My Job, My School, My Union - ieuvictas.org.au€¦ · CV Writing/Interview Skills 9.30- 4.00...

Delivering for support staff Page 3

IEU award winners 9

Bargaining roundup Page 6

Working in heat Page 12

Teacher induction Page 10

The Point examines the perspectives on the

work and role of the IEU of four members

at Sacred Heart College Kyneton.

My Job, My School, My Union

GENERAL SECRETARYDEB JAMES

After a frenetic 2013 it’s time for the IEU to step back, take stock and plan

for the future. Over the coming weeks all members will be asked to participate in an online survey on the ‘state of the union’. The last comprehensive survey of members was conducted in 2009 and provided valuable feedback which fed into our organisational review and strategic and operational planning from 2009 to 2013.

Back in 2009 we set out to enhance the industrial rights and interests of our members; grow and broaden our membership; strengthen member retention; better engage with members;

Plan and Deliverraise the profile of members’ professions, and better engage in and influence broader social, political and economic issues that have implications for our profession and our community.

Specific goals and targets towards those ends were set and have been continuously monitored. I’m proud that the IEU team has either met or made significant progress towards quantifiable goals and targets such as membership numbers, retention rates, diversity of membership, number of Agreements, and increased participation in union activities.

It’s now time to chart our course for the coming years.

With feedback from members and a thorough analysis of our current position, we’ll have the information we need to set our priorities and goals for the next 5 years and also ensure that we are meeting the needs of all of our members across Victoria and Tasmania. I hope that members take the time to participate in the survey and have a say.

We’ve come a long way in the last 5 years but even further over the last 20. 2014 marks 20 years since the amalgamation of the three Victorian unions that formed VIEU in 1994 – the Victorian Catholic Primary Staff Association (VCPSA), the Staff Association Catholic Secondary

Schools (SACCS) and the Victorian Independent Education Staff Association (VIESA).

In the past 20 years we’ve doubled our membership, doubled the number of staff, and doubled the number of states we represent after merging with Tasmania. Current members who have maintained continuous membership since the merger of the three branches have their status as ‘Foundation Member’ recorded on their IEU membership card.

In the next edition of The Point we’ll look back over the last 20 years, but in the meantime we’re busy laying the groundwork for the next 20 years.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 >

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Every school and sub-branch has a variety of members at different stages of their career, and performing different

roles in the school community. We headed off to Sacred Heart College Kyneton to have a chat with some of the members to get a feel for what the IEU means to them personally. The school itself is a large and vibrant co-educational Catholic College in regional Victoria with a large union membership amongst both its teaching group and Education Support staff. The College sub-branch is active and has always been supportive of IEU campaigns, including strong attendance at the rallies in Melbourne during the recent Catholic Agreement bargaining process.

The Rep, Andrew Dunne, has been in education for over quarter of a century and at Sacred Heart for eight years. He become a union member initially through early lessons about the benefits of bargaining collectively, and says that he is ‘so proud to be a member and proud of every other member. Regardless of any member’s role in the union, we are unified as one and that’s how we have the conditions which we enjoy today.’ So it’s no surprise to find that first year graduate Alexandra Smith is also a member, having been exposed to the IEU during her university studies and updating her student membership to a graduate membership upon taking her first teaching job. She says that ‘Knowing that there is a support network there for me when I need it is very comforting’.

The concept of the collective support network is shared by Symone Barry, who has worked in Education Support at Sacred Heart for 16 years and maintains that she ‘will continue to be a Union member for the remainder of my working life, both for my benefit and with the personal belief that we will only be as good a society when we protect the most vulnerable members of society’. Sam Weir, in his seventh year teaching, the last five at Sacred Heart also talks about the union being a natural manifestation of the collegiality of teaching. Having been around for two rounds of Agreement bargaining, he says he is ‘proud the IEU is a voice that will speak up for me, my colleagues and my profession.’

No matter what stage of your career, or what role you play in your school, the IEU is your union.

PRINT POST 100010937

VOLUME 4 NO 1 MARCH 2014

THE POINT March 20142

CONTACT US

EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING ENQUIRIEST: (03) 9254 1860 F: (03) 9254 1865 FreeCall: 1800 622 889 E: [email protected] W: www.ieuvictas.org.au

CONTRIBUTIONS & LETTERS from members are welcome and should be forwarded to: The Point PO Box 1320, South Melbourne 3205, or by email to: [email protected]

MELBOURNE OFFICE: 120 Clarendon Street, Southbank 3006 HOBART OFFICE: 379 Elizabeth Street, Nth Hobart 7000

The Point is published by the Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania.

EDITORIAL CONTENT: Responsibility for editorial comment is taken by D.James, 120 Clarendon Street, Southbank 3006. Views expressed in articles reflect those of the author and are not necessarily union policy.

COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENTGeneral Secretary: Debra James Deputy Secretary: Loretta Cotter Assistant Secretary (Tasmania): Angela Briant President: Mark Williams Deputy President: Elisabeth Buckley

Ordinary Members:Patrick Bennett Andrew Dunne Maureen Shembrey Coralie Taranto Emma Wakeling

School Officers:Margot Clark Christine Scott

COUNCIL PRESIDENTS & DEPUTIES

what’s

Contacts, Calendar and Contents

Course Time Day

Health and Safety 3.00-6.00 Wednesday 19 March (Devonport)

Initial Rep Training 9.30- 4.00 Friday 21 March (Melbourne)

PD in the Pub 4.30- 6.00 Tuesday 25 March (Melbourne)

Regional Rep Training 9:30-4:00 Wednesday 26 March (Yarrawonga)

Regional Rep Training 9:30-4:00 Thursday 27 March (Sale)

CRT Conference 8.30- 3.45 Wednesday 9 April (Melbourne)

CV Writing/Interview Skills 9.30- 4.00 Tuesday 15 April (Melbourne)

Parental Leave Seminar 10.00- 12.00 Wednesday 16 April (Melbourne)

Footy Tipping 2014The 2014 AFL season kicks off on Friday 14 March when Collingwood takes on Fremantle at Etihad Stadium. The Dockers are the pre-season premiership favourites but will probably need to kick more than the 7 goals averaged by Ross Lyon coached teams in Grand Finals.

Gary Ablett is tipped to win the Brownlow and Jack ‘no comment’ Riewoldt is favourite to win the Coleman.

However the greatest interest in Victoria and Tasmania is about who will take out the IEU Victoria Tasmania footy tipping competition. Take the challenge and put your tried and true tipping method to the test. Last year’s winner Kate Reade recommends that you tip with your head, not with your heart, don’t tip Melbourne and be very wary of tipping Carlton as their form is as unpredictable as their coach’s mood (which is actually quite predictable really).

So members, take on the best in the southern states. Register for the competition and become eligible for the big prizes that include:■ a $3000 travel voucher for the winner ■ a $1500 travel voucher random prize, available to all who put

their tips in each week■ weekly draws for all those who tip nine winners in a round

Visit www.ieuvictas.org.au for more details.

TRAINING CALENDAR – TERM 1, 2014

Catholic Primary Council President: Maree Shields Deputy: VacantCatholic Secondary Council President: Stephen Hobday Deputy: Ruth PendavinghIndependent Council President: Cara Maxworthy Deputy: Vacant

Tasmanian Council President: John Waldock Deputy: Jeremy OliverPrincipals’ Council President: John Connors Deputy: Duncan Arendse

@IEUnews bit.do/IEUlinkedin/IEUvictas

Winners are grinners!Congratulations to those IEU members who won big during the school holidays, just for getting their membership details forms in early.Robyn Walter from Cornish College Bangholme won a new iPad, and Peter Kadar from Mater Christi College Belgrave picked up an iPad Mini.

$100 Coles Myer gift cards were also won by Denise Slattery at Catholic College Sale, Karen Fogarty at Academy of Mary Immaculate Fitzroy, Beatriz Jennings Martine at Casey College Cranbourne and Elizabeth Di Venuto at Mount Carmel College Sandy Bay.

$100 Gift cards were also awarded to Claire Calleja at Stella Maris School Point Cook, Hanna Hernandez at St Augustine’s School Baxter, Tammy Jones from St Joseph’s School Korumburra and Lauren Wilson at Galen College Wangaratta, who were all quick to convert their IEU student memberships to graduate memberships at the end of last year.

New arrangements for support staffUnderstanding the pay increases and new classifications. page 3

IEU welcomes new staffA growing team to help a growing membership. page 5

A busy bargaining yearNew agreements around Victoria and Tasmania. page 6

Pay dates to rememberPleasant surprise on your pay slip? Here’s why. page 7

Napthine’s Silencing ActMaking a noise about shutting up. page 8

Teacher inductionHow good is the program at your school? page 10

Beginning teacher checklistJust starting out? Check this out. page 11

International Women’s Day 2014Celebrating progress in the workplace. page 15

Education NationWhat’s happening in education in the rest of the country. page 17

A week in East TimorAn IEU member makes a difference overseas. page 19

The new Agreement delivers pay increases and a new classification structure

The Agreement negotiated last year between the IEU and Catholic Education

employers has resulted in a number of significant improvements for education support staff, including salary increases and a new classification structure. These achievements have been won through the hard work and unflinching support of IEU members.

Education Support staff include teacher aides, Lab/Library/AV and IT staff, clerical administrative staff, and school counsellors.

Salary IncreasesFollowing on from the increases backdated from April and August 2013, the salary rates for education support employees (ES) have now been increased this year from the first pay period on or after 1 February, and will be further increased from the first pay period on or after 1 August 2014.

The rates of pay will continue to be increased over the life of the Agreement in both February and August 2015.

Members should refer to the recently emailed IEU ESS Update or check the IEU website for details of the structure, pay rates and specific tracking tables to get their relevant individual rates.

New Classification Structure – Key Features

■ From the start of the 2014 school year a new 5 Level Education Support (ES) classification structure replaces the previous seven level School Officer (SO) structure, and all staff in the previous structure have been translated into the first four levels of the new structure.

■ There are special arrangements for the 2014 school year for fixed term ES employees who are re-appointed at the start of the 2014 school year without a break in service.

