journal aug 2013

Celebrating National Gonski Week 2014

22 August 2014 • Volume 119 number 6

Celebrating National Gonski Week 2014

1st Prize: $20,000 Staffroom Makeover

People’s Choice: $10,000 Staffroom Makeover

Daily prizes for voters

‘Apples’ refers to votes made on the website. Refer to www.staffroomforimprovement.com.au for terms and conditions. Promoter is QT Mutual Bank Limited ABN 83 087 651 054 and can be contacted on 13 29 30 or email on [email protected]. QTMB0014.7.14.TJ

Proudly brought to you by

Simply vote everyday to help them win.

Win your favourite school a $20,000 staffroom makeover with

Remember, the earlier you start the more ‘apples’ you can earn

staffroomforimprovement.com.au

Voting 18 August - 3 September

QTMB0014.7.14.indd 1 29/07/2014 11:41 am

Send your letter to the editor

Letters should be no more than 200 words in length and may be edited for publication.

online: www.qtu.asn.au/lettersemail : [email protected]: PO Box 1750, Milton LPO 4064fax: 07 3512 9050

Vol 119 No 6 | Queensland Teachers' Journal 3

22 August 2014Q U E E N S L A N D T E A C H E R S ’

www.qtu.asn.au

Editorial policy Articles and letters should be sent to ‘The General Secretary, Queensland Teachers’ Journal Editor, PO Box 1750, Milton BC, 4064’, faxed to (07) 3512 9050 or emailed to [email protected]. Letters should be no more than 200 words in length. Articles should be a maximum length of 500 words. All submissions should be signed and those wishing to remain anonymous should indicate their name is not for publication. Articles, letters to the editor and advertising in this journal do not necessarily represent the views of the Union. The next edition will be published on 3 October 2014. The deadline for all editorial and advertising material is 8 September 2014. For advertising enquiries, email [email protected] or call (07) 3512 9000.

8 Award "modernisation" update

9 Agreement reached on review

10 EB8 starts now

11 Education Accord

13 Senate funding report

16 IPS process

17 Preparing for the transition of year 7

19 Cost of TAFE experiments

27 Australian Workers Heritage Centre

features

regulars 4 News

5 Editorial

7 From the President

21 If I only had a blog

24 Professional reading

26 QTAD

29 New and beginning teachers

30 Retired teachers

31 Legal

32 At leisure

32 Classifieds

33 Lighter side

35 QTU contacts

35 Anniversaries, reunions and events

Cover image: Putting the case for equity in school funding during National Gonski Week

This QR code will take you to the QTU website. In order to scan QR codes, your mobile device must have a QR code reader app installed.

ISSN 0033-6238

12 National Gonski Week

14 Language and identity

15 Making a difference

1st Prize: $20,000 Staffroom Makeover

People’s Choice: $10,000 Staffroom Makeover

Daily prizes for voters

‘Apples’ refers to votes made on the website. Refer to www.staffroomforimprovement.com.au for terms and conditions. Promoter is QT Mutual Bank Limited ABN 83 087 651 054 and can be contacted on 13 29 30 or email on [email protected]. QTMB0014.7.14.TJ

Proudly brought to you by

Simply vote everyday to help them win.

Win your favourite school a $20,000 staffroom makeover with

Remember, the earlier you start the more ‘apples’ you can earn

staffroomforimprovement.com.au

Voting 18 August - 3 September

QTMB0014.7.14.indd 1 29/07/2014 11:41 am

News

Anti-Poverty WeekQueensland schools are being encouraged to do their bit for Anti-Poverty Week.

Anti-Poverty Week, which takes place from 12-18 October, gives all Australians an opportunity to take part in an activity highlighting or overcoming poverty and hardship in Australia or overseas.

There are three main ways your school can get involved.

• Organise an activity. • Use the week as a focus to teach

children about poverty, its causes and consequences and ways it can be prevented or resolved.

• Launch a program at your school to ensure that students who are experiencing poverty or hardship are able to fully participate in all aspects of school life. This might include, for example, performing an “inclusion review” to identify areas where those students might be excluded.

For information and ideas, visit http://antipovertyweek.org.au/organise-an-activity/how-schools-can-get-involved

Teaching profession valued in Queensland PlanCongratulations to QTU Principal Union Rep Joel Buchholz on being appointed to the Queensland Plan Ambassadors Council. He and 14 other community members will provide advice, advocacy, leadership and collaboration to help drive the implementation of the plan, released on 31 July.

Congratulations too to all the Queenslanders who made it very clear that education is one of their top priorities for this state. Education is one of the plan’s nine foundation areas, given a strong focus in itself and being inter-related to the other foundation areas of community, regions, economy, health and wellbeing, