcome to bring a colleague.

Sunday 30 November 11.00am – 6.00pm

FEAST Picnic in the Park

Located at Pinky Flat Park opposite the Adelaide Convention Centre. Come to the AEU stall at the FEAST Festival Picnic.

We encourage members and supporters to say hello to AEUSA staff and our LGBTI Committee.

For further info go to:

8:www.feast.org.au 22

To register, or for more information, call Linda on 8131 3456 www.anglicaresa.com.au/fostercare

SALARY INCREASE & SUBSCRIPTION ADJUSTMENT AEU subscription rates will be adjusted to reflect the DECD and TAFE Enterprise Agreement salary increase from the first pay period on or after the 1 October 2014.

Please advise AEU Membership staff of any change to your classification, fraction of time, workplace or home address by phone: 8272

1399, fax: 8373 1254 or

email: updates@aeusa.asn.au

Loxton High School

(Class of 1980 – 1984) Did you or a member of your family start high school at Loxton in 1980?

A reunion is being organised for the 2014 October long weekend.

For further details please contact Susan Eagle (Gibbs) on: phone: 0427 554 926 email: sue_eagle@live.com.au

Are you up-to-date Online?

We need your preferred

email address

8: membership@aeusa.asn.au

Email to

or call Membership on: 8272

1399

NOTICE BOARD

Member’s Market In order to cater for extra editorial space, the AEU Members Market now has a reduced space allocation in the Journal.

Advertisements will be printed at the discretion of the Editor and will not run in more than three issues in succession.

Kensington Town House: Quiet, private, comfortable 2 BR with QB’s. 5-min stroll to historic Rising Sun, Robin Hood, short walk to Parade and great parks.

BBQ, fully equipped, all linen supplied. From $130/night.

T: 0407 744820 E: dover.farm@bigpond.com

SECOND VALLEY HOLIDAY HSE: 4 BR brand new 2-story house – sleeps 9 plus 2 fold out couches.

5-min. walk to the jetty. Relax for wkend or longer. T: 0407654464 E: arthur1966.dellas@gmail.com

GOOLWA HOLIDAY HOUSE 15-mins from beach, shops and river. Sleeps 9, in-ground pool, decking with BBQ, fully equipped, A/C, etc. $100 night.

T: 0403 841 031 E: leonday@adam.com.au

HOUSE FOR SALE:

3 BRs in Elliston, Eyre Peninsula.

Walking distance to shops, school and beach $220,000 o.n.o.

T: 8687 9178 or M: 0428 879178

STRESS, WEIGHT, HABITS?– RELAX! Hypnotherapy, Counsel-

ling, NLP, Relationships, Career, Smoking, Anxiety, Performance, etc. 15% Discount AEU Members.

Reg Chapman: T: 0419 829 378 E: nlpchanges.com.au for sale: House on Esplanade at Elliston - great town on west coast. T: 0435 489 429

STREAKY BAY HOLIDAY HSE:

5-min walk to beach, in town, close to shops. Sleeps 13. Fish & boat facilities. New bath & kit; BBQ entertaining area and private spa suite avail. Starting rate $140 p/ night. T: (08) 8626 1539 E: ascaines@hotmail.com

The Mobile Muso Mechanic

Kingston Near Robe:

The long break is looming, I’ll come to you – and setup/repair, restring your guitar/bass and even tackle simple amp maintenance.

This new service is also available for school music rooms.

Frank Lang: T: 8248 0824

OUTBACK TAGALONG TOURS

Victor Harbor Getaways: 2 fully self-contained homes.

Sleeps up to 8. One with private beach/lake! 10% discount to AEU members. T: 0419 868 143 E: foumakis@hotmail.com W: www.victorharborgetaways. com.au

Victor Harbor Holiday Hse: New, 4 BR, 2 bath, (2 x Qu, 2 x singles, 1 dble bunk), sleeps 8, 3 living areas, 2 balconies, views of hills & Granite Island, A/C, D/W, BBQ, C’pt, 2-storey, quiet location.

T: 0400 303 300 (Ian) E: ir211057@internode.on.net

2-story on 22 kms of stunning beach stretching down to wineries.

Sleeps 8, 2 bathrooms. Or Balcony Suite, 5 RMs. Special from $70/ double, mid-week, off peak, min.

4-nights. T: 0402 922 445 (Judy) Guided tours in your 4 wheel drive, with your gear loaded on the ‘Big Red Truck’. Hassle Free Outback Touring. Book now for our Spring Tour – Innaminka Races, Coward Springs, Warren Gorge.

T: David Connell – 02 8885 4620 or Lyn Rowe – 0403 594 406 W: www.brtoutback.com.au

Teaching Resources:

To give away: Folders hard/soft covered...upper to middle primary ...many topics covered...from retired teacher. Donation to the Smith Family. Interested?

T: 0418 834 174 (Jane)

Children’s Book Sale Hundreds of novels to suit 6-16 non-fiction books, picture books, a complete Wildlife Fact File set & more. Most titles are advertised on Gumtree, or will be soon (located at Marino). For more info call Chris on T: 0408 689 235

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

journal@aeusa.asn.au

Expert advice and professional experience with: • Mortgages, • Private Contract Transfers, • Strata Plan and Plan of Division Lodgments, • Caveats, Discharges of Mortgages, • All facets of conveyancing work.

Contact us on:

Anne Walker

(: (08) 8410 6788

Simon Willcox

8410 6799 Email: anne@saitconveyancers.com.au SAIT Conveyancers

Fax: (08)

located at Credit Union SA

Level 3, 400 King William Street, Adelaide, SA 5000

THERE’S ONE IN ALL Of

º º

If you are buying or selling or are involved in any real estate matter, either through a land agent or privately, consult us.

º

Dinner: thurs. 9 Oct. @6.00pm

US

Free advice on real estate queries.

fri. 10 Oct. 2014 9.15am - 3.30pm

º

We offer AEU members:

º

SAIT Conveyancers AEU Early Childhood Conference

WHERE THE WILD THINGS PLAY

Australian Education Union | SA Branch To register go to: www.aeusa.asn.au>events & courses or for further information email: training@aeusa.asn.au

23

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