■ Previous SO level 5 and 6 employees have been translated to the new ES Level 3. The previous level 5 SOs will increment through ES Level 3 until they reach the Maximum barrier, through which they can continue to progress subject to agreed criteria. If on 1 May, the ES employee has reached the maximum and can satisfactorily demonstrate that they meet the qualifications and experience criteria, they will be eligible to progress beyond the Maximum. Further information on this progression will be provided to members. Check the IEU website for the criteria.

■ A new ES Level 5 has been introduced from February 2014. ES employees can be reclassified to the new level if they meet the classification level descriptors.

■ The new classification structure continues to evolve over the life of the Agreement. The number of salary subdivisions within each of ES Levels 1 to 4 decreases so that by the end of the Agreement there are fewer incremental steps required to reach the top of a level. This also means that some levels are re-numbered over the life of the Agreement.

Education Support Employees in Victorian Catholic Schools

Checking your new classification level and tracking your salaryIEU ES members will have recently received an email update detailing the classification structure with hyperlinks to the relevant tracking tables.

To check on your classification level in the new structure and to follow what happens over the life of the Agreement, ES employees need to first identify the relevant employment group they belong to. For the purposes of classification and tracking, there are three groups: (1) ongoing employees, (2) new employees, and (3) fixed term employees without a break in service. Ongoing employees are those who were ongoing employees at the end of the 2013 school year and continue to be employed without a break in service.

We would like to be reporting to members that, after sixteen months of negotiations, an Agreement is close. Unfortunately

this is not the case and there are still major issues to be resolved.

After extensive discussions, significant progress has been made on many of the IEU claims and the employers ‘EB priorities’. Examples include whole new ‘parental leave’ and ‘limited tenure employment’ clauses which will be better, clearer and easier to use. Improvements have been agreed for some allowances and types of leave, and various workload matters including breaks and release time for those in Positions of Responsibility.

However, despite the IEU having made a strong case for salary increases and improvements to other conditions, many claims remain outstanding. The employers have been under-prepared at some meetings and have cancelled some bargaining meetings. This has slowed up the process considerably. We have two meetings scheduled in the next couple of weeks and hope that some lost time can be made up at these.

There will be a full report on bargaining at the Tasmanian Council meeting that is to be held on Saturday 22 March in Hobart. We expect that by then we will have a clear choice – either negotiations will have progressed to the stage where an acceptable offer is on the table for your consideration or whether more pressure will be needed to get a fair offer from the employers. Either way, members at your school will want to know what happens at this meeting, so we look forward to seeing the school rep or delegate from every Catholic school.

TASMANIAN COUNCILWhen: Saturday 22 March Where: IEU Office, 379 Elizabeth St, North Hobart What time: 9.30 -12:30 (A light lunch will be provided)

Note: there will also be a dinner for reps at 7pm on Friday 21 March at the Republic Bar and Café, North Hobart

Fixed term employees are those who were employed at the end of the school year and have another contract this year without a break in service. New employees (both ongoing and fixed term) are those who do not have continuous service from the end of last year.

ReclassificationNew ES Level 5 – from February 2014 ES employees can be reclassified to the new Level 5 if they meet the level descriptors. All other Level re-classifications – eligible employees are able to apply for re-classification to another Level. The IEU is developing an ES Handbook which will assist members in re-classification applications.

Salary Assessment New EmployeesThe salary assessment process for new employees with service

outside of Catholic Education in Victoria requires the employee to provide evidence of any service within 6 months of commencing.

If evidence of service is provided after this time then salary adjustment arising from the evidence will only be backdated for 6 months from the date of production of the evidence. The employer must advise the employee of these requirements upon engagement and in the new induction requirements.

Recall Days additional paymentCommencing in 2014, Category B School Officers who are recalled in the school holidays (to a maximum of 6 days per year) are now entitled to an additional payment by way of a 72.47% loading on the daily rate for each day of recall undertaken.

TASMANIAN BARGAINING UPDATE


> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The Experienced ESS Member, Symone BarryI commenced my career in education in 1982, and have been at Sacred Heart Kyneton since 1998.

In the early 1990s school officers did not have many rights and I considered with

the economic climate at the time [Jeff Kennett was Premier] I needed to protect what few rights I had. I joined VIEU as it was then.

I also strongly believe that I should support the union organisation that supports my workplace rights. I wouldn’t feel right about taking advantage of a new wage Agreement if I did not actively support it via union

membership or by taking action when warranted. I want to earn my wage rises!

I am a member because an ESS/School Officer has always had to fight for their rights on an individual basis. Applying for a reclassification without the support of the Union would have been even more daunting than it already was in 2006.

Thanks to the union I now have access to superannuation, overtime, more applicable role descriptions and the ability to apply for a level/subdivision increase and pay increases according to the current enterprise Agreement.

ES staff are now considered an

integral part of the educational delivery system. We are no longer the servant, we are the colleague and considered as such. ES staff are good at logistics, event management, big picture thinking, administrative work and details, first aid, maintenance, ICT, archiving, etc, etc. That’s why schools need us!

The negatives relate mainly to workload. The ability to complete our workloads within a normal day timeframe is virtually impossible for many ES staff, including me. I very rarely leave work on time and I leave feeling I have not completed enough. I check my emails every day at home; I stay back late

not to be interrupted. Yet an ES job description implies you will complete listed responsibilities within the 8.30 – 4.30 time frame!

Fortunately I work in a school library with a dynamic library leader. Our library is an ‘Open learning space’ already. We are service driven with the mission of providing the students and staff with the resources, equipment and facilities to learn and teach in today’s educational environment.

I am hopeful that my role will continue to evolve and embrace the technological and educational delivery changes. I also hope that one day ESS staff conditions and wages will truly reflect our skills,

experience and expertise.Over the past 20 years, social

justice has become more of a platform for the union.

The fact our union now has to fight for basic working rights would have been unheard of in the 1970s. But today’s economic climate has changed that! We are now trying to hold on to those basic rights set up in the early 20th Century.

I will continue to be a union member for the remainder of my working life, both for my benefit and with the personal belief that we will only be as good a society when we protect the most vulnerable members of society.

I have always wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember.

However, after completing VCE I was provided with so many opportunities

that I decided to go down a different path (Psychology). I really enjoyed my studies, but felt as if something was missing. This resulted in an overseas volunteer trip to teach in South Africa, and really the rest is history. It felt so natural in the classroom and with that I changed my course to a DipEd. And here I am.

My first impressions of teaching as a profession can be summed up simply by ‘wow’. I

At present my main challenges are trying to find time for myself. I am always on the email or always thinking about an up and coming lesson. As I am a graduate I know that these hours are well spent and it will slow down…eventually. However, I know that I myself need to make a conscious effort to give myself a break every now and again.

I am on a term one maternity leave replacement position and I am unsure of what will happen after that. My ambition is to stay longer with the school, because I know I have struck gold. However, it all depends on whether or not that is a possibility. Only time will tell.

The Graduate, Alexandra Smithhad been told by many people to get a decent amount of sleep over the holidays, but I was either too naive or just chose to ignore it. The main thing that I have taken from teaching so far is that it is all about juggling. You don’t just stop being a teacher when you leave the classroom.

The support that I have received over the last few weeks at SHCK has been absolutely phenomenal. I have been assigned a mentor, and she has helped me settle in all contexts of the College – along with the other fabulous staff. The community of SHCK is a place where I feel I can achieve not only what I want as a teacher, but the ‘best’ I can be.

I went to Australia Catholic

University and we were fortunate enough to receive a lecture from representatives of the IEU. They provided us with signup sheets on the day and I thought ‘Why not?’ Knowing that there is a support network there for me when I need it is very comforting. Much like the vast majority of teachers, I feel that the workload does not quite fit in with our pay cheque. However, I know that the pay rise is on the horizon and it is a step forward for all those in this amazing profession.

In terms of the graduate salary, I think it is all relative. I know I am not as established as those who have been working longer than I and I wouldn’t expect to get the same.

This is my seventh year as a classroom teacher.

It truly is the best job in the world. I worked in a girls’ school for the first five years of my career. This is now

my second year at Sacred Heart – and my second year teaching co-ed/boys. It’s nice to be starting the year knowing the school community really well. I am now enjoying the different energy and modes of thinking that comes with having boys in the room as well.

In my view, both the union movement and education serve a common cause: to work towards an equitable world where just outcomes are available to all. Teaching

is a profession that prospers on collegiality and unity; and the union is a natural manifestation of that. I’m also quite aware that the workplace conditions that I enjoy today were hard-fought for and won by those that came before me. I am proud the IEU is a voice that will speak up for me, my colleagues and my profession. There have been two rounds of enterprise bargaining during my career so far – and on each occasion it has been reassuring to know that the union has been representing me at the negotiation table. I do sometimes wonder where non-members think our Agreements come from.

Having read (with despair!) some of the draconian claims made first by the

Baillieu/Napthine Government, and then by the CECV, I am more than proud to say that my membership has contributed to keeping these claims from ending up in our new Agreement.

It is great to be working in a time where there is an ever-increasing awareness that positive relationships, strong community connections and student wellbeing is at the core of the work we do. It’s also great to be part of a union that not only recognises this, but promotes these elements through their social media and fights for workplaces that will foster them, as educators and support staff can’t truly foster student wellbeing in a workplace that takes no

account of the wellbeing of its staff.I am consistently amazed and

humbled by the creativity, compassion, energy, ingenuity, wisdom, skill and professionalism of my colleagues. Whichever side the political coin falls on, the students of the future are in safe hands, thanks to the ongoing dedication of these wonderful people.

The Union pens still break after two weeks, but they now supply very fashionable purple ponchos. Embracing social media as a means of communication (and protest) has enlivened the sense of community felt amongst members.

I could use a new key ring bottle opener, though.

The Mid-Ranger, Sam Weir

I have worked in education for the best part of 26 years, with periods doing other things.

