InsIde:

uEcofacilityopensatCambraiAS

uNewYorkbonusschemefailsthE

powErof(2)

Juniorprimary+primary:The benefits of co-location

Vol 43 | no. 5 August 2011

AEUJOURNAL SA

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NO gimmicks.

Just great health insurance.

Call 1300 728 188 or visit teachershealth.com.au to find out more

Teachers Federation Health Ltd ABN 86 097 030 414 trading as Teachers Health Fund SAAEU-0611

BestletterineachAEUJournalwillreceivetwoticketstoanAdelaideSymphonyorchestraconcert.threecontributorswillreceiveadoublemoviepasscourtesyofpalaceNovaCinemas.Emailto:

journal@aeusa.asn.au

I therefore urge you to look into this whole area of chaplaincy in schools which I believe is antithetical to the sec-ular basis on which state schooling was founded in our state and Australia wide.

A review of the school counsellor needs in schools would be useful too as I believe school chaplaincy has serious-ly undermined and diluted this essen-tial program and support for state schools Australia wide. I look forward to your early response. n

Yours SincerelyJudyGillett–fergusonretiredStateSchoolprincipal

DearEditor,As a parent with two children who

have recently been through a junior primary school with fantastic, child-cen-tered programs, I am both angry and saddened that it has been targeted by the State Government for amalgamation.

My children have benefitted greatly from the special focus they received at our school. There is no doubt in my mind that being part of a junior primary school community has given them a fantastic sense of confidence and provided the

building blocks to go on and succeed in their primary and secondary years.

It is deplorable that this government, led by a man who once referred to him-self as the “Education Premier” places so little importance on the education of children in these very important and impressionable years.

I implore Mr Weatherill to stand up and be counted, to show he has the courage and the credentials to be a real “Education Premier” by keeping our junior primary schools open – it’s in the interests of our children and therefore, the future of South Australia. n

Meredithfarmerparent,StradbrokeSchools

PResideNt’s View UNiON tRAiNiNg

AustralianEducationUnionSABranch163 Greenhill Road, Parkside SA 5063

telephone: 82721399

facsimile: 83731254

Email: journal@aeusa.asn.au

Editor: CraigGreer

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

DeadlineDates publicationDates

#6 September 2 September 21

#7 October 21 November 9

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

Print Post approved PP 531629/0025

ISSN 1440-2971

printing:Finsbury Green Printing

3

Features

Letters to the editor

AeU JOURNAL

*winneroftoplEttEr!

AdvertiseintheAEUJournal.reachover13,500membersacrossSouthAustralia.

82721399journal@aeusa.asn.au

Meldanda–anaturalplacetolearnpage6

Cambrai Area School opens its environmental education facility

teacherBonusespage16

Following New York – a good idea, for once.

openlettertotheMinisterDear Mr Weatherill,

In the light of recent critical media coverage of school chaplaincy in state schools, I wish to draw your attention to an advertisement that appeared in our local paper recently.

I am greatly concerned that the reli-gious (predominantly Christian) influ-ence is eroding the very much needed and understaffed school counsellor positions in state schools.

Responses by organisations provid-ing chaplains to schools are adamant that there is no religious content in the role of school chaplains and yet here we have a state school publicly and specifically advertising for one.

The federal ombudsman has also publicly expressed his concern about this insidious and growing trend.

InsIde:

uEcofacilityopensatCambraiAS

uNewYorkbonusschemefailsthE

powErof(2)

Juniorprimary+primary:The benefits of co-location

thepowerof (2)

pages12–13

Junior Primary + Primary: co-located sites give our kids the best of both worlds.

4

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5

carried by members in all sectors. This change must be about supporting pub-lic education with the resources that are needed to deliver a quality education.

If there is any hint that the restruc-ture brings additional pressures for members, please bring this to our attention as soon as possible.

We are a strong, passionate advo-cate for public education and members’ rights and we will ensure that we hold the government, DECS and DFEEST to account when necessary.

While the changes to DECS executive structure are welcome, it is disappoint-ing that the DECS “glass ceiling” is still firmly in place. Out of the ten senior positions in the restructure only three are held by women and yet 70% of the workforce is female. Clearly DECS needs to look at implementing strategies that promote, engage and mentor women in leadership positions. Perhaps they could take a leaf out of the AEU’s book with the Women In Leadership Develop-ment program that is being facilitated by Virginia Gill.

AlpleadershipchangeAnd finally, a comment on the recent

political events in SA. It has been announced that Premier Rann will be handing over the ALP leadership to Minister Weatherill in October.

AEU members will remember that Mr. Rann once remarked that he wanted to be remembered as the “Education Pre-mier”. I think that after the lengthy enterprise bargaining dispute and arbi-tration process, it is unlikely that AEU members will remember Mr. Rann’s time as Premier in this way.

It is too early to make an educated guess about who will replace Jay Weatherill as Minister for Education but you can rest assured that the AEU will be keeping a close eye on events as they unfold to ensure that public education maintains a high profile in the government. n

Insolidarity,CorrenahaythorpeAEUpresident

Congratulations to the many fabulous people and schools who have been recognised in the recently announced 2011 SA Public Teaching Awards.

The AEU works hard to raise the profile of Public Education and for our mem-bers in preschools and schools this public recognition is long overdue.

With the awards announced by the Minister for Education, Jay Weatherill, the AEU is wondering what is happen-ing with respect to TAFE staff? Why hasn’t Treasurer Snelling and Minister Tom Kenyon announced a similar set of awards for the TAFE sector? Our TAFE members work hard to deliver excellent programs for their students in an increasingly competitive environment and the AEU believes they deserve the same recognition as their teaching colleagues!

To all of our members who work so hard for their students and yet did not win an award (this time), the AEU con-gratulates you for your dedication and commitment to public education in South Australia.

DECSrestructureThe creation of a new DECS executive

structure, contains a strong message from new Chief Executive Keith Bartley about the importance of a “hands on” approach to improve working relation-ships and understanding of the issues facing our schools and students.

The AEU will be watching this restructure closely; we are acutely aware of the increased workload being

We will keep public education at the forefront

PResideNt’s View wORkCOVeR

Court victory for injured workers

tRAiNiNg

As part of the AEU’s commitment to promoting career pathways for Aboriginal educators, the AEU has liaised with DECS Aboriginal Education and the Ethical Standards to provide Merit Selection training specifically for Aboriginal employees.

The second component to this train-ing session will focus on developing Aboriginal leaders in preschools and schools.

whocanattend:All Aboriginal edu-cators are encouraged to attend, espe-cially if you are considering applying for promotion positions or undertaking leadership programs.

MeritSelectionandleadershipDevelopmenttrainingforAboriginalEducators

formoreinfoortoregister:

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

On June 27 this year the Full Court of the Supreme Court delivered a major blow to the Rann Government’s changes to South Australia’s workers compensa-tion laws in 2008, ruling that the Workers Compensation Tribunal are not a “body or person” that must accept the opinions of a Medical Panel as “final and conclusive” and that “[i]t remains for the Tribunal to determine what weight shall be given to an opinion.”

Medical Panels, since their introduc-tion, have been criticised as unfair, unjust, secretive, intimidating and expensive. As previously reported in the AEU Journal, DECS has referred more of its injured employees to Medical Panels than any other department.

DFEEST and DECS must now focus on injury prevention, effective rehabilitation and return to work strategies.

Commenting on the Supreme Court vic-tory, SA Unions Secretary Janet Giles said she is happy this campaign has been won.

“We never believed this stacked up legally – and we were right,” she stated. n

PUbLiC edUCAtiON week UPdAte: eNteRPRise bARgAiNiNg 2008

Heading-2

6

Agricultural Education, Outdoor Educa-tion and Aboriginal Education.

Studentlearning:Activities under-taken by the school include a frog and water watch program. A bird hide has been established at Mermaid Lake and a recent Enviro Grant has meant that the first bat monitoring program in an Australian school has been established. It also includes a weather station, allow-ing students to gather bat behaviour/climate information.

Revegetation is ongoing at the site, including the Photo Point monitoring of new growth. A large area of brush has been planted and maintained for pro-jects associated with indigenous shel-ters, as have native bush tucker species which will enable students to experience native food gathering and preparation. Students have recently planted species

to specifically attract butterflies.

