Magical teaching moments don’t
TALK to any teacher, principal or education support worker and they’ll tell you that they want what is best for their students.
They thrive off ‘magical teaching moments’ and few professions get to positively impact the lives of children like those working in education.
Today, nearly 70 schools will reluctantly be closing early and around 100 more will stop classes and provide only student supervision. Masses of staff will attend Stop Work meetings this afternoon because they feel that the Hodgman Government either doesn’t understand their workload issues or they have
Leeanne Clifford David Genford
grave concerns for their colleagues’ health and well being.
They feel the Hodgman Government doesn’t understand what resources schools need to provide the best learning opportunities for students, how to address their complex issues of schools, or perhaps the Government simply doesn’t care.
Stopping work is an absolute last resort but teachers, principals and support staff feel left with little choice. As educators, we are issuing a challenge to the Government to demonstrate they care about public education.
Parents have every right to be disgusted that the Government prioritises budget surpluses over student learning. A Government that prioritises spin and media opportunities over truly understanding that Tasmanian schools are still suffering from their huge staffing cuts in 2014.
Despite some political grandstanding recently, the Government have been sitting on the issues for some time. An ACER survey in 2017 revealed damning evidence that local principals are working 60-hour weeks. The average Tasmanian classroom teacher finishes their paid work at recess on a Thursday and is consumed by student well being work and administrative tasks that detract from teaching.
As practising teachers, we were most horrified to learn that only four in 10 classroom teachers can meet students’ individual learning needs. Nine out of 10 principals raised student well being concerns, saying they urgently needed more professional support staff.
The survey demonstrated experienced teaching staff were struggling to cope with the workload and that 28 per cent of early career teachers are so fearful of being unable to meet students’ needs, they elect to work four days a week or less.
Upon entering negotiations for new agreements this year, it was revealed Tasmania’s most experienced classroom teachers receive the lowest annual salary in the country and work well beyond their 35-hour employment week.
The average Teacher Assistant earns just $25,309 a year and is employed for 40-42 weeks a year, forcing many to choose between working a second job or claiming Centrelink entitlements.
The Premier labelled our concerns “fake news”. The Australian Education Union’s claims were met by a 10-week wait for an Enterprise Bargaining meeting. This was met by a fixed wages policy of up to 2 per cent with additional incentives and allowances deducted from the 2 per cent.
Education staff wore red during action in mid-August to show their anger and called on the Government to simply negotiate in good faith.
Teachers, principals and support staff were framed as greedy, despite their claims being heavily focused on improving learning conditions for students.
A subsequent meeting saw the Government present their counter offer that sought to increase, not alleviate, workload. In response, schools statewide vacated their workplaces after fulfilling their teaching and duty of care responsibilities during another action in September. In doing so, our colleagues demonstrated they were completing about 15 hours of unpaid time a week.
Educators have also told stories of specific issues affecting their students to members of the Government. These concerns were dismissed.
A letter was sent to Premier Hodgman on October 11, in the term 3 school holidays, stating that education staff would be taking industrial action today because his Government had not shown them respect. The Government chose to sit on that letter until Monday, for 11 days, before advising parents and carers that schools would be closing early.
A follow-up letter highlighted we felt demoralised by Government inaction during discussions. It demonstrated AEU members are united by their claims and that they feel the 2 per cent wages policy is symbolic of a Government that isn’t listening, isn’t prepared to consult meaningfully and doesn’t recognise its hardworking staff.
The Grattan Institute’s Measuring Student Progress: a state-by-state report card released yesterday highlighted the effect of Tasmania’s public education system on its staff. The story led with the phrase Tasmanian schools are doing a “tough job well” citing Tasmania’s much lower levels of school advantage and much higher levels of student socioeconomic disadvantage.
The Education Minister said the report recognised the ongoing work and commitment of teachers and we hope today’s small disruption gives him the platform he needs to champion for more respectful discussions and meaningful progression of negotiations.
Tasmanian teachers, principals and support staff know what’s best for their students and they simply want the conditions to create more magical teaching moments.