My first teaching work was CRT at Melton Tech, a ‘baptism by fire’. I’ve been at Sacred Heart

College Kyneton for 8 years. Other schools I’ve worked at include MLC, Carey Grammar and Bundoora Secondary College (my first full time position where I stayed for 10 years). CRT work included Melbourne Grammar, Scotch College and Wesley College Glen Waverley.

I became a union member because I was taught by my father, and at my very first job at Electrolux, that only because of organised unity of employees does fair bargaining have a chance. Union membership was compulsory then and I wish it was now, as non-members share the same Agreement and therefore scab on their workmates.

Tertiary student union membership was compulsory in the 80s when I did my B Ed at Rusden, and unionism provided many benefits then as now. This was a

great part of my education regarding social justice and common sense.

The benefits for me of union membership include an Industrial Agreement ensuring decent award salaries and conditions, right to proper consultation with the principal, friendly instant advice on any workplace issue via a phone call to the IEU, representation and advocacy from IEU organisers and, if necessary, their lawyers, basic private health care, etc. The list goes on and on but for me the above says it. A major benefit of membership is knowing I’m

doing the right thing by being a member and not being a scab.

The positive changes I’ve noticed in education in recent years include greater autonomy for schools, more focus on student initiative, better teacher student relationships, greater breadth of subject choices, and the use of technology and so on.

I think the union has become more visible. I am so proud to be a member and proud of every other member. Regardless of any member’s role in the union, we are unified as one and that’s how we have the conditions which we enjoy today.

The Experienced Campaigner, Andrew Dunne

Feature

March 2014 THE POINT 5

Steve WhittingtonSteve Whittington joined

the IEU as a new Organiser in January this year. A former French, ESL and Sport Teacher in Europe, Hong Kong, New Zealand and at independent secondary schools in Victoria, Steve will be known to many members through his facilitation of our CV and Interview Skills workshops over the past three years. During this time, he also assisted many members in finalising their application documents to ensure they secured a first-round interview in a very tight employment market. Members appreciated his up-to-date, practical advice and forthright feedback.

In addition to his knowledge of the independent education sector, Steve is a keen sportsman, with Ironman triathlon, skiing, motorsport and SCUBA diving amongst his preferred activities. He completed the Melbourne Ironman in 11 hours in 2012 and is looking to improve his swim leg at the Cairns Ironman race this June.

Steve is passionate about the Union and what it stands for and is looking forward to the challenge of growing membership in independent and Catholic schools across Victoria. He hopes his knowledge of employment practices, commitment to social justice and the connections he has made in the independent education sector will enable him to assist members in improving their working lives. In the meantime (and whilst waiting for the Tigers’ impending Premiership) he looks forward to finding out more about his allocated schools and to meeting as many existing and potential members as possible.

We’re proud to have Steve on the IEU team.

Stephanie BenStephanie comes to the IEU

after teaching Food and Materials Technology at Caroline Chisholm Catholic College Braybrook for the last four years, where she was also active in the union as the IEU sub-branch Rep. Before this Stephanie had a long career in the government sector.

Working in leadership teams to ensure staff had fair and equitable workloads and conditions, Stephanie rapidly became an active member of her government school’s union executive. Her interest in trade unionism was further strengthened after participating as an IEU representative in the Anna Stewart Memorial Program conducted by Victorian Trades Hall Council – a program that places women activists in unions.

Stephanie has always been passionate about social justice and when she moved from a school that had a very strong union membership to one where union density was much lower, she had no hesitation in taking on the role of IEU Rep. We are very glad she did as IEU membership then increased significantly under her guidance while she was there.

Prior to teaching, Stephanie had a diverse career path across a range of industries, from retail and accounting through to nursing. Steph has dabbled in training as a gym instructor – exercise being another passion – though she says ‘My biggest passion would be for food – making it, going out to cafes and restaurants and just eating it in general!’

We’re pleased to welcome Stephanie to the IEU staff.

Karen SanzKaren joined the IEU

finance team having worked in administration for a firm of lawyers for 24 years.

‘My old boss retired’ she says, ‘so here I am.’

Karen has lived in Melbourne all of her life. She is the proud mother of two daughters, Jess and Kelly, and has been married to her Madrid-born husband Felix for 35 years.

Karen and Felix share a love of sports, especially thoroughbred racing and football. She describes herself as a ‘mad Kanga’s supporter’ and says that she is ‘expecting big things from the boys this season.’

Karen says that she enjoys the work and that she already feels connected and part of the team. ‘Everyone has been very warm and welcoming to me,’ she says.

Van TrungVan was born in Hong Kong

and moved to Melbourne with her family when she was 2. She moved back to Melbourne last August after living in Perth for almost 2 years with her fiancé. Van previously worked for Aegis Australia where she managed the allocation of mobile hardware and devices for selected Vodafone dealers.

Van says her favourite pastime is eating out and trying different restaurants with friends. ‘Nothing beats good food and great company!’ she says. Van’s position at the IEU is an administrative assistant in the membership and finance department.

She says that she enjoys the role because she is ‘learning new things every day and gets to work as part of a great team.’

IEU welcomes new staffAs IEU membership continues to grow, the union has taken on additional organisers and finance staff to handle the increased volume of work generated by our larger membership.

State of the Union SurveyBy now, you should have received an invitation to participate in our ‘State of the Union’ Survey. This survey, conducted every few years and referred to informally as SOTUS, seeks to ensure that the union is doing everything it can to best serve its membership.

This year, we want to learn what members think about: ■ Teachers and support staff employed on contracts for extended periods ■ Access to training and professional development for Tasmanian members ■ The outcomes of the new Victorian Catholic Education Agreement ■ The most significant issues in their workplace ■ The key issues facing education

And much more…In addition, we’re keen to know what we’re doing well, what we could be doing better, why you’re a union member and the best ways we can keep in touch with you.

Since the last time this survey was conducted, the Victorian and Tasmanian branches of the IEU have merged, we’ve undergone significant growth, and the way we communicate with members is changing rapidly. That’s why it’s important to periodically take the opportunity to formally survey members from time to time so we can make sure your union is doing what you want it to do.

Members who complete the survey will also go into the draw to win one of five $100 Coles Myer vouchers as our way of saying thanks. So please take the time to provide your feedback to us – we value it.

News


News

A busy bargaining year ahead

Negotiations for the Lutheran Education South Eastern Region Multi-Employer Agreement 2014 have concluded. The Agreement is in the process of being considered by each of the 15 schools in Lutheran Education in Victoria and by staff at the LESER office. It is expected the Agreement will go to vote on 5 March 2014. The IEU is encouraging members to vote in favour of the Agreement, which provides wage increases for teachers that maintain a premium over state government salaries and sees Support Officers moving to comparable salaries at levels where most staff are engaged.

In addition the consultation clause has been improved to ensure that where a quarter of staff are in favour of establishing a committee, the school will in consultation with all employees develop a framework for the operation of the committee. The Agreement now sets out workload issues that can be discussed – including allocation of extras, preparation time for primary teachers, after school meeting requirements and co-curricular duties. All employees will also be able to access up to 3 days per annum of their personal leave entitlement to attend to pressing personal matters, such as going to the funeral of a friend, attending court or dealing with issues arising from domestic violence.

After extensive negotiations at Lauriston Girls’ School the employer put the Agreement to staff for the vote at the start of the school year. In the course of negotiations, the IEU and staff had made it clear that the employer’s wage offer over the life of the Agreement was not acceptable. This position was confirmed when a clear majority of staff voted against accepting the Agreement. The IEU has

written to the school reiterating that a wage increase of 3.5% per annum will be acceptable and offering to meet to resolve both the outstanding wage issue and discuss other key terms that have not yet been agreed.

Bargaining is about to commence at Shelford Girls’ Grammar with reps from the teaching staff, ESS and ELC putting together a detailed log of claims. The new Agreement will be the first Agreement at the school to cover all staff, with previous Agreements covering only teachers. IEU members Phil Hosking, Fiona Simondson and Jeannene Bradbury are bargaining reps at the table.

At The King David School negotiations have commenced on an Agreement to cover school assistants. For the first time, child care assistants at the school’s Alma Road campus will be covered by the Agreement, joining kindergarten assistants and other school assistants who have been covered by Agreements for many years. Kindergarten assistant and long-time IEU member, Jill Shalekoff, is a bargaining rep.

Negotiations at Gippsland Grammar School are progressing well with good discussion around expressing procedural clarity in the Agreement and consistency of conditions across the school’s campuses taking place. The employer will present its claim at the next meeting. Drafting of the new Agreement at Kilvington Grammar School is being finalised and it is expected that the Agreement will be put to staff for voting before the end of term.

Negotiations for a new Agreement at St Margaret’s School Berwick have nearly concluded, but have not been able to be finalised. The employer has made a wage offer for inclusion in the Agreement for the next two years, but is also seeking to have a four year Agreement. All other substantive matters have been agreed in principle and the parties are discussing the outstanding concern about the length of the Agreement and the wage offer.

Bargaining at both St Paul’s Anglican Grammar School and Melbourne Montessori School has concluded and the final draft is expected to be voted on shortly at both schools.

The IEU is currently seeking to commence bargaining for teachers, school assistants and clerical and administrative staff at Presbyterian Ladies’ College.

The IEU is looking forward to another busy year in bargaining in independent schools in 2014. If you are interested in the process or your school is looking to negotiate an Enterprise Agreement this year, don’t forget the Better Bargaining Seminar to be held at the IEU offices on 12 March 2014.

Bargaining is underway or being finalised in drafting at:

■ Alphington Grammar ■ Bacchus Marsh Grammar School ■ Ballarat Christian School ■ Beaconhills College ■ Cornish College ■ Eltham College ■ Firbank Grammar School ■ Flinders Christian Community College ■ Freshwater Creek Steiner School ■ Hume Anglican Grammar School ■ Kardinia International College ■ Life Education ■ Overnewton College ■ Preshil ■ St Mary’s Coptic Orthodox College ■ Sunshine Christian School ■ Westbourne Grammar School ■ Yarra Valley Grammar School.

Over the summer, Agreements at Plenty Valley Montessori School, Carey Baptist Grammar School, Billanook College, Woodleigh School, The King David School, Mount Scopus Memorial College and The Geelong College were approved by the Fair Work Commission.

BARGAINING ROUND-UP

It is a major step forward in ensuring better recognition of the skills, diverse work and

experience that are held by our members. While some of the levels and pay points correspond to the government sector, there are fewer impediments for progression, particularly for teacher aides. This year we are also working to ensure that Tasmanian support staff and allied professionals in Catholic schools are delivered, through bargaining, an iron clad commitment from employers to completely overhaul within

an agreed timeframe their classification structures and wages.

So what about support staff in independent schools? The IEU’s analysis shows that whilst significant gains have been made in bargaining, there is still much more work to be done in achieving a better relativity of wages of support staff when compared to government schools. It is difficult to compare ‘apples’ with ‘apples’ due to the individual structures in each school, but even a simplistic comparison between the first two levels

DEPUTY SECRETARYLORETTA COTTER

The new classification structure for support staff in Victorian Catholic schools was long overdue.

SUPPORTING SUPPORT STAFFfor like conditions throws up some interesting differences. An analysis of 22 independent schools’ Agreements approved last year revealed that their entry rates for school assistants in 2014 were generally comparable to or higher than government sector wages, but the second level of their structures contained wages that were lower on average for half of them. This pattern remains consistent in later years.

The IEU is committed to lifting the wages and conditions of all of our members. Where we have strength of numbers at the bargaining table, as we generally do for teachers, we are in a much better negotiating position with employers. It is critical that

we achieve higher density of union membership amongst all categories of support staff – aides, clerical and administration staff, grounds and maintenance, library and laboratory technicians. We know that, when we include support staff in comprehensive Agreements alongside teachers, we secure improvements in conditions such as long service leave, personal leave, accident make-up pay provisions and consultation.

This year, as we re-set our strategic and operational priorities, the recruitment, organisation and workplace issues of support staff will remain high on the Union’s agenda.


Pay dates to remember

DON’T SIGN ANYTHING… YET!We’ve heard reports recently that some Victorian Catholic employers have been telling staff ‘as a result of the new Agreement, you need to sign this new contract’. This is inaccurate and highly misleading.

Training opportunities knockWelcome back to 2014. I hope everyone’s term one has started smoothly and that you have great success in your various roles in education throughout the school year.

I would like to welcome new staff to our independent and Catholic schools and

particularly those who have recently graduated from university life and now ‘hit the ground running’ into school life. Welcome to all first year teachers who converted from free student membership into graduate membership of our union! Know that you have joined a committed group of fellow educators who are like minded in defending the rights of all non-government education workers and who value fairness and justice for all who work in our industry.

Though it may be true on the industrial front that things are reasonably quiet in Catholic schools at the moment, the same cannot be said of independent schools, where the cycle of Agreement making never stops. We expect considerable activity in bargaining this year.

Whether in negotiations or not, this is a great opportunity for IEU members to take the many opportunities available for undertaking valuable professional development and training. The IEU is not just an industrial body which represents you when there are times of trouble; it is also a terrific provider of targeted professional resources and training to its members. Training empowers reps and creates stronger, more highly skilled sub-branches and better equipped, confident member activists.

Look at the website and you will find rep training, beginning teacher PD, OHS training, Better Bargaining PD, ‘Exploring AUSVELS’ PD, ‘Managing Your Career’ and training sessions related to Parental Leave... and that is only Term One! Through our partnership with the Teacher Learning Network, we also have

many webinar opportunities for Tasmanian members and will shortly launch a new leadership program of professional development.

The Union also represents you in its liaison with professional bodies such as the VCAA, VRQA, VIT, AITSL, the Tasmanian Teachers Registration Board, universities and Ministerial advisory committees.

Such mantras as ‘We are all life-long learners’ and ‘Learning is power’ are views which motivate the IEU to ensure it equips its members with the skills, knowledge and practices to be valued professionals, whether you work as a teacher, principal, or in education support.

Have a great year, and please take the opportunity to attend some of our member professional development and training opportunities. We want to fully support you in your work as educators.

While this sounds tough on our tireless IEU Education Support staff members who crunch the

numbers (and it probably has been), what it really means is that the new, hard fought, Multi-Employer Agreement has already delivered a host of financial improvements for our members... and there are more improvements to come.

Pay highlights for 2014: ■ New increased rates of pay apply to all

staff in Catholic Education covered by the Agreement from the first full pay period on or after 1 February. Check your current pay slip to see that you have received your increase. Note that the actual timing of the increase will depend on when the pay cycle falls in your school. Don’t forget there will be another round of increases from 1 August as well

■ On 1 May members who are not at the top of their incremental scale will increment up to the next level as long as they have completed 6 months of service in the preceding 12 months. This does not apply to fixed term teachers appointed at the beginning of the year as they will already have had their salary assessed on the new scales from the beginning of their new appointments. The outcome for Education Support staff is a little different and has some pretty complicated twists and turns. There are new rules for fixed term ES staff to ensure that no employee is disadvantaged and as well there has been a translation to a new classification structure with some levels added and some taken away at different pay points. All ES members will have received access to detailed information that will enable them to more easily track the impact of the new Agreement on their classification

and salary… but if you have any questions don’t hesitate to call your organiser

■ Those members on parental leave, or other forms of unpaid leave, at 1 November last year and who are returning to work this year will be entitled to a lump sum bonus on their return, based on their employment fraction that applied immediately prior to commencing their leave. Don’t forget to check about this payment….it might be an easy one for employers to forget about

■ On 1 May ES Staff (previously Level 5 School Officers) who have now reached ES3-8 may be entitled to apply to progress beyond this level if they can satisfactorily demonstrate to their employer that they have met certain qualifications and experience criteria set out in the Agreement. If this applies to you, it will open up a whole new set of incremental steps not previously available. (The criteria are quite straight forward and can be found in Appendix 6, Clause 1.3(e) and it is important to note that this is not a major reclassification exercise)

■ For ES staff the new classification structure and level descriptors may provide the opportunity for a reclassification application; so it may be worth doing an audit of your roles and

responsibilities and comparing them to what is in the new Agreement

■ New parental leave provisions mean that the previous 14 week allowance is now paid leave. This provides payment of superannuation, counts as service and accrues entitlements. There is also greater certainty and clarity regarding eligible fixed term employment access to payment.

■ Recall days for Category B ES staff will now be paid an allowance equal to 72.47% of their pay per day if required to attend. (Please note the Agreement does not intend that recall days be traded off for overtime. Authorised overtime attracts a loading in its own right, or can be taken as time in lieu.)

■ There have been increases in a range of allowances including POLs, meal, tool, on-call, medical support. If you are entitled to one of these make sure the relevant adjustment has been made.

Make sure that you contact your organiser if you want to double check where you are up to on the pay scale and make sure you mention the improvements to non-members around the lunch table…maybe they might feel guilty enough to get on board and join with their colleagues in the continuing fight to improve conditions for everyone in Catholic Education.

You already have a contractIf you are currently employed, even if there is nothing in writing, you already have a contract. Some form of contract between an employee and employer always exists, by virtue of your agreement to work for your employer and their agreement to pay you in return. Your contract may be composed of any number of the following:

■ A formal written contract ■ A letter of appointment ■ A verbal agreement ■ Written or verbal agreements to

change employment conditions ■ Customs and practices, and ■ Unspoken understandings

about terms of employment.If you do have something in writing, it is almost certainly better for you than any new contract being offered.

What to do if you’re asked to sign a new contractThere are many things in the new model contracts that may be much worse than your current contract. Our advice is: 1. Do not sign a new contract until

you get advice. That advice is free to all IEU members – so call us straight away.

2. No-one can compel staff to sign any contract, let alone about something as important as your employment. Any employer that tells an employee that they have to is WRONG.

3. Contracts may only be legally entered voluntarily. If your employer offers you a significant pay rise, or more employment security, you may decide to sign. Always seek advice anyway.

4. If your old contract needs to be altered, this is best done by the employer sending you the new information (new hours, new duties, etc.) and you agreeing. That is a valid variation to your existing contract.

If you are a new employee or fixed-term employee about to begin a new period of employment, an employer might insist that you sign a new contract. This is hard to refuse, but it’s never too late to get advice.

If you or any other member at your school is asked or told to sign a new contract of employment as a result of the new Agreement, please contact the IEU urgently before agreeing to sign any document.

Spare a thought for the IEU members responsible for getting your salary into your bank account. School payroll departments and finance officers have been extremely busy completing salary assessments, translating classifications, sorting out lump sum payments, increasing rates of pay and paying varying amounts of back pay since the new Agreement came into effect at the end of last year.

UNION PRESIDENT MARK WILLIAMS


Bill to remove elected teachers from VIT

Stopping Napthine’s Silencing ActOn 18 February, IEU members and staff joined other unions, community groups and human rights organisations to protest proposed changes to the Summary Offences Act, which are designed to further restrict the democratic right of Victorians to protest.

This issue should concern every Victorian, including IEU members. In the most recent campaign for a Victorian Catholic Agreement,

IEU members from around the state converged twice on State Parliament to voice their concerns at government intransigence in pay negotiations, and to demand action to secure a fair pay deal for members in government and Catholic education. Whether or not that will be possible next time is anyone’s guess at the moment.

The draconian amendments that the Napthine government is trying to ram through include:

■ The removal of various protections for peaceful assembly

■ The power to prevent certain individuals coming within a certain distance of a protest or picket line through ‘exclusion orders’

■ Up to two years imprisonment for persons returning to a banned protest or picket

■ Giving police officers and PSOs the discretion to ‘move on’ protests.It is a sad day for the great State of Victoria that in

2014 it has come to a situation where unions and the community have to organise a protest to protect the right to protest!

The new year in Victoria began with an unfortunate start on the education front.

Without any prior consultation, the Minister for Education, Martin Dixon, introduced a new Bill into Parliament to make a number of changes to the Education and Training Reform Act which specifically deal with the registration of teachers in the state. The most controversial change is to the way in which the VIT Council will be constituted. Currently half of the 12 members of the Council are elected by and from their respective government, Catholic and independent

school sectors. The Bill amends the Act to remove the election process and replaces it with Minister appointed persons. The Bill also is proposing to amend the Act to include the required registration of Early Childhood Teachers. By 30 September 2015 all teachers employed in Early Childhood settings will need to be registered. Other amendments to the Act make changes to the processes and content of the publication of disciplinary hearing outcomes. The education unions are opposing the removal of the election of teachers and are making representations on this.