EcoCampsite:Through an Investing in Schools Grant of $150,000.00, a self-sufficient campsite for up to 30 visiting students and their teachers is currently being developed. Facilities include a recreation hut, four showers and four toilets. All power is self-generated, using a combination of solar and wind power. Drinking water is provided through rainwater collection and water to showers and toilets is sourced via a bore, raised by solar pump and piped down to the campsite. Hikes and walk-ing trails will be mapped from (and within) the Meldanda campsite along with orienteering courses.

officialopening:Earlier this year the school held an official opening of the Meldanda site. The day kicked off with a guided tour of Meldanda property

Meldanda is a 40 hectare property situated along the River Marne just outside of Cambrai. The late Mr Les Weiss

bequeathed the land to the Cambrai Area School for use as an educational facility to benefit the young people of the district. As the current custodians of Meldanda, the school is committed to developing the site not only for the ben-efit of the local community, but for stu-dents across the Barossa school district and potentially across the state.

The school supports only projects that are environmentally friendly, eco-logically viable, sympathetic to the indigenous past of the land and educa-tionally proactive. Meldanda will pro-vide open classroom opportunities in the areas of: Environmental Education,

Meldanda: a natural place to learnAfter eight years of hard work CambraiAreaSchool proudly opened their beautiful environmental education property this year

eNViRONmeNtAL edUCAtiON

6

77

the ALP launched one of its better education initiatives on July 22nd this year. It’s called Respect Every

Body, an education program “to pro-mote positive body image and to build young people’s resilience to negative body image pressures.”

The campaign aims to create “body image friendly schools” and through a website provides a great range of resources to support school leaders, teachers, student counsellors and par-ents in reaching that goal.

As most educators would be aware, body image refers to a person’s percep-tion of how their body looks and how attractive they are to others. Experts say that a person’s body image is influ-enced by their personality, personal experiences and socio-cultural ideals and expectations. Females are more likely to experience doubts about their body than males, however, males are also susceptible to psychological issues relating to body image.

In a world where disproportionate value is placed on one’s appearance and physical attractiveness, it’s more important than ever that the self-esteem of young people is nurtured and protected, particularly in schools where pressure to conform is at its peak.

School communities have a signifi-cant role to play in creating an environ-ment that promotes positive body image and the resources provided by the Respect Every Body program should help education staff in achieving this goal.

AEUsupportSpeaking to The Australian newspa-

per, AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos has publicly welcomed the Federal Government initiative to tackle body image issues.

“This is an area that is very impor-tant … many children and students are

Youth Campaign

struggling with body image and any additional resourcing is clearly wel-comed.” n

formoreinformationonthecampaignandtoaccessawiderangeofmaterialsincludingposters,factsheets,conver-sationstartersandmore,gotothelinkbelow andstartdownloading!

“thisisanareathatisveryimportant…manychildrenandstudentsarestrugglingwithbodyimageandanyadditionalresourcingisclearlywelcomed.”

RESPECT EVERY BODY

Create a body image friendly school Reflect. Discuss. Act.

For school Conversation Starters, go to:www.youth.gov.au/bodyimage

7

schools have a big part to play

start downloading @ 8:youth.gov.au/bodyimage

and a number of presenters gave an insight into the development and future prospects of the property. They included:

• BushGardens• ButterflyGarden• BatIsland• Campsite/Buildings• frogandturtlepond• Mermaidlake• Bushtuckergarden

The official party, which included representatives from the school’s Gov-erning Council and SRC, the AEU, DECS, the Mid Murray Council, and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, joined the entire Cambrai AS community at the opening. Clearly impressed with what she saw, Senator Hanson-Young stated:

“I’m so excited and can’t wait to come back out to Meldanda and pitch tents with my colleagues. The hard work that the community has put in has really paid off. This is an amazing pro-ject. I wish we had something like this when I went to school.”

Also very excited about the develop-ment, Cambrai Area School teacher Matt Rotolo (pictured) says the site offers fantastic opportunities for teach-ing and learning.

“As a science teacher at Cambrai Area School I can’t begin to explain how excited I am to have a resource like Meldanda readily available. The students have had a lot of involvement here over the last few years so they have devel-oped strong place-based connections and ownership. The sky is the limit for what can be done and how Meldanda can be utilised in the science curricu-lum, and other learning areas for that matter.”

The development of the Meldanda site for the use of young people through-out the state began in 2003 and is cur-rently in the eighth year of a ten-year plan, with the campsite being made available as an outdoor classroom for all schools in 2013. n

Teachers interested in visiting the property with their students should contact Barb at CambraiAreaSchoolon:%85645028

7 Cambrai As science teacher Matt Rotolo (second from left) with guests at Meldanda.

New

Eds

@ the AEU: 163 Greenhill Road, Parkside, SA 5063

info: E: training@aeusa.asn.au W: www.aeusa.asn.au

Wellbeing Day

Drop-in day for all !

T h u r s d a y 1 3 O c t o b e r 2 0 1 1 1 0 . 0 0 a m – 2 . 3 0 p m

Free healthy food and cooking demos

Free massages

Free health advice

Free relaxation sessions

Free wellbeing information sessions

Displays, music, prizes and giveaways

proFiLe

JoUrNAl:howlonghaveyoubeenteaching?

NICk:I’ve been teaching for just over three years after originally obtaining a degree in Conservation and Park Man-agement. Work in that field wasn’t easy to come by so I did a post-graduate teaching degree and here I am, teaching in Port Augusta.

JoUrNAl:You’reoriginallyfromAdelaide,howdoyoulikeworkinginthecountry?

NICk:My wife’s family is from Port

Augusta so I feel really comfortable up here. I really like the country vibe. Peo-ple are really easy going and I get a lot guidance and support from my colleagues.

JoUrNAl:whatsubjectsdoyouteach?

NICk:With my background in conserva-tion and parks management I have a real passion for Science and SOCE. I also enjoy teaching Maths.

JoUrNAl:whatdoyoufindchallengingaboutyourjob?

NICk:There are so many challenges. Finding work is just the beginning. I think most teachers would say that behaviour management is the hardest thing. Hav-ing worked in an Aboriginal community I learned that you really have to build your relationships first. Once you know the kids and you get on with them it helps you communicate your expecta-tions; you have a bit of fun but they

know when you’re serious and it’s time to get on with things.

JoUrNAl:DoyouusetheAEUCurricu-lumorganiseronline?

NICk:Absolutely. It’s a real time saver. It’s great to be able to draw from the materials that other teachers have cre-ated and adapt them for your own needs. Everything you need is there to plan units and lessons, including mate-rials for the new Australian Curriculum.

I think it’s a must-have resource for beginning teachers. And the more teachers that are using it the bigger the database of lessons will get.

JoUrNAl:tellusaboutyourinvolve-mentintheAEU?

NICk:I’m the Sub-branch Secretary for my school and also a Branch Council dele-gate. The AEU is a great organisation to be part of. It runs some fabulous pro-fessional development. For example, I think everyone should have to come to a conference like the AEU beginning teach-ers’ conference; it really opens your eyes up to many of the issues and is a great way to meet others who have the same or similar experiences as you. n

Active in the unionthe AEU Journal speaks with new educator Nickloose from Carlton school in Port Augusta

8

Gabby Co

oper

photo

Graphy

tAfE

Are schools trying to do too much in VeT?mount barker tAFe Lecturer tonySutherland says higher-level Vet competency assessment must be accompanied by appropriate workplace experiences.

tAFe

schools and the SACE accreditation sys-tem continue to push the boundaries to include higher and higher levels of com-petencies in their offerings.

It is clearly stated in the VET in Schools statement in several of the Industry Training Packages that VET arrangements should be Level 1 with some Level 2 competencies and should not push the boundaries to deliver at Level 3 and above.

VET deliverers raise a number of con-cerns. It takes about 12 months of full-time work to properly achieve a Certifi-cate II Traineeship, and a Certificate III can take up to 30 months. Trainees need that period of time to be able to experience a range of conditions and variations within that competency, before they become truly competent.

In VET placements, students are required to meet all aspects of the job, including working different shifts and being able to perform at a productive level whilst maintaining reasonable standards, similar to those expected from an employee in that job. This is not the norm for school-based place-ments where students are required to do little more than experience the work-place environment and to assist with the work being done.

Demonstrating a level of responsibil-ity in the way in which one works is an expectation at higher levels. Competen-cies performed at Level 2 need to be done with minimal level of supervision, whereas at Level 3 it is often without supervision.

In the secondary school environment it is virtually impossible to meet this requirement. Additionally VET deliver-ers are required to maintain ongoing currency with industry to ensure that their knowledge and skills are up-to-

date. For teachers in the school environ-ment it is difficult to see how this can be achieved.

Finally, there is a concern that with the push for higher-level competencies, students who are already struggling academically with other subjects will also struggle with higher level VET cer-tificates. Increasingly, it appears that the less academic students in schools are being counselled in to taking VET subjects they may struggle with, where-as the more academic students who would probably succeed in higher level VET courses are not being pointed in that direction.

TAFE teachers are increasingly report-ing that students who enrol in TAFE hav-ing completed a Certificate 1 or 2 as part of their SACE, frequently do not have an adequate grounding and the TAFE teach-er has to reteach components of the course before moving on to the higher levels. Because of the way TAFE is fund-ed, any reteaching is unfunded and sim-ply adds to a lecturer’s workload.

There is an important place for VET in Schools. It enables students to sam-ple a range of employment alternatives that may lead to a future career. Howev-er, the system must also accept that trying to achieve competency at the higher levels without a real opportunity to engage in the workplace full-time is unrealistic and may well be giving stu-dents false expectations. n

Vocational Education and Training (VET) has become an increasingly common learning pathway for senior secondary students with

approximately 90% of South Australian public secondary schools offering a VET course.

The opportunity for students to choose a VET course as part of their SACE is a good thing; it recognises the importance of transitioning students beyond school and preparing them for entry into the work environment. Commencing a VET qualification at school establishes a pathway which can lead to completion of that qualification through further education and post-school training.

To successfully complete SACE using the recognised arrangements for VET in SACE, students must receive a “com-petency achieved” for those units and competencies they undertake. The VET competencies used in SACE are derived from industry training packages, which are developed around the competen-cies required within the workplace environment.

Many deliverers within the VET system find it difficult to accept that delivery of competencies within the school environ-ment with limited opportunity of work placement is a substitute for developing the skills and attitude to work in a real workplace environment.

These concerns are highlighted as

“tryingtoachievecompetencyatthehigherlevelswithoutarealopportunitytoengageintheworkplacefull-timeisunrealistic”

CountrY issues

10

internationaL

have made me successful professional-ly, none of these qualities that make me who I am, can be tested.

I said before that I had incredible teachers, and that is true, but it’s more than that; my teachers were empow-ered to teach me. Their time was not taken up with a bunch of silly test prep, a bunch of drill-and-kill nonsense that any serious person knows doesn’t promote real learning. No, my teachers were free to approach me and every other kid in that classroom like an indi-vidual puzzle. They took so much care

Actor MattDamon defends public school teachers, who are under increasing attack from pro–private forces in the United states

Bourne to a teacher

the star of the Oscar-winning film Good Will Hunting and the Jason Bourne series recently addressed a teach-ers rally in Washington DC

as public education fights for its life.

“I was raised by a teacher. My mum was a professor of early childhood education, and from the time I was in kindergarten, and all the way through to my high school graduation I attend-ed public schools. And I would not trade that education or that experience for anything. I had incredible teachers. And as I look at my life today, the things that I value the most about myself are my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning and my curiosity.

All of these things came from the way I was parented and taught. And none of these qualities I have men-tioned, none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, none of these qualities that have brought me so much joy, that

Increases to Locality Allowances

Country Teachers living in locations that are prescribed under the Award are eligible to be paid locality allow-ances for:

• CompensationforAdverseEnvironment

• VacationperiodsAllowanceforCostofCommutingfromDistantSchools

• MotorVehicleAllowanceinrespectofAbnormalDepreciation

• AllowancebywayofCompensa-tionforIncreasedCostoflivingArisingfromCountryServiceandsomeAspectsofIsolation.

The Motor Vehicle Allowance in respect of Abnormal Depreciation and the Allowance by way of Compensation for Increased Cost of Living arising from Country Service and some Aspects of Isolation are increased by the CPI.

The AEU has successfully applied to have these allowances increased by 4.9% back dated until 1 July 2010.

The per km rate on which the allow-ance for cost of commuting from dis-tance schools is calculated has also been increased to 22 cents from 1 October 2010.

In recent inspections of pay records the AEU identified that a number of country teachers eligible for these allowances were not receiving them. For example, very few eligible teachers in schools of 320 km or more from Adelaide were being paid the allow-ance for vacation periods.

We encourage you to check your pay slip and the Teachers (DECS) Award to ensure that you are being paid correctly. n

For further information go to:

8:www.aeusa.asn.au>InterestGroups>Country

“theywereempoweredtounlockourpotentialandunlockourworth.theywereallowedtobeteachers.”

1 1

in figuring out who we were, and how to best make the lessons resonate with each of us. They were empower-ed to unlock our potential and unlock our worth. They were allowed to be teachers.

Now don’t get me wrong, I did have a brush with standardised tests. I remember because my mum went to the Principal’s office and said, “My kid ain’t taking that.” I have it in quotes, she said. “It’s stupid, it won’t tell you anything, it will just make me nerv-ous”. I guess it was the late seventies!

I struggle to think that these tests are being used today to control our funding though. I don’t know where I would be today if my teacher’s job security was based on how I per-formed on some standardised test. If their very survival as teachers was based not on actually whether I fell in love with the process of learning, but rather if I could fill in the right bubble on a test, if they had to spend most of their time desperately drilling us and less time encouraging creativity and original ideas, less time knowing who we were, seeing our strengths and helping us realise our talents, I hon-estly don’t know where I would be today if that was the type of education I had. I sure as hell wouldn’t be here, I do know that.

This has been a horrible decade for teachers, and I can’t imagine how demoralised you guys must feel, but I came here today to deliver an impor-tant message to you and I really hope you can hear it.

As I get older, I appreciate more and more the teachers that I had growing up. And I’m not alone, there are mil-lions of people just like me. So, the next time you are feeling down, or exhausted, or unappreciated, or at the end of your rope; the next time you turn on your TV and see that you’re being overpaid, the next time you encounter some simple-minded puni-tive policy that’s been driven into your life by some corporate reformer who has literally never taught anyone any-thing, please, please, please know that there are millions of us behind you. You have an army of regular people standing right behind you and our appreciation for what you do is so deeply felt. We love you, we thank you, and we will always have your back.” n

Amalgamation review process underway

ViCe president’s report

AeU Vice President AnneCrawford writes

1 1

There was a strong sense of déjà vu when the Labor Government announced its intention to amal-gamate 68 co-locat-ed schools as part of the 2010-2011

Budget cuts, with projected savings of $8.2 million over two years from 2013.

A year before, in April 2009, Jane Lomax-Smith, the former Minister for Education, had claimed that more than 150 schools and preschools were “vol-untarily investigating options to restruc-ture”. “Restructure” was, of course, a euphemism for closure or amalgama-tion under the auspices of Education Works Stage 2.

Lomax-Smith’s mantra was that this was a “locally driven initiative”. She repeatedly stated in media appearances that parents chose to close schools, not Labor Governments.

Many of the communities targetted as part of Lomax-Smith’s initiative waged brilliantly successful campaigns to keep their schools and preschools open. Community opposition was particularly strong and united in the Spencer Gulf Region, where the Government planned to replace more than 40 schools and kindergartens with nine huge super schools across Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Whyalla. Many parents were out-raged by the consultation process, which was rushed, coercive and blatantly biased. All over the State, communities and educators banded together and campaigned successfully, in most instances, to keep their schools and preschools open. Lomax-Smith’s failure to impose her “big is beautiful” model for education delivery was followed by a 15 per cent swing against her in the 2010 State Election and the loss of a relatively safe Labor seat.

The Co-Location Initiative, launched just a few months after Labor scraped back into power, is, to some extent, a rebadged version of Education Works Stage 2. The two schemes are similar in

many respects. They are motivated by cost cutting, they remove much needed resources from public education and they deliver no educational or social benefits to students. Above all, they claim to be consultative, but are in real-ity thinly veiled top-down programs that take little account of what parents real-ly want for their children.

Earlier this year, parents at Modbury High and Bordertown took the Govern-ment by surprise with their feisty and vibrant campaigns that captured signifi-cant media attention and won huge sup-port from the broader community. As a result, the current Minister announced that primary and secondary schools would not be forced to amalgamate, and the number of targetted schools was reduced to the remaining 21 junior primary and primary sites.