IEU Photography Awards 2014Fancy yourself a bit handy with a camera? Put your skills to work and you could win as much as $1000 from the IEU in our inaugural annual photography awards.This year’s theme is Quality Education. What We Do: Who We Are. Produce a photographic artwork that fits that description and submit it to the IEU for your chance to win. The competition is held in two sections:

News

Federal Government reviews the already reviewed

Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne began the year by announcing two

new reviews and by appointing reviewers and expert advisory panels without a teacher in sight.

First the government announced a review of the Australian Curriculum. This is a move that has baffled many as the Australian Curriculum in the four learning areas has only been implemented in most states for about one or at most two years. The second tranche of learning areas is due for implementation at least in Victoria from 2015 onwards. It is somewhat surprising that the two Ministerial appointed reviewers, Kevin Donnelly and academic Ken Wiltshire, will be evaluating at this early stage the Australian Curriculum’s robustness, independence and balance, examining the content and development process.

Also surprising is that the reviewers will be undertaking the review by the end of July and

making recommendations on the process of curriculum development to be followed for the development and revision of all future curriculum content, and the content in the learning areas, cross curriculum priorities and general capabilities.

As ever, we all expect teachers to keep their heads above water implementing whatever curriculum changes are next around the corner!

The second review is yet another review of teacher education. Despite a brand new national system of initial teacher education course accreditation having been underway for a little over a year, the Minister has announced a new Advisory Group which will consider and make recommendations on this and recommend priorities for action. While the Minister’s Advisory group contains one principal from a government school and one from an independent school, it is unfortunate that the Minister has not included a representative or two of teachers.

BRANCH SECTIONFirst,second and third prizes shall be awarded in each IEU Branch.

• First prize is $500, • Second prize is $300 and • Third prize pays $200.• Highly Commended Awards will also

be presented in Branch section.

NATIONAL FINALISTSAll Branch finalists will go into the national competition.

• First prize in the national competition is $1,000,• second prize is $500 and • Third prize pays $250.

Entries are open now, so start shooting!For more information about the competition and how to submit your entry, visit http://bit.do/IEUphoto


TASMANIA – RELIEF TEACHER RATES AND CONDITIONS

The IEU has amongst its membership quite a number of relief teachers. Relief teaching can offer flexibility, provide opportunities for beginning teachers to start their career and

be useful for experienced teachers as they transition to retirement.One key gain that your union has achieved for relief teachers

in recent years has been the counting of every day worked as experience. This ensures that relief teachers progress up the salary and classification scale.

In regard to payment for relief work the rates of pay in Tasmanian Catholic schools are among the best in the country. A relief teacher is paid at the salary level corresponding to his/her qualifications and years of experience. For example, the current rate for a 4 year trained teacher at entry level 6 is $293.58 a day and the rate for a level 13 relief teacher is $429.35 a day. On those occasions when a relief teacher is engaged for less than a day the hourly rate is derived by dividing the daily rate by five. For more information contact us for a copy of our very handy logbook and guide for relief teacher members.

Tasmanians go to the polling booths on Saturday 15 March. In a general sense this election campaign has been short, but not sharp. Saying that, there have been some standout highlights such as hearing an inspirational presentation from the Premier Lara Giddings and Tanya Plibersek, the Federal Deputy Opposition Leader.

The IEU has had a good working relationship with the Labor/Greens

government during this parliamentary term. Ministers with portfolio areas that the IEU had an interest in were available to us and the Leader of the Greens, Nick McKim, was an engaged and accessible Minister for Education.

Time will tell and there are quite a few possibilities –

another coalition government or a single party in power. Interesting and complicating factors are the emergence of the Palmer United Party and some quite strong independent candidates. Tasmania has five electorates, and five members are elected to the House of Assembly from each of Denison, Franklin (south), Bass (north) Braddon (north-west) and Lyons

Tasmanian State Election: Saturday March 2014

Term One TasmaniaThis year we have all hit the ground running; it’s just a few weeks into Term 1 and we are actively engaged in a wide variety of activities on behalf of and of interest to members.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY(TASMANIA) ANGELA BRIANT

Addressing an enthusiastic audience of 101 at the Tasmanian Catholic

Education Office Induction Day in late January was a great opportunity to meet new starters. In representational terms we have had meetings with the Tasmanian Qualifications Authority to open dialogue on course development planned for 2014; the Director of Catholic Education Dr Trish Hindmarsh to discuss matters of common interest; the current Tasmanian Minister for Education Brian Wightman and the Liberal Opposition spokesperson for Education Michael Ferguson to talk over their views on a number of issues that affect members, and those drafting the Regulations

to accompany the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act, as the devil and cost of registration is in the detail.

A significant amount of time has already been spent this year on negotiations and preparing final positions for the new Catholic Education Agreement. Reps will be extensively briefed at our Council meeting on 22 March.

The IEU will also be supporting members by negotiating new Enterprise Agreements in a number of independent schools this year, with the first cab off the rank being the Launceston Christian School.

This year the IEU will be surveying the total membership to help inform the way we work

with, provide services to, and communicate with members going forward. Tasmanian members have had a very high percentage response rate to surveys in the past. I encourage members to engage with this activity when you receive that communication this term.

I’m hoping that the International Women’s Day event on 5 March was celebrated by many members. For those of us who attended a special presentation screening of ‘Mary meets Mohammed’ and had the opportunity to meet the Director of the film this was a special opportunity to reflect on the common goals and needs of humanity.

which encompasses the middle, west and east of the state. With the Hare-Clark voting system individual candidates

from each party compete against each other and political parties do not distribute ‘How-to-vote’ cards.


How good is your beginning teacher induction?Many schools will have begun the school year with at least one beginning teacher joining their staff. There is so much research and national and international consensus about the value of good induction programs it seems superfluous to mention it.

necessary over the program and the additional support which should be targeted for both Beginning Teacher and Mentor during the process required for moving from Provisional Registration to Full Registration.

The new Victorian Catholic Education Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2013 requires schools to have an induction program for new staff including graduate teachers. Some independent schools have included induction clauses in their Agreements. However, additional release time and other support are often not clear.

What makes a good school induction program?Clear guidelines and processes should be established at the school level as soon as possible for Early Career Teachers so that all of the support structures are in place for their commencement in the job. Below are the key elements which should be included in the program:i) An Individualised Program – the development and resourcing of

a specific individualised induction program for each Early Career Teacher

ii) Induction Co-ordinator – the designation of a particular staff member as a Co-ordinator of induction in the school with appropriate time release. The Co-ordinator should be more generally responsible for the oversight of the induction program and for the smooth running of the program, including oversight of the mentoring aspect of the program. For example, an Early Career Teacher may need to raise issues and concerns about the mentoring program with someone other than their Mentor, etc.

iii) Provision of Information – the provision of clear employment-related information, including but not limited to a duty statement, materials relevant to the ethos and mission of the school, information on superannuation entitlements and options, union coverage and benefits, salary and conditions entitlements, and the provision of and training in school policies, procedures and general expectations, including WHS, mandatory reporting responsibilities, duty of care, and teacher/parent communication

iv) Provision and Resourcing of a Mentor Teacher – the identification, training and support of a Mentor Teacher who has appropriate time release (see clause 6.0) to work with the Early Career Teacher throughout the induction process, as well as in the activities, both recommended and required, to assist the Early Career Teacher to move from Provisional Registration to Full Registration (Victorian Institute of Teaching/ Teachers Registration Board Tasmania)

v) Role clarity – the establishment of general principles concerning the roles and responsibilities of the Early Career Teacher and Mentor or Colleague teacher

vi) Professional Development Opportunities – access for both the Early Career Teacher and Mentor to appropriate ongoing professional development activities, including the provision of information for the Early Career Teacher on areas such as teacher unionism, professional associations, PD activities, etc.; and mentor training for the Mentor

vii) Reduced Teaching Loads – the entitlement of the Early Career Teacher to a lighter load and ongoing time release (reduced load or block release) for the Mentor Teacher to ensure appropriate time for consultation and advice, etc. and the undertaking of activities required in applying for Full Registration

viii) Additional timetabled release – the provision of timetabled support and additional release time to the Early Career Teacher to participate in the induction program and undertake the requirements of moving from Provisional Registration to Full Registration (which may be undertaken in their second year of teaching)

ix) Wellbeing Counselling – access for the Early Career Teacher to general wellbeing counselling services without any reference to professional competence

x) Review of Program – the school should undertake a regular review of the effectiveness of the induction program.

Unfortunately the quality of beginning teacher induction programs still

varies markedly between schools.At the end of 2013 the IEU

Victoria Tasmania Annual Conference adopted a comprehensive policy on the induction of Early Career Teachers (www.ieuvictas.org.au). The policy focusses on what needs to be in a school induction program and outlines the specific needs and support structures for both the Beginning Teacher and their Mentor. The policy has integrated into it the general support

Tasmanian CEO Induction Hobart

At the end of January the Tasmanian Catholic Education Office held a two day induction course for staff commencing employment in Catholic Education in Tasmania in 2014. There were over 100 people present including primary and secondary teachers, administration and utility staff, and teacher assistants.

Sessions over the two days covered a variety of topics including Workplace Health and Safety, Professional Learning Opportunities, what it

means to work in a Catholic School and sessions focusing on the particular roles of those working in Catholic education. The IEU was pleased to be invited to present a session on day two outlining the services we offer to staff in Catholic schools and the benefits of being a member.

Assistant Secretary (Tasmania) Angela Briant opened with a summary of where we are with bargaining for a new Tasmanian Catholic Education Agreement and the union’s key role in these negotiations. She went on to outline how Tasmania fits into the structure of the Victoria Tasmania branch of the IEU and of the union nationally.