Under Section 14 of the Education Act, if parents do not vote in favour of school closures or amalgamations, a formal review process can be instituted. Not one community has voted for clo-sure or amalgamation. The Government has therefore established 21 review committees to conduct reviews of the targetted schools.

These committees comprise four Ministerial representatives, the principals of both schools, a representative of Local Government, a nominee of the Chief Executive, an AEU representative and a nominee of the Governing Council of each school involved. The AEU fought strongly to ensure two parents were appointed to each committee when the

“Manyschoolsandpreschoolstargettedforclosureintherecentpastremainopenandarethriving,thankstothevisionandunitedeffortsofthosewhodaredtosayno.”

continued over page 3

ViCe president’s report

Government attempted to limit their representation to only one.

The AEU is currently working closely with members, parents and the broader community to ensure that the reviews are conducted in a manner that is open, accountable and provides all stakehold-ers with accurate information regarding cuts to resourcing prior to recommenda-tions being made. We know that every amalgamation of a junior primary and primary school will result in an annual loss in funding of at least $250,000. In most instances, this loss will be well in excess of $300,000 each year, which equates to very considerable cuts to leadership levels, SSO support and spe-cial programs that are of great educa-tional value to students. Once this resourcing is lost, it will be impossible to retrieve.

A training session was conducted at the AEU for about 50 sub-branch secre-taries, principals and review committee nominees on 29 July. This will be followed by further opportunities for members to meet and exchange information. Organ-isers and other AEU officers will provide ongoing support to members and par-ents throughout the review period.

The AEU is also encouraging sub-branches, individual members, parents and the general community to forward submissions to the relevant review committees for their consideration. Submissions can be lodged in any for-mat, including a brief letter. It is vital that educators and communities exer-cise their right to genuine input over the next few months before the reviews conclude.

The success of the campaigns waged in 2009 and earlier this year demon-strate that, even under great pressure and in very difficult circumstances, amazing victories can be won when communities and educators work together to retain precious resources that underpin the quality of education for our children and students.

It is by no means inevitable that the 42 schools currently under review will close or amalgamate. Many schools and preschools targetted for closure in the recent past remain open and are thriving, thanks to the vision and united efforts of those who dared to say no. We can add to that number if we continue to work together in the best interests of students and communities. We have every intention of doing so. n

12

COVeR stORy: sChOOL AmALgAmAtiONs

Juniorprimary+primary: the benefits of co-location

robyn Waller is Principal at Braeview Junior Primary School at Happy Valley, one of 42 schools the State Gov-ernment has targetted for

amalgamation as part of the 2010 State Budget cuts. She recently told the AEU Journal that amalgamations are not in the interests of school communities.

“The impact is likely to be the com-plete wiping out of junior primary lead-ership in public education. Ask any jun-ior primary teacher who has worked in a school with dedicated early childhood leadership and they will tell you that the support, resources and programs that are provided in those settings are superior to schools that don’t offer such a structure.”

Robyn says that students between the age of five and eight have specific needs

and the removal of early childhood leadership will most likely spell the end of programs that benefit students at this crucial stage of development.

“School communities that value early childhood expertise may find a way to build that in but there is no guarantee and no safeguard for this. It is a real concern. On top of this, between the two sites we are likely to lose around $400,000 in funds. There aren’t too many schools that could absorb such a funding cut and maintain their current programs,” she says.

Robyn’s colleague Angela Puhle is Principal of the primary school at Braeview and says having two separate but connected schools provides the best of both worlds for students.

“We have a great community spirit across the school. In the primary school

students stand to lose if school amalgamations go ahead

continued... 3

Juniorprimary+primary: the benefits of co-location

Ilinceri bunulvidem lin deestra dela veri tus, none fors poenatusa

13

1 Notsohappyinthevalley: Principals Robyn Waller and Angela Puhle flanked by staff and parents at Braeview school – they want to keep their junior primary school open.

COVeR stORy: sChOOL AmALgAmAtiONs

“theimpactislikelytobethecompletewipingoutofjuniorprimaryleadershipinpubliceducation.”

we are able give specific attention to middle school philosophies of teaching adolescents while the junior primary kids benefit from the time and leader-ship that goes into promoting play-based learning and so on. We have a large number of programs that support this type of learning environment and I can see a lot of this being discontin-ued,” she said.

parentsspeakoutBraeview School parent Naomi Paull

has a child in each of the two schools and says her experience of the school has been fantastic.

“I really like the smaller class sizes in the junior primary school and am a fan of the special options that the school runs – this has been great for my kids; it’s helped them understand the needs of students with disabilities and I’d hate to see that go because of cuts to fund-ing,” she said.

“I know of families that come from Port Noarlunga because of the programs

that are run here at Braeview,” she added.

Another parent, Erica James, believes the focus on the development of the child in the junior primary school has had great positive effects on her children.

“Both my kids love it here. In some larger schools, particularly those with-out the smaller junior primary commu-nity, kids just don’t get the same oppor-tunities to develop in the early years,” she said.

Braeview Junior Primary is just one of 42 schools who have much to lose from the amalgamations proposed by the State Government. The AEU is work-ing with all these sites to ensure their voice is heard when the upcoming reviews get underway.

parahillsSchoolsstartpetitiontostopamalgamation

Opposition to the amalgamation pro-posed at Para Hills Schools has led to the creation of a petition that already contains nearly 1000 signatures. School

Governing Council Vice Chairperson Kerry Faggotter told the AEU Journal that parents have serious concerns.

“Our school is likely to lose in the vicinity of $450,000 in funding and two leadership positions. We also have a child parent centre and there’s no men-tion about how or if that is likely to be maintained,” she said.

“Our classes in the junior primary school are a good size – perfect for ear-ly childhood where kids are at one of the most important stages of their development. We want to maintain this and will not be happy to see it change.” she added. n

1514

SSow

EEkbOOk ReView

powerfullearning:Astrategyforsystemreformdelivers an evidence-

based, results-driven approach to large-scale educational reform in schools.

Pre-eminent educationalists David Hopkins, Wayne Craig and John Munro, together with a team of highly credentialed con-tributors, expli-

cate a grand theory of system change that leads to measurable outcomes in enhanced student learning and acceler-ated achievement over time.

The book is premised upon a research initiative conducted in the Northern Metropolitan Region (NMR) in Melbourne – an area characterised by relative social and economic disadvan-tage, where radical reform has seen outstanding results.

An in-depth case-study approach and bolstered by reference to the broader international experience, Powerful Learning describes in detail the inside out perspective on school improvement, beginning with the central tenet that every student will reach their potential. Standards of literacy and numeracy are recognised as essential but equally so is the instilling in students of a desire to learn.

Powerful Learning helps identify and, importantly, adapt appropriate teaching strategies, organisational structures and policy options to support improvement plans in any given school. Ultimately, school principals, administrators, policy makers and teachers themselves will see a discernible reduction in the vari-ance of student performance, an overall rise in school standards and the nar-rowing of the educational divide. n

Davidhopkins,JohnMunroandwayneCraig

publisher:ACErpress2011

rrp$29.95

Thanks to some very successful member cam-

paigns and ongoing negotiations with gov-ernment, almost 1500 SSOs have been converted to permanency since 2009. This came about through the determi-nation and unity of AEU members across the State.

In the last two years the number of SSOs who have joined the AEU has grown significantly. Make no mistake, high levels of membership and collec-tive action are the keys to improved wages and conditions.

During SSO Week we are encourag-ing all sites to ensure they have an SSO Contact Officer who works with the Sub-branch Secretary to encourage the par-ticipation of SSOs in sub-branch activity. If your site doesn’t already have one, ensure a sub-branch meeting is called as soon as possible so an SSO Contact Officer can be elected.

In the lead up to SSO Week we’d like you to tell us how you have encouraged other members to get involved in the AEU. In 100 words or less, tell us how you have supported another SSO to

ssO week 2011

this year ssO week will be held in week 5, monday 22 – Friday 26 August with the theme: “workingtogethertowin”

A great time to celebrate!

either join the AEU or engaged a mem-ber to be active – there’s a delicious prize for the best three entries!

We encourage all sites to celebrate SSO Week and to send us in some photos showing how you celebrated. We would love to publish them in the AEU Journal. Send all entries to:

*: journal@aeusa.asn.auRemember all items sent to the AEU

for publication in the AEU Journal or on our website will go into the running for one ofthreefantasticprizes from Next Byte, including the new Mac Mini and iPad. (See Ad on page 20).

hAVEAwoNDErfUlSSowEEk–YoUDESErVEIt!lisaSigallaAEUorganiserSSofocus

1414

wput this poster up at your site for all to see

whave all SSO members at your site write their names on this poster in the space provided

whold a morning tea

wrecognise SSOs at assembly

wtake a break together

wwrite a column in your newsletter

wtake some photos to show how you celebrated SSO Week at your site

wemail us your photos and stories for publishing in the AEU Journal

*: journal@aeusa.asn.auwewouldlovetohearfromyou!

A strategy for system reform

SSO WEEK 201122–26 AugustAll SSO members: write your names in the space below -

Authorised by Jack Major, AEU Branch Secretary, Australian Education Union | SA Branch, 163 Greenhill Road, Parkside SA 5063 © 2011

We wish to congratulate all SSO members and appreciate your hard work and ongoing support for public education

Some IdeaS to celebrate SSo week: Put this poster up at your site for all to seewhave all SSO members at your

site write their names on this poster in the space below w hold a morning tea w recognise SSOs at assemblyw take a break

togetherwwrite a column in your Newsletterw take some photos to show how you celebrated SSO Week at your sitewEmail us your

photos and stories for publishing in the AEU Journal (journal@aeusa.asn.au). We would love to hear from you.

Certificate of Appreciation

australian education Union | SA Branch 163 Greenhill Road, Parkside 8: www.aeusa.asn.au ): 8272 1399AEU Organiser SSO focus, lisa Sigalla *: lsigalla@aeusa.asn.au

some ideas to celebrate ssO Week:

workingtogethertowin!

1514 15

JanMurphy from the workload review team reports

ACtIoN•Makeasubmissiontothereview

ofteachersandleaderswork.SubmissionguidelineshavebeenpublishedontheAEUwebsite.Goto:www.aeusa.asn.au>Issues>reviewofteachersandleadersworkfordetails.

WorkLoad

15

Bullying doesn’t just stop at the school gate. Students who are prepar-ing for their first job, or already working part-time are at a vulnerable time in their working life.

Being able to identify bullying, know-ing who to turn to and what can be done to fix it is vital to making the first steps into working life positive and productive.

Help your students get the bully off their back at work, with ACTU Worksite’s Buck the Bully campaign.

The ACTU is experimenting with new ways of interacting with students – from surveys to smartphones. And they want feedback!

StUDENtSCAN:

• Usethefactsheets,classroomactiv-itiesandresourcesavailableat:

8:worksite.actu.org.au• Sharetheirideasonhowtodeal

withbulliesatworkinasurvey• Getcriticalonthefreeiphoneapp

To be notified of the results of the Buck the Bully survey, or to give us your feedback emailus@:

*:worksite@actu.org.au

Review of Teachers and Leaders Work forges ahead

The Review of Teach-ers and Leaders Work is about to enter its next stage – workload audits in sites. A range of sites have been identified

and/or volunteered and staff will com-plete a diary over the course of a week during this term.

Follow-up discussions with the sites will revolve around information collect-ed and include the identifying of tasks teachers & leaders undertake, whether these tasks should or should not fall with-in their roles and responsibilities and how they may be managed differently.

During the first stage of the review we received information about workload from over 1400 DECS employees through the online survey. Thanks to all those who participated, your information and ideas are invaluable and suggestions for solutions were often creative – although I can’t repeat some of the best of them here! There are no surprises in the col-lated data, with the three main work-load issues for teachers being:

• Changewithoutsufficientsupport(New SACE, National Curriculum)

• Cateringforstudentswithdisabilities

• StudentBehaviourManagement

Not surprisingly, the data also reveals that members are concerned about the ever-increasing workload related to class size, meetings, assess-ment & reporting policies & processes,

ACTU

Worksite for schools w

ebsite 8:w

ww

.worksite.actu.org.au

teAChiNg ResOURCes

Your rights at workfor students

paperwork, data collection, overcrowd-ing of the curriculum, IT and chasing up student non-attendance.

For school leaders three of the main areas of workload pressure are:

• facilitiesmanagement

• Admin

• hr

Data collection, student behaviour management, OHSW, email overload, IT and teaching loads were the other major workload issues reported by those in leadership positions.

The survey for those who work in schools has now closed but a new sur-vey open to all preschool workers is now accessible through the AEU web-site at:

8:www.aeusa.asn.au

Thanks to all who have taken the opportunity to participate in the review process. The final report and recom-mendations to the Industrial Relations Commission would not be possible without your input. n

the cake. But it’s not necessarily some-thing that motivated them to change.”

New York teachers have been sub-jected to a raft of ill-advised education policies in recent years and there’s no sign that won’t continue with Education Department spokeswoman Barbara Morgan telling the New York Times that the results of the study “provides us with important information as we con-tinue to think about compensation mod-els that differentiate among the perfor-

mance of our teachers.”According to the New York Daily News,

the Education Department says the pro-gram failed because bonuses were giv-en to schools as a whole rather than individuals. Such statements should ring alarm bells for unions who will no doubt be campaigning against Teacher Bonus Scheme Mark II when that is inevitably rolled out in the near future.

However, it seems public opinion is on the side of teacher unions with 80

editORiAL

16

the New York Times reported recently that a study conduct-ed by public policy research institution the RAND Corpora-tion revealed that “the teach-

er bonus program had no effect on stu-dents’ test scores, on grades on the city’s controversial A to F school report cards, or on the way teachers did their jobs.”

The New York bonus scheme is part of a push by authorities throughout the US to tie teacher pay to “performance”. There has been massive opposition to this regressive policy shift from teacher unions and academics who have been critical of such schemes from the outset.

Not surprisingly, teachers interviewed during the study said improving as teach-ers and seeing their students learn were bigger motivators than a bonus. Dr Julie Marsh, the study’s lead researcher told the New York Times that “a lot of the principals and teachers saw the bonuses as a recognition and reward, as icing on

should teachers get bonuses for raising student test scores?

Yes, effective teachers should be rewarded.

No, teachers can’t raise test scores without willing students.

Money can’t buy love... of learning

19%

50%

31%

For once, a good reason to follow new YorkResearch revealing the failure of New york’s controversial bonus scheme should prompt Pm gillard to abandon it in Australia.

That lingering 2010 budget

ViCe president’s report

AeU Vice President DavidSmith discusses the worst state budget in years

What a State Budget it was in 2010. It was hard-hitting and in many ways cruel. As a State we are still dealing with the cuts it brought.

As an education system, we are definitely still struggling through the mess it left.

That Budget, the first after Labor’s narrow 2010 State election win, brought pain and anger. Thousands of us in the public sector unions rallied and marched against the public service cuts. Rann and Foley were the targets of much of the anger and many of the chants ringing out in the streets of Adelaide and the media. They’ve all but gone but the pain remains.

Then came the 2011 Budget. We don’t remember much about that one. It made fewer deep cuts in expenditure but, tell-ingly, it did not redress many of the bad decisions of its predecessor. For one, the reduction of the 15 days per annum accru-al of Long Service Leave remained, despite the massive street protests of 2010 and continued public sector union pressure to have it reinstated.

In education the cuts came especially slowly and painfully. In some cases they haven’t yet been precisely determined. It’s as if someone made the fiscal deci-sions, took the sword to the DECS budg-et, but didn’t have much idea about how they would slice and dice thereafter.

Think of just a few. The New Arrivals Program, the removal of teacher housing rental subsidies, the adult re-entry col-leges, the amalgamations of co-located schools… just as a start.

It’s fair to say that none of those have been satisfactorily resolved, and let us not forget that they were measures announced in last year’s budget. DECS has had over a year to decide on the details of the cuts but have not managed to complete the job. Granted, some of the DECS officers have been doing their best to mitigate the worst impacts of the budget decisions, but they are constrained by the dire bottom line. They have to cut

the same number of dollars, whatever the configuration or means.

The trouble with the lengthy delays is that the uncertainty hangs on and on. That has a dreadful impact on the morale of teachers and communities in areas where the cuts are to be most felt.