The IEU gives members a voice on committees and forums that affect those working in Catholic and independent education in Tasmania, including

Teachers Registration Board Tasmania, Schools Registration Board, Tasmanian Qualifications Authority and Tasplan. Members get access to the resources of the branch with industrial officers and talented people who can provide advice to members on their working conditions as well as valuable professional development and networking opportunities.

Tasmanian organiser Dino Ottavi talked further about how he has personally helped Tasmanian members with many issues ranging from checking of individual employment contracts to representation at meetings and visits to schools all across the state.

Over lunch Angela and Dino, along with Marit and Simon, two organisers from the Melbourne office, were able to chat to most of those present. A pleasing number joined on the spot and many others took forms with them.

Feature

INVESTING IN STAFF


BEGINNING TEACHER CHECKLIST

The list you cannot afford to ignore Starting out as a graduate teacher can be quite a daunting endeavour. First there is the job hunting process: emails, phone calls, and a series of interviews, until you finally land that well-deserved first teaching position. This is where the hard work starts, and this is where we can help. Your union has come up with a graduate-friendly online checklist that you can use to make the most out of your first years of teaching. Understanding your contract, being aware of VIT requirements, and knowing what you should expect in terms of your school’s induction program will make a big difference in your first year in the Catholic or independent sector.

First of all you should convert your IEU student membership to a graduate one and, where possible, get in touch with the union’s rep at your school.

Then it’s time to check your contract. Have you received a letter of offer? Have you signed it and returned it? Have you asked the IEU to take a look at it before signing it, to double-check that it meets its obligations?

Be clear about your work conditions before you take on the job: ask about face-to-face teaching hours and days you will be expected to work. This may be particularly important for a part-time contract; some part-time workers may take it for granted that a part-time contract will guarantee a certain degree of flexibility, when in reality they could potentially be expected to be at school Monday to Friday. Also, what are your extra-curricular obligations?

Making sure you abide by VIT requirements is paramount; ensure that you have provided your school with your registration number and that you attend PD info sessions for PRT (provisionally registered teachers). When it comes to PD, your union has plenty to offer, from the Beginning Teacher Conference in early March to the very popular PD in the Pub. Ask your school about any internal PD sessions and learn about the Teacher Learning Network programs (www.tln.org.au).

Finally, as a beginning teacher, be aware of your rights in terms of the induction process. Has your school given you detailed information regarding your induction program? Have you been allocated a mentor? Does your mentor know about the induction process and do they have enough time to dedicate to you? Do you have a reduced load, so that you can work toward your full registration? Have you been taken through your school’s policies on issues such as ICT use and OHS?

For our newly launched Beginning Teachers online checklist, or to contact us, make sure you visit www.ieuvictas.org.au or phone 9254 1860 (Melb.) or 1800 622 889 (outside Melbourne); or email [email protected]

Union Summer

After a very intense yet exciting year spent completing my DipEd, I’ve decided to go back for more in

2014 and finish the MTeach program at Melbourne Uni.

Craving more experience in the world of education, and being interested in expanding my understanding of the teaching profession, I did not hesitate to apply for the Union Summer internship offered by the IEU.

Having joined as a student member at the start of my teacher training course, and having heard hair-raising tales of teachers losing kids on excursions, snap-chatting their way into trouble or being exploited by their employers, I had already made up my mind on how important the job of education unions is. However, after spending three weeks at the IEU, it is very clear to me that the role of unions is in no way limited to acting as an insurance company, coming to your rescue in times of adversity. A lot of their amazing work lies in the campaigning,

bargaining and policy-drafting which ensure our rights at work, those precious rights we sometimes take for granted.

In the media we hear a lot about unions but little is known about the behind-the-scenes work that this bunch of dedicated people do for teachers and other workers in education. During the three weeks I have spent at the IEU office, I have found a number of positive role models with plenty of conviction and a deep sense of social justice to look up to; they consistently strive to achieve the best outcomes for their members.

The IEU is all about empowering its members, particularly the most vulnerable ones. Early career teachers tend to fall into this category: After surviving exams, placements and the VIT bureaucracy, we are thrown into the world of teaching with plenty of goodwill but little awareness of our entitlements and the kind of support available to us.

One of the highlights of this internship has been developing a

document to guide new teachers through a new IEU induction policy for early career teachers and schools. I feel confident that I, just like other new teachers, will be well looked after should I be successful in obtaining a position in the Catholic or independent sector. I have also been able to witness the valuable collaboration with the AEU, which leaves me feeling optimistic for my fellow graduates employed in the public sector.

I highly recommend the Union Summer program, particularly with the IEU. I was made to feel welcome from day one and I have learnt a number of useful lessons. I encourage anyone who is not a member to join and I urge current members to get in touch with your rep to find out how you can play a more active role and enjoy more of the multiple benefits on offer.

The IEU thanks Federica Cologni for her work during this year’s Union Summer program.

Supporting Mentor Teachers – part of good investmentExperienced teachers, who are part of this process through mentoring and the provision of professional support, should also have their input and skills developed, formally recognised and supported, rather than the current ad hoc reliance on goodwill and increased workload. To effectively support the induction process, the following should be built in to staffing and timetabling arrangements:i) Time Release for Mentoring – The teaching load of a Mentor

Teacher should also be reduced to enable them to provide the necessary level of support in the induction process. Mentor Teachers should be allocated at least the equivalent of one hour per week additional release in the first year of working with an Early Career Teacher. If an induction program is extended beyond the first year, the Mentor should be provided with time release adequate to the support required

ii) Time Release for participation in the Application for Full Registration processes – In addition to providing ongoing support throughout the induction process, Mentors or other experienced Colleague teachers will need to undertake specific support to the Early Career Teacher in respect to any activities required for application for Full Registration, including activities such as attending mentor training, assisting in the development and implementation of Action Plans (Victoria), joint planning prior to classroom collaboration, observation of classes, collegial interaction with the provisionally registered teacher in their classroom, follow-up collegial discussions, participation in panels, etc.

During any period of intense collegial work associated with the Full Registration process, Mentor Teachers should be allocated further additional release time of at least one hour per week.

Where a Provisionally Registered Teacher undertakes activities required for application for Full Registration in their second year of teaching, specific time release should be given at the relevant time for the Mentor or experienced Colleague Teacher to undertake the necessary collegial meetings and activities, participate in panel or other evaluative processes, and to provide support for the Early Career Teacher in other professional development activities.


HEALTH AND SAFETY REPORT

Working in the heat How to control the risksExtreme heat consistently coincides with the start of the school year. High temperatures are a natural part of the climatic conditions during summer. The highest daily temperature recorded during January in Melbourne was 43.4 and so far in February the highest daily temperature recorded in Melbourne has been 40.7. Up to 16 February, Melbourne had recorded 6 days in excess of 34. Extreme temperatures such as those already recorded have placed the health and safety of workers at high risk. Working in extreme heat quite simply is dangerous and only a foolish employer would deliberately ignore the risk.

Applying the principles of hazard management to the issue of extreme

heat is no different to any other workplace hazard. Step 1 is to identify the hazard. This takes little effort when applied to seasonal heat as the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts for very hot temperatures can be relied upon. Step 2 is a completed risk assessment which takes into account the factors such as the temperature staff and students are exposed to inside and outside of buildings, exposure to UV and radiant heat, ventilation and air movement, use of outdoor space, prevention of heat related illness and identification of adverse health symptoms arising from the extreme conditions.Step 3 is to apply the hierarchy of control and adopt procedures to prevent the incidence of heat related injury or illness. Some of the measures which may be adopted include air conditioning all classrooms and staff work areas, blinds, curtains, awnings and tint on windows, erecting shade sails with high UV rating, encouraging outdoor staff to work under shade or indoors, extreme weather procedures included in both the staff and student handbooks. Step 4 is to monitor the effectiveness of the chosen procedures. A review of ‘extreme weather’ procedures should also be undertaken in consultation with the Health and Safety Representative and OHS Committee.

Some of the successful measures used to reduce the risk of exposure to extreme heat include:

■ Making cold water available for students and staff throughout the day

■ Where high temperatures (usually in excess of 34) are forecast, parents are encouraged to keep students at home. The resultant smaller class sizes enable greater access to limited air conditioned areas

■ Extending recess time in the morning before it becomes too hot and then having a shorter lunchtime

■ Relaxed dress code for staff and students

■ Making icy poles available ■ Keeping students in air-

conditioned classrooms all day ■ Modified afternoon programs ■ No outdoor PE ■ Swim sessions at the local pool

■ Computers and lights switched off to conserve energy and minimize heat

■ Restricting students to shaded areas at recess and lunch

■ Spraying students with water mist sprays

■ Cancelling core programs and school closures

■ Pedestal fans and stand-alone evaporative units in areas without air conditioning.

As with all perennial hazards, those schools that have planned and budgeted for extreme weather well in advance of the summer have greater success in dealing with the heat. It is important that planning for next year starts now.

Action Plan for OHS Reps ■ Meet with the Principal to

discuss the issue as soon as possible

■ Keep written records of all discussions, outcomes of negotiations and undertakings given

■ Initiate consultation and discussions to control the problem and reduce the risk of injury or illness to staff and students

■ If there are no policies or procedures in place, propose that as a longer term strategy these be developed in consultation with leadership, health and safety reps and staff

■ Contact the IEU for assistance from an Organiser

■ If negotiations do not progress quickly enough, if the Principal is dismissive and doesn’t recognise thermal stress as a health and safety issue, and if there is a clear risk to staff health, inform the Principal that you will issue a Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN). Contact the IEU for assistance with the PIN

■ If the risk is immediate consider directing work to cease in accordance with S74 of the OHS Act. Contact the IEU before choosing this option.