In the Adult Re-entry colleges, the ini-tial decision was to prohibit any student over 21 years of age from enrolling. That has been watered down, but there are now many hundreds of former and would-be adult students who are study-ing nothing and nowhere. The social cost of that decision is great and will get greater. The teacher housing subsidies was a matter too difficult to determine in detail, so DECS has had to outsource that one. At the time of writing there has been no sight of the report from the out-sourcing firm. The amalgamation of co-located schools, following outrage in some communities, was altered to exclude the compulsory amalgamation of high schools with primary schools. The junior primary/primary amalgama-tions, with some procedural blips, are following the stated path of review com-mittees, but there are some strong areas of opposition to those amalgamations.

Cuts to the transport for children in the New Arrivals Program is in may ways the most callous of them all, hitting as it does some of the most disadvantaged children and families in the nation. Aim-ing at that softest of targets is a cruel act, and suggests a very hard-nosed atti-tude among decision makers.

Thank goodness the hearts, minds and energies of the AEU membership won’t let these unfair and unwise deci-sions go unchallenged. More power to you all. n

percent of respondents to a Daily News online poll rejecting the notion that more money can buy better learning outcomes (see graph below – page 16).

Since Julia Gillard’s election there has been an almost fanatical duplica-tion of failed US education policy by the ALP. The recent introduction of a New York-style teacher bonus scheme is yet another example of the Prime Minis-ter’s eagerness to take advice from the likes of the now Murdoch-employed Joel Klein and others with spurious edu-cation credentials while ignoring the warnings of home-grown experts.

Julia Gillard’s proposed bonus scheme announced in May has been heavily criticised by academics and unions alike. AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos has labeled the scheme “misguided”.

“Paying a small number of teachers one-off bonuses is counterproductive and divisive. It is not a long term solu-tion to the problems we have,” he said.

“There are clearly some within the Government’s ranks who share a fasci-nation with a corporate approach to education that has been experimented in the United States.”

According to Gavrielatos, what’s needed is a comprehensive approach to attracting and retaining teachers – one of the Gillard government’s stated aims of implementing such a scheme.

“We should further recognise and reward our experienced teachers who demonstrate high quality teaching knowl-edge, skills and practice. Our biggest problem is that teachers currently reach the top of the pay scale within nine to ten years and then have to leave the classroom if they want to earn a higher salary,” he added.

As in the United States, there is little support from teachers for a bonus scheme in Australia. The questions is, will Julia Gillard do what she seems to do best and follow the US in ditching her teach-er bonus scheme? Only time will tell. n

CraigGreer|Editor

17

“AsintheUnitedStates,thereislittlesupportfromteachersforabonusschemeinAustralia.”

“Aimingatthatsoftestoftargetsisacruelact,andsuggestsaveryhard-nosedattitudeamongdecisionmakers.”

18

Family Friendly?

Work/life balance is about effectively juggling paid work and other activities and responsibilities in your life. It is about mak-ing sure that paid work does not dominate your life to the point that you are unable to do other things which are important to you, such as spending time with family, participating in community activities, vol-unteering, personal development or leisure and recreational activities. Employers should recognise that people who have work/life balance are more effective employees. There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to work/life balance because the right balance is a personal thing which will change at different times in your life.

While the world of work is not perfect, many employers are beginning to be seen as employers of choice in terms of the conditions and rights they provide their employees. The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency even has an “Employer of Choice for Women” regis-ter. Non-government companies and organisations that are women-friendly and provide rights and conditions that directly benefit the work/life balance of women can apply for an EOWA Employer of Choice for Women citation which lasts for 12 months.

Quite clearly, with our fast-paced and ever-growing responsibilities (both per-

The AEU believes that family friendly entitlements and conditions includes the ability to have paid and unpaid leave, flexible work arrangements, and

the ability to temporarily or permanently change workload fractions to support your life responsibilities without difficulty or repercussions.

The notion of ‘family’ has been expand-ed considerably over recent years to include not just immediate family but to take into account the various ways that society now defines ‘family’. It is within this broader sense of ‘family’ that the AEU has negotiated and improved on the fami-ly friendly initiatives, policies, rights and entitlements that our members now enjoy.

Quite simply, conditions and entitle-ments which are family friendly allow you to have a better work/life balance.

“Once Australia led the world in advo-cating shorter hours, with Melbourne stonemasons the first to gain an eight-hour day in 1856. That culture has been tipped on its head, as OECD figures show Australians work the longest week of any developed country - an average 44 hours.” (Excerpt from: All work and no extra pay by Kirsty Needham, November 18, 2009)

AeU women’s Officer tishChampion writes

I sat down to play a few friendly games with my boys on the weekend. It was a lovely afternoon as we progressed our way through Snakes and Ladders, Brain Drain, Operation and Connect Four. A good time was being had by all until Guess Who? came out.

It is a long time since I had played this game and I had forgotten about the extreme-ly poor gender balance in the faces on the board. Can you believe that there are 19 men and 5 women on the game boards? Sounds a little like one of the DECS meet-ings Correna Haythorpe has to attend!!

For those who do not know how to play this game I will explain the reason for my frustration.

Each player has a board with 24 faces sitting up on individual frames. Each play-er takes a face from the box which the other player cannot see. There is then a series of questions each player can ask to eliminate faces. As you get the answer to your question it helps you to decide which faces to flip down and eliminate. For instance: Has your person got glasses? Has your person got a hat? Has your per-son got red hair? These questions are asked alternately until one player is able to guess who the other player is.

Imagine my frustration when I continu-ally pulled out a woman. The first question is always: Are you a man or a woman? If you are a woman, your opponent instantly puts down the 19 men and has just 5 faces to choose from. Not hard. My son always pulled out a man which is obviously hard-er and slower to work out. I lost every sin-gle game and was left wondering who in their right mind would have developed a game that is so unbalanced. The global gender ratio is about 101 men to 100 wom-en so the board should in fact have approximately 11.5 women and 12.5 men.

My solution: the question of gender is not allowed to be asked. And peace was restored to our home! n

Women’s FoCus

1 enterprise Bargaining 2005 AeU Campaign for family friendly entitlement rights

ContacttishChampionon8:tchampion@aeusa.asn.au

Guess Who? not the women, that’s for sure

geNdeR

Need to go part time?

Need to stay at home with your sick child?

Need to care for your parents or partner?

About to become a parent?

Need to attend a funeral?

Know your family leave and entitlement rights

19

Australian Education Union, South Australian BranchELECTION 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 6 women”. Further, Branch Rule 54(2)(b) states, “if the number of women candidates is less than the number of women to be elected, the remaining position or positions in question will be filled by a male candidate or candidates”.In accordance with Branch Rule 48(14)(b), “in respect of the voting papers for the 12 Branch Executive Officers positions, candidates may request to have their names grouped and ordered within a group on the voting paper”. Each of the candidates must notify me not later than the close of nominations that they wish to have their name included in a group. Forms for this purpose are available from me.

OrdINary BraNCh ExECuTIVE OFFICEr (sChOOL sErVICEs OFFICErs mEmBEr)OrdINary BraNCh ExECuTIVE OFFICEr (ChILdrEN’s sErVICEs mEmBEr) OrdINary BraNCh ExECuTIVE OFFICEr (TaFE mEmBEr) OrdINary BraNCh ExECuTIVE OFFICEr (aBOrIGINaL Or TOrrEs sTraIT IsLaNdEr mEmBEr)FEdEraL CONFErENCE dELEGaTEs rEPrEsENTING ThE GENEraL dIVIsION [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 the number of women to be elected, the remaining position or positions in question will be filled by a male candidate or candidates”.FEdEraL CONFErENCE dELEGaTE rEPrEsENTING ThE TaFE dIVIsION aBOrIGINaL aNd TOrrEs sTraIT IsLaNdEr FEdEraL CONFErENCE dELEGaTENaTIONaL TaFE COuNCIL ExECuTIVE mEmBErNaTIONaL 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 the number of women to be elected, the remaining position or positions in question will be filled by a male candidate or candidates”.NaTIONaL aBOrIGINaL aNd TOrrEs sTraIT IsLaNdEr EduCaTION COmmITTEE (GENEraL dIVIsION) mEmBErNaTIONaL aBOrIGINaL aNd TOrrEs sTraIT IsLaNdEr EduCaTION COmmITTEE (TaFE dIVIsION) mEmBErNaTIONaL PrINCIPaLs’ COmmITTEE (GENEraL dIVIsION) mEmBEr NaTIONaL EarLy ChILdhOOd COmmITTEE (GENEraL dIVIsION) mEmBEr

Written Nominations, which comply with the Rules of the Union, may be made at any time from Wednesday, 17 August 2011 and must reach me not later than 12.00 noon on Friday, 2 September 2011. 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 6584By hand: Australian Electoral Commission, 9th Floor, Origin Energy House, 1 King William Street, Adelaide, SA 5001.The ballot, if required, will open on Monday, 10 October 2011 and close at 9.00am on Monday, 31 October 2011.Changed address? Advise the Union now.Note: A copy of the AEC’s election report can be obtained from the organisation or from me after the completion of the election.

John Nemcic Tel: (08) 8237 6551 returning Officer august 2011

sonal and work related) employees are becoming more particular about who they want to work for. DECS is not immune to the growing desire to work for an employ-er who not only values its employees but caters for employee life styles and com-mitments with “family-friendly” conditions.

Unfortunately, like all employers, DECS does/will not just wake up one morning and decide to increase annual leave, maternity leave, special leave, part time opportuni-ties or salaries because they value their employees. All “family friendly” and “work/life balance” initiatives provided by DECS have been won by the AEU. Recent gains have included the right to part-time on returning to work following maternity leave and increased non-contact time.

The AEU can really only achieve so much through bargaining. AEU members also have to make efforts within work sites to increase and maintain work/life balance.

whatcanyoudotoachieveafamily-friendlyworkplace?• Talk about it to others in your site• Put family friendly matters on the staff

meeting agenda• Ensure family friendly matters are con-

sidered as part of decision making processes

• Conduct a work-life balance audit.• Find out what your rights and entitle-

ments are and access them• Encourage all staff to join the union

and get involved in future bargaining.Issues regarding family friendly work-

places and work/life balance are every-one’s responsibility. n

aeu eLeCtions 2011

“oECDfiguresshowAustraliansworkthelongestweekofanydevelopedcountry–anaverage44hours.”

BraNCh ExECuTIVE CaNdIdaTEs sTaTEmENTsCandidates in the 2011 Branch Execu-tive elections are entitled to a quarter page advertise ment free of charge in the next edition of the AEU Journal to be pub lished prior to elections. State-ments of not more than 175 words must be lodged with the Editor by 5.00pm on Friday 2 september 2011. Candidates should provide good quality photo. Submit either a photo or a jpeg picture file (size: 1Mb+). Email: journal@aeusa.asn.au

20

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Go to www.aeusa.asn.au for competition details. *iPad 2 colour dependant on availability.

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For more information phone 1300 769 480

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ECW WeeK22–26 August 2011

We encourage all preschool staff to join the AEU and work together for a brighter future

The AEU traditionally celebrates ECW Week in Term 3, at the same time that SSO Week is held in schools.

AEU officers will be visiting a number of preschools in Week 5 to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of ECWs to the education and development of children

across the State.

Since the campaigns in 2009 and following the Arbitrated Award in 2010, many ECWs have been converted to

permanency. The AEU is continuing to work with DECS to secure more permanent positions for ECWs, as well as

teachers and leaders working in preschools.

Time to celebrate!

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

21

aeu 2011 training and deVeLopment program

tues30&wed31Aug 9:00-17:00CampaigningSkillsforDelegatesA 2-day course to support members’ involve-ment in local campaigns. The ACTU Organis-ing Centre runs this course to provide union representatives and activists with the skills, knowledge and confidence to campaign ef-fectively in their workplaces and industries.whocanattend: AEU members keen to be directly involved in AEU campaigns.

fri18November 9:15-15:30potentialDelegatesCourse1-day course introducing members to AEU decision making processes.whocanattend: AEU members.

2011UNIoNMEMBErDEVElopMENtproGrAM

Ads

AnIntroductionMonday10october 9:30am–12:30pmMonday19December 9:30am–12:30pm

programmingandplanningMonday10october 1:30pm–4:30pm

CreatingunitsofworkusingtheAustralianCurriculumfriday18November 4:00pm–5:30pmMonday19December 1:30pm–4:30pm

CounCiL dates For 2011

NewBranchCouncilMeetingsSaturdayNovember19

tAfEDivisionalCouncilMeetingsfridayNovember11

CUrrICUlUMorGANISEroNlINEpD

tAilEm bEnd PrimAry school

is celebrating 100 years! 1911 – 2011

Centenary Celebrations will be held on:

friday 28 october & saturday 29 october

Visit our website:

www.tailembdps.sa.edu.aufor updates and for past student

and staff profiles.

To register your interest or for any queries, email to:

info@tailembdps.sa.edu.au

Mid-NorthteachersGolfDaykApUNDAGolfClUBfriday14october20114 Person Ambrose team event Cost:$30.00 per player (incl. green fees, lunch and excellent range of prizes)Teams assemble: 9:30am Tee-off: 10:00am Bookings:BrettCummins,kapundapSEmail:brett.cummins@kapundaps.sa.edu.au

SAlArYINCrEASE&SUBSCrIptIoNADJUStMENtThe next pay increase for AeU members employed under the south Australian education staff (Government Preschools & schools) Arbitrated enterprise Bargaining Award 2010 and TAFesA education staff Arbitrated enterprise Bargaining Award 2010 will commence the first pay period on or after the 1 October 2011.

Subscriptionrateswillriseformembersclassifiedaspermanentoronacontractofover12months.

Please advise AeU Membership staff of any change to your classification, fraction of time, workplace or home address by: email: membership@aeusa.asn.auor telephone: 82721399

Curriculum Organiser Online now makes it even easier to plan and pro-gram your lessons by introducing a new search engine to search all the documents in the directory. It is fast and easy to use.

Just enter key words and the rel-evant plans will be displayed in seconds.

Youthenhavethreechoices:

• prEVIEw–lookatthesampleplan

• DowNloAD–converttowordeditandsave

• CopY–copyandpaste

Sample materials based on the new Australian Curriculum have been loaded to help minimise workload and to support members to look at the differences between the new and the old.

Have a look, a play with some new ideas, adapt plans to suit your stu-dents and school.

Go to Events&Courses on the AEU website for details on the next Curriculum Organiser Online training.If you would like a presentation about

Curriculum Organiser Onlinelaunches new search engine

Curriculum Organiser Online at your school, please contactlynnhallon:

*:lhall@aeusa.asn.au%:82721399

NottakingadvantageoftheCurriculumorganiseronlineyet?

To subscribe to this fantastic data-bank of teacher produced lesson plans and resources, go to the AEU website at:

8:www.aeusa.asn.auand click on thebuttonon our homepage.

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Member’sMarketVICtorhArBorholidayhouse&StudioApartments: Southern Escape 3BR fully s/cont. family friendly hse. Walk to beach, parks, shops, restaurants and town centre. Lge enclosed yard, BBQ. Rates from $150/n. StudioApts: s/cont, open plan w. kitchenette, bath, living area. Sleep 2 upstairs with sea views OR sleeps 3 ground level. Rates $135/night. t:0413920554E:crupi@chariot.net.au

holIDAYhoUSE,‘NorthBAY’,CArrICkAlINGA:Arch. designed new 2 storey beach hse. 4BR, 3 bath, 2 living areas, European kitchen, decking & views. Suits 2 families. Sleeps 10. Play equip. for kids. t:0403015964www.stayz.com.au>NorthBay,Carrickalinga

CArrICkAlINGACoVEhol.UNItrENtAlSleeps 6, dishw, a/c, heating, shared use of pool, spa and half court tennis, BBQ area, close to beach, quiet loca-tion. Rates $100/night. t:0409424946

ABSolUtESEAfroNthoUSEkingston:Stunning beach, wine- dolphins - seafood. Heated balcony

suites frm $70. Whole house (off- peak) $190 (half price in winter). smsort:0402922445a/hort:(08)83382316a/h

hol.rENtAl:Yorkepeninsula: New up-market esplanade beach hse ‘Manyana’ at Wool Bay (near Edithburgh). Spa, plasma TV, DVD, stereo, dishw. Tastefully ff, 3BR, sleeps 7. Panoramic views, walks, fishing. t:(08)88322623www.countrygetaways.info