Health and Safety

How to Apply the Hierarchy of Hazard Control to Extreme Heat Hazards:The objective of applying the Hierarchy of Control is always to eliminate the hazard. The first choice of options should always come from design/elimination. If it is not possible to eliminate the hazard, then other levels of the hierarchy should be used in combination to reduce the risk as much as possible. Elimination, substitution and engineering controls are the most effective because they change the way work is done or change the environment within which work is performed. Administration and personal protective equipment options are less effective as these controls rely on human behaviour, meaning there is a far greater likelihood of the control not being acted upon. For example, a staff member may inextricably decide not to wear a hat or sunscreen, or comply with the extreme weather procedures as outlined in the staff handbook. Controlling the hazard of extreme heat effectively means a variety of controls from a range of points on the hierarchy will be applied at the same time. For more assistance with the hierarchy of control, contact the IEU Office.

STEP 3 : CONTROL THE RISK

Implement the Hierarchy of Hazard Control

Design/EliminationAir conditioned classrooms and staff work areas

SubstitutionRe-organise activities to cooler parts of the day, choose less physically demanding activities in the hotter times of the day

EngineeringUse of fans in addition to air conditioners,

shade sails with high UV rating

Administration Extreme heat policies and procedures

in staff and student handbooks

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)Hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, ice vests and cool

scarves

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Professional Learning is what we have in commonAt a staff development session on the first day of this school year the

staff of one school identified four things that they had in common. These were four things that they all shared as a staff, regardless of

their age, gender, teaching experience or any other differences between them. The staff identified these four things in common:

■ They wanted to be treated with dignity ■ They wanted to feel safe in their school ■ They wanted to be consulted about what was happening in the school ■ They wanted access to good quality professional learning.

The TLN is set up to meet this final need – the need to access high quality professional learning.

Catholic and independent schools in Victoria and Tasmania have access to membership of the TLN. For one annual membership fee the staff in every school can access more than 140 TLN professional learning programs FREE of charge. Every staff member in the school can access these programs for nothing more than the annual subscription (see rates below). The full list of programs is available at www.tln.org.au.

The IEU subsidises the TLN, which enables the TLN to bring you such a great deal.

Twelve month subscription to the TLN (including GST)

Student Enrolment at the school 12 month membership

a. Above 2000 students $700

b. Between 1000 and 1999 students $600

c. Between 500 and 999 students $450

d. Between 100 and 499 students $350

e. Below 100 students $250

Working in a regional or rural school? No problem – more than 80% of the TLN programs are available online or during the holiday breaks.

For more information go to www.tln.org.au (you can join online) or (03) 9418 4992 or email Michael Victory at [email protected].

Health and safety – who’s representing you?

Leap of faith... the journey beginsThe new school year brought with it a high level of excitement for IEU principal member, Brendan Marrinon. Brendan is leading a new school community: St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Primary School Cranbourne East. One hundred and thirty students and teachers commenced school at the sister school site on Monday 3 February.

Brendan began this new school experience in term three of 2013 after previous

principalships at St Agatha’s School Cranbourne and Don Bosco School Narre Warren.

Brendan spoke about his understanding of a quality education in a Catholic tradition as criteria in employing staff. He was thrilled with the number and quality of applicants for the initial positions in the inaugural teaching group. The employment panel was seeking teachers with a sense of adventure, strong pedagogical background and a willingness to lead the new school community. Other staff such as school officers, so integral to the welcoming feel of a school, were also employed.

Brendan’s initial task was to work on the registration of the school, organising builders and getting the uniform finalised. The real work of a principal though, according to Brendan, is developing relationships with the families enrolled in the school. He spent a great deal of time ensuring that he met all families and kept them informed of the school’s progress through the newsletter entitled The Spear, another reference to St Thomas the Apostle.

One of the best ways to improve the health and safety of employees at your workplace is to make sure you are

represented by a properly elected and trained Health and Safety Representative. HSRs are the keys to safer workplaces, representing the interests of workers on matters such as: occupational stress, work-related violence and bullying, manual handling, work environment and systems. An HSR properly elected by their DWG (designated work group) is entitled to be consulted by the employer about health and safety in their workplace, as well as having access to paid leave to attend OHS training. The IEU provides WorkSafe approved

training for HSRs, school leaders and members of OHS committees. While the OHS Act gives certain powers to an elected HSR, actual duties and functions are imposed on the employer, not the HSR so reps should not feel that by acting as HSR, they are responsible for all OHS matters within the school. The IEU supports HSR through training and access to expert advice.

Need help getting started with OHS?If your workplace already has a HSR, make

sure they have been properly elected, not simply appointed by the principal, and that they know about their right to attend training.

An elected HSR can hold the position for up to three years and can also be re-elected

■ If there is no HSR at your workplace, anyone in the DWG can get the ball rolling for an election. You can seek assistance from your organiser to get things started

■ If your school does not already have an OHS committee, help your HSR to work with your employer to establish one

■ Support your HSR by making space for regular OHS agenda items at staff meetings, sub-branch meetings, staff inductions and graduate mentoring programs

■ Seek the assistance of your organiser at the IEU.

In starting to establish the school community, Brendan organized a Meet-the-Principal event where he spoke about himself as person and leader, his vision for the school and his hopes for involvement of parents at many levels. At this first meeting, Brendan had 12 volunteers willing to become members of the interim board! This positive approach to the building of relationships has enabled Brendan to begin quality conversations about education in the Catholic context.

The well-designed two-storey stage one building caters for

the 21st century by supporting personalized learning for students in flexible spaces. Even though the students and staff have yet to start on the Cranbourne East school site, the parents trust that all will be well for the future of their children’s education.

Brendan would like to acknowledge the support of St Agatha’s principal, Noela Hyams; Parish Priest, Fr Denis O’Bryan; and staff of the Catholic Education Office Sale. He sees his role as the inaugural principal as a real privilege.

For more information or to apply:

Visitvicteach.com.au

[email protected]

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As we mark International Women’s Day on 8 March 2014, we celebrate the progress made so far and take stock of the work that needs to be done to make the places we live and work more just and equitable.

International Women’s Day 2014

Unions in Australia have campaigned long and hard for improvements

to the lives of working women, in particular for conditions which allow women greater job security and flexible working arrangements.

As a result, in the last few years in Australia we have seen changes to legislation which are improvements to the current conditions for many women in our workplaces. The federal paid parental leave scheme provides for payment of the minimum wage for 18 weeks to a child’s primary carer and paid partner

leave of 2 weeks to support the partner caring for a child.

There have been changes to the rules about who has the right to ask for flexible work arrangements; they have been extended to include a parent/guardian of a child who is school age, a carer, a person with a disability, workers over 55 years, victims of domestic violence and for those who are caring for a person directly involved in domestic violence.

The IEU and unions welcome these advances, but there are certainly many issues on which we must continue to campaign which will better support

women in the workforce. In the independent education sector where around 70% of our members are women these issues are widespread. In schools it is women who access flexible work arrangements more than men; women are more likely to be on fixed term contracts and to be under- represented in leadership positions across the sector.

While the IEU works with members to have protections and provisions in place in collective Agreements it is the case that gender equality will only be achieved by a cultural and attitudinal shift. It is not enough

to have flexible arrangements that may ultimately lead to greater inequality, with gaps in hours, pay and possible career ‘career death’ for women. Flexibility on its own is not the solution to workplace inequality.

Workplace change is an issue for both women and men and if we want gender balance to be the norm we need to create the conditions that enable men and women to thrive. So as we celebrate another International Women’s Day let’s also take up the challenge of creating a different world for the girls and young women in our schools.

Anna Stewart Memorial Project 2014

Participants will spend four days of the project at the Victorian Trades Hall Council in group training sessions. That

group will consist of women from affiliate unions. The training covers areas such as women and unions, campaigning and organising, bullying and sexual harassment, domestic violence, anti-discrimination and occupational health and safety. There will be a range of guest speakers.

The remainder of the time is spent at the IEU office. You will have an opportunity to be involved in the day-to-day running of the union and to get out into workplaces

with organisers for sub-branch meetings, bargaining and work with members.

The program is a great opportunity to increase your understanding of the work of the IEU and unions more broadly. Many women who have undertaken the training have gone on to work in the union sector.

The two intakes for the ASMP 2014 are: 5-16 May and 6-17 October and we look forward to hearing from interested members. If you have questions regarding the program please contact the office.

Application forms can be found on the website; www.ieuvictas.org.au

Breastfeeding Friendly Workplaces

So it’s good news to see Woodleigh school recently gaining accreditation as a Breastfeeding Friendly

Workplace. Initiated through the Gender Equity committee, this is a progressive move which sees not only policy set in place, but a supportive environment in which discussions prior to returning and onwards can take place comfortably and without anxiety.

Although by law all workplaces must

allow lactation breaks for workers, it was surprising that this is the first school in Victoria to receive this accreditation.

Accreditation accords certain rights to breastfeeding employees, but as always the confidence to uphold those rights will come from the union members on the ground. Other schools should be encouraged to investigate such policies and accreditation. This move is positive role modelling for future generations in the schools we work in.

New mothers these days increasingly face the prospect of returning to work not long after giving birth. While our union has fought hard for the right to make this choice, the decision itself is still not easy – particularly if you are a breastfeeding mother.

All IEU women members who are actively involved in the union are encouraged to apply for the ASMP this year.

Social Justice

On Thursday 6 March, IEU members gathered to celebrate International Women’s Day at the Kent Hotel in Carlton.

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Education NationUpdates from around the countryIn South Australia, 2014 marks the 30th anniversary of the formation of the IEU branch in the state. Catholic and independent school teachers initially formed a sub-group of the South Australian Institute of Teachers, a group covering all teachers irrespective of sector, but then split over the issue of funding of non-government schools. This fledgling union first met as an unregistered association on the footpath outside of the SAIT building but went on to become a registered union. Celebrations are planned this year to mark the anniversary.

In NSW, the IEU have accused the Sydney CEO of failing to consult in a productive and respectful manner. The Union has become aware of a ‘Code of Professional Conduct’ being circulated in CEO Sydney schools, which appears to be an attempt to codify aspects of employees’ working conditions without reference to their Union. Despite not being involved in the document’s creation, the IEU has already provided feedback and says that the ‘failure to consult and discuss undermines the positive features of the code’, and will seek to tell the Sydney CEO that failure to consult is not an appropriate way to do business.