VICtorhArBor:AllSeasonslakefrontGetaway:Stunning s/cont. lux. colonial hme. Priv. secl. beach & lake! 4BRs, 2 living areas, 2 bath, 3 toilets & laundry, lge backyd. Sleeps 8. lakesideGetaway: Encounter Lakes Villa, 100m to beach & re-serve. 5-min. to Esplanade, walk/bike trail, cafes, restaurants, store. 3BRs. Sleeps 6. Spacious living/fam/dine, 2-way bath, sep. toilet, laundry. M:0419868143E:foumakis@hotmail.comwww.victorharborgetaways.com.au

kangarooIslandGetawaykIrUrAlrEtrEAt: Attractive s/cont. lge country hme, gdn, native bush, 260 acres. 2 bath, 2

qn beds, 2 living areas, laundry, patio. Sleeps 12. Frm $120/night. t:0407790754a/hE:kiruralretreat@bigpond.com.au

kIholIDAYCottAGE:Vivonne Bay, close to beach & Harriet River, wildlife, exc. location for KI attractions. 2BR. s/cont, air, BBQ. Sleep 4, $95. t:(08)83419185E:enquiries@ravencottage.com.auwww.ravencottage.com.au

kIholIDAYhSE,kANGAStAYHarriet River, Vivonne Bay, 3BR fully equipped. Close to Seal Bay, Remarkables, Admiral Arch and more) relax, swim, fish. Linen prov. winter discounts, sleeps 6. Frm $100/night. t:0407215345kangastay@gmail.com

kIQUEENSClIffECottAGEKingscote, recently restored 2BR, period decor, gdn. Walk to beach, cafes, jetty, pubs. Sleeps 6. Exc. location to explore island. t:0885539007 www.kangarooislandholidayaccomodation.com.au/property.php?p_id=232

‘wINDSwEptCottAGE’Overnight & short-stay accom. in Adel. Hills (Stirling). Suit couples (no children due to steep stairs to mezz. BR). Quiet, botanic setting,

own carport & entrance w. galley kitchen, TV, DVD etc. 5 min walk to Stirling restaurants, cafes. 15 min drive to wineries, Hahndorf and Hills towns. From $90-$120/night. t:0431991431 E:windswept@pacific.net.auwww.windsweptcottage.webs.com

holIDAYrENtAlwAllAroo:Arch. designed new 2-storey beach hse, bay views. 3BR, 3 bath, open plan living, modern kitchen, sleeps 7. DVD, CD, dishw. Safe beach for kids, great walks, fishing. www.stayz.com.au>Bayview,NorthBeach

hol.rENtAlNorMANVIllE:South Shores Holiday Villa #25. 3BR (sleeps 8). Secure behind dunes at Normanville. Golf, horse riding, pools, beach, lawns, cafes. t:0413155460www.stayz.com.au/23983

portEllIotholIDAYESCApEStunning new, a/c, 4BR, s/cont. Close to Main St. cafes, shops, restaurants, galleries. Horseshoe Bay, swim, surf and fish. Walk/bike trails, markets, wineries, Steam Ranger Cockle train. Spe-cial rates. E:jack.k@live.com.auwww.allseasonsescape.spaces.live.com

NOTICE BOARD

Teachers’ Professional RésumésTel: 0411 245 415

E: teachers-resumes@bigpond.comServing australia’s teachers for 20 years. abN: 40 833 718 673

Seekingpromotion?aspiring principals, Dps, Senior Leaders, Coordinators

Announcing our new

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tailored to DeCS’ NeW MerIt SeLeCtIoN processes, this detailed 65 page booklet and powerpoint shows

you how to develop a dynamic résumé and cover letter, as well as many valuable ideas and hints to help you

prepare for a powerful interview performance! available for immediate download at:

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SEAfroNtholIDAYhoUSE:Yorkepeninsula“oceanfrontEscape” 2-storey hse w. pergola to beach & farmland views, secl, 4 BRs, full kitchen, BBQ, DVD/ VCR/TV, billiards, fishing. Peaceful & relaxing, great for kids. ContactBrenton:t:0409864682E:bjejstevens@bigpond.com

oYStAlAVIStA,StANSBUrY: 2 new luxury houses, cliff top location, 4BRs, 2 bath. Each sleeps 10-12. Balcony views, BBQ, air, spa, plasma TV, dishw. Winter specials. t:0418849101(Alan)E:oystalavista@bigpond.comwww.oystalavista.com

CEDUNABEAChhoUSE:S/cont, beachfront, BBQ/DVD/ LCD/ TV, r/c air. Sleeps 6. Corp. rates AEU members. Main st and jetty 5 min walk. t:(08)86253343

GlENElGNth/towNhoUSErEtrEAt:Rent for short/long/hols. Good, quiet, peaceful loca-tion, mins frm Jetty Rd, close to tram/bus stops. Secl. T-Hse feat. 3 BRM, new kitchen, 2 toilets, ldry, bath, sep. dining, lounge, a/c, gas heating, patio area, car-port, garden. t:0437847034E:wendyvoight@bigpond.com

workShop:Stress manage-ment, personal dev. and learning

difficulties: Brain Gym – an intro wkshop. Movements to ‘switch on’ the brain. t/f:(08)87682537E:gibbons@seol.net.au

GoSCUBADIVINGwIthElItEDIVEACADEMY: Are you a diver, but haven’t been in the water for a while?! Get $50 off a PADI Tune-Up program to refresh your skills. t:(Steve)0413134827E:info@elitediveacademy.com.auwww.elitediveacademy.com.au

forrENt: ff private apartment in Glenelg for hols. or wkds. Spa, heated pool, steam-rm, sauna, gym etc. Plasma TV, 100m to beach. t:0403606052

frANCE–SoUth:Lovely Village House. Languedoc region. t:0403314928 (Julie)www.myfrenchhome.com.au

CIVIlCElEBrANt:Dr Tom Haig: weddings, renewal of vows, com-mitment ceremonies, funerals and baby namings. First class personalised services with AEU members receiving a 10% dis-count on services upon request. t:85311726or0439687529E:tomhaig@internode.on.netwww.tomhaig.com.au

holIDAYhoUSE,wAllAroo:New house with 4 BRMs, just a five minute walk to the beach.

Sleeps 8. Self contained. Peaceful and very relaxing. From $700/wk.t:0410054059E:khatchley82@bigpond.com

MooNtABAYholIDAYrENtAl:3BR, sleeps 8, 350m to beach, CD/DVD, PayTV, games for kids, modern kitchen.t:0404717720or0406429040E:prislodge@yahoo.com.au

AlDINGABEAChhoUSEfroM:$680wEEk5 minute walk from beach, opp. National Park, sleeps 8, ff, TV, DVD, Microwave, Air Con. t: 0418843711E:acaciahouse@optusnet.com.au

NEwBook:“whENGrANDpASANG”writtenbyAdelaideteacherMargaretJust.Read the story online and also discover many activities for Bookweek and a competition for students to enter. www.whengrandpasang.comor E:whengrandpasang@gmail.com

CApEtrIBUlAtIoNfArNorthQUEENSlANDGorgeous hilltop B&B surr. by rain-forest, 5mins to beach. Ensuite double & fam rms from $80/dble (with AEU member discount).t:(07)40989039E:www.rainforestbb.com

Bank profits starting toGrate?Relocate.In Credit Union SA you have a strong, community-based alternative to big-profit banking. So if it’s time for a change, let’s talk.Call 8202 7777 or 1800 018 227 to learn more about your state’s Credit Union.

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creditunionsa.com.au

AdvertiseinMembers’MarketforfrEE!rent,sell,buyoroffergoodsandservices.Sendadsto:

journal@aeusa.asn.au

NOTICE BOARD

AUStrAlIANCErtIfIEDorGANICproDUCtS: for per-sonal use & gifts www.bodytune.mionegroup.com

BEAChhoUSESwApfor‘It’tUItIoN: smsort:0402922445a/hort:(08)83382316a/h

kangarooIsland,pENNEShAwLarge elevated block in a secluded cull de sac with panoramic views across the village of Penneshaw and Backstairs Passage to the cliffs of Deep Creek and west across the bay to American River. A 5-min walk across the golf course to the pub. $145,000. t:0429969161E:dpeter@picknowl.com.au

*Introductory rate of 4.99% p.a. reverts to 10.49% p.a. variable rate after 6-month introductory period. Terms and conditions available upon request or by visiting creditunionsa.com.au. Fees, charges and normal lending criteria apply. Interest rates current at 26th July 2011 and are subject to change without notice. The product issuer is Credit Union SA. Credit Union SA Ltd • ABN 36 087 651 232 • AFSL/ACL 241066 • ph 8202 7777

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