In Queensland, members of the state-sector QTU have rejected proposals around performance bonuses, contracts for school leaders and teacher rankings and supported industrial action if the Education Department seeks to introduce any of these as part of the review of the sector. The draft consultation document provides for a teacher performance appraisal process linked to student outcomes, student results and student feedback. The QTU has met with the Department and rejected the initial document but will continue to meet to resolve the issues. Until agreement is reached, the proposed trial in term 1 will not be supported.

Celebrating the 8 Hour Day

The idea that we ‘work to live and not live to work’ encouraged stonemasons

in Melbourne and retail workers in Ballarat to push for an 8 hour day – 8 hours labour, 8 hours recreation and 8 hours rest. The eventual win for working people in Victoria in 1856, and 18 years later in Tasmania, spread to the rest of the world over time as more and more workers across the globe won the right to the 8 hour day, and then a 40 hour week.

Winning the 8 hour day also did something else in Victoria and Tasmania – it created free time, especially on Saturday afternoons which saw the rise of sports like Australian Rules football, it saw the formation of sporting clubs, it saw the rise of community organisations and it saw the rise of community. It allowed time away from work to focus on family, friends, sports and community service. It drove sectors of our economy like tourism, recreation and entertainment. In many senses it created thousands of new jobs and opportunities around Australia, simply by giving people some time away from work.

Ballarat was right at the centre of the changes won by the emerging Labour movement in 1856. By then the easy to find alluvial gold that kicked off the gold rush was gone, and it required small enterprises working hard and long in dangerous conditions to access the remaining gold.

With the sheer affluence that gold had bought to Ballarat there was a strong demand for retail and retail workers found themselves working increasingly demanding hours seven days a week in many cases. With the acquittals of miners at Eureka for treason the previous year still fresh in their minds and the reforms Eureka bought in democratising the Victorian Colony, the start of the push for an 8 hour day was on with earnest.

At the same time stonemasons working on the University of Melbourne took their demand for an 8 hour day directly to Parliament, by downing tools and marching to Parliament House. They won an 8 hour day (albeit in a 48 hour week) and celebrated with a ‘victory march’ in the same year. The rest, as they say, is history.

Although the 8 hour day had been temporarily achieved in New Zealand, America and Sydney at earlier times, they were not sustained, and so it was in Victoria that real and lasting change was achieved for the first time.

It is important to remember we have 8 Hours Day in Tasmania or Labour Day in Victoria to mark a very specific achievement – the formation of both those early 8 hour committees and the beginnings of an organised Labour movement that delivered the 8 hour day to Australia, at a time when such reform seemed impossible.

The Union movement is coming under more and more sustained attack and certainly needs reform but at its core it still, each day, does a noble thing – to seek to raise all, to advocate for the right treatment of all workers and the economic wellbeing of our nation, to fight for safety and equity in our workplaces and our communities.

As the relentless push against our working conditions in Australia sees precarious employment, casualisation and the fragmentation of work on the rise, it is worth remembering that our sporting clubs, community organisations, and our very sense of community also suffer when workers have to ask themselves that same question all over again:

‘Do I work to live, or live to work?’

It was a spirit of community that drove the actions of early activists of the 8 hour movement as they formed in Victoria and then around the country in 1856.

News

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A week in East Timor

In Algeria, strike action in the education sector has entered its fourth week, despite increasing efforts by the government to end the action. Three unions covering workers in the sector have been on strike since late January to put pressure on the government to agree to a series of demands around the status of teachers and recruitment. A recent meeting failed to reach an agreement to end the strike, and, as a result, the Ministry may cancel the spring holiday to catch up with missed classes and extend the school year until the end of May 2014. The Government has also declared the strike illegal by a judicial ruling issued in mid-February, and have threatened to dismiss all teachers on strike.

Teachers in the central African country of Gabon will continue the strike action of last year and their ongoing struggle to achieve a living wage and improve learning conditions. A large proportion of the country lives in poverty, including teachers, but the government has refused to pay more than the minimum wage to teachers, relying instead on a series of allowances for seniority, housing and transport. These allowances are hard to obtain, and many teachers claim they haven’t received a raise in base pay in ten years.

In Cambodia, Rong Chhun, the head of the Independent Teachers’ Association and the Cambodian Confederation of Unions, was arrested in late January for his involvement in lobbying for the release of fellow unionists and human rights activists arrested in a government crackdown in January. While released the same day, Chhun remains under government investigation for his role in a garment workers’ strike and demonstration for a minimum wage increase. This is the latest in a continuing campaign against workers and their representatives by a government that has come under international attention for their non-compliance with international labour laws.

And finally, a court in Stuttgart, Germany, has declared the injuries suffered by a teacher when she fell off a bench while dancing in a beer tent on a school trip as ‘work-related’. She suffered back injuries and the court found that it was ‘normal and socially appropriate’ for beer tent visitors to dance on the benches and the teacher would have unduly distanced herself from her students if she had refused to participate. This is not how we remember our school trips…

In 2012 I was fortunate enough to be awarded the Barry Wood Memorial Grant for projects

relating to Social Justice in Education.

My proposed project was to spend a week teaching in Marmulak Primary School in the Viqueque area of East Timor. My school, St Ignatius College Geelong, is a member of the Geelong Viqueque Friendship Schools and Marmulak Primary is our designated partner school.

During the 2013 July school break I was fortunate enough to go to East Timor and do exactly that – and more.

Educational facilities in Timor and the Viqueque area are what you would expect in a newly developing country attempting to rebuild after a turbulent and violent past. Buildings are on the whole derelict, often with leaking roofs, holes in the floor, and doors and windows that do not close. School grounds are similarly unkempt, being dusty bowls to muddy quagmires depending on the season. Domestic animals such dogs and pigs tend to

roam freely. In primary schools students are given lunch (rice and some beans in most cases) which is cooked on site.

Apart from the poor state of facilities, another problem is the lack of qualified teachers and general teaching resources such as readers and texts, also basics such as pens, tape, chalk, stationary, etc. – all the things we take for granted. In fact the staff room at Marmulak was half full of rice sacks rather than teacher and student resources. In 1999 a very large percentage of trained Indonesian primary teachers left the country and as yet they have not been replaced with equally qualified staff. It is also not uncommon for teachers to simply not attend – this was certainly the case at Marmulak primary.

Having said all this, the students at this school were as keen and as interested in their learning as any young child. The lack of resources and poor state of facilities has not in any way dampened their desire to learn and the hope they possess for a better future for them and their country.

During the time I was there I spent time in all grade levels. In the upper grades I was able to give the students letters that my students had written in Tetum, which also had picture of themselves, their families and pets, and other images of life in Australia. The Timorese students responded with their own letters, written in Tetum, with their own hand drawn pictures. Thanks to the Barry Woods grant I was able to provide all students with crayons and paper to do this task.

In the lower levels, once again thanks to the grant, I was able to provide some large storybooks, which were read to the students, and some class sets of readers, alphabet posters and basic stationary items. One of the most pleasing aspects of this was seeing how their teachers copied our method of demonstrating how to read to students and the enthusiasm they then showed once they were given the opportunity and resources.

I would sincerely like to thank the executive and all members of the IEU for the opportunity to fulfil this project. I feel it was a great success in terms of the

2013 AWARD WINNERS

The 2013 winners of the Barry Wood Social Justice Grant and the Jan

Bavinton Memorial Project were announced at the IEU Annual Conference. Each Award of $3000 is presented to a winner to assist in undertaking a relevant project – the Barry Wood for projects with a social justice focus, and the Jan Bavinton for Education Support members.

Congratulations to Laurie Krepp and the student social justice team at St Therese’s School Albion on winning the 2013 Barry Wood Social Justice Grant. The Barry Wood funds will assist

volunteer teachers going to Kuala Lumpur to teach and help run small community schools for Burmese refugees, and to establish fundraising and links between Australian and Burmese students.

Congratulations also to the winner of the 2013 Jan Bavinton Memorial Project, Tim Clifford from Xavier College. Tim is involved in a program that seeks to rehabilitate and reuse superseded computer equipment from the College in Third World countries.

Nominations for the 2014 Awards will be called for in Term 3. More information is available at: www.ieuvictas.org.au

2012 Barry Wood Memorial Grant winner Michael Wright makes a difference for students in East Timor

learning and experiences of friendship and support that each party gained from the encounter. Ultimately, by being able to support such projects, we too are able to enrich our lives and the lives of our own students. I know my classes have relished the opportunity to engage in letter exchanges with their Timorese friends.

In finishing I must say that the hope, dreams and optimism for the future the Timorese people possess is truly amazing. One young secondary school student in Dili told me that she and her friends did not have time to socialise as they were the future of their country and as such they must spend their spare time studying, as it’s through education that they can provide a future for their people. This young girl also stated she wished to attend University of California but if not successful there then Harvard would do!

Lofty dreams indeed.

Michael WrightIEU Rep, St Ignatius College

INTERNATIONAL ROUNDUP

Social Justice

If you’re an IEU member in Victorian Catholic Education, you should have recently received your personal copy of the new Victorian Catholic Multi-Employer Agreement (the MEA).

New Agreement books have arrived!

The MEA sets out your pay and conditions through to 2016, so keep it handy – you never know when you might need it.

The Agreement book is concrete evidence of the significant improvements IEU members have won, by campaigning hard for over two years for our rights at work. It’s a testament to our strength as a large and growing union, and proof that, working together, union members can achieve great things.

If you haven’t received yours yet, contact the IEU office. You may have forgotten to give us your current home address and your copy has gone to your old address.

IEU organisers are always available to come out to your school and explain the terms of the new Agreement. If you have any questions about its contents, speak to your Rep or get in contact with us on 9254 1860 and we’ll help you out.

Oh, and if a non-member asks to borrow your personal copy of the new Agreement, why not hand them a membership form instead?

Jane Lee, Rep at St Colman’s Mortlake

Staff at St Margaret Mary’s Brunswick North

Phone 9254 1860 Email [email protected]

IEU members at Aquinas College Ringwood were happy to receive their own copies of the new Catholic Agreement.

My Job, My School, My Union - ieuvictas.org.au€¦ · CV Writing/Interview Skills 9.30- 4.00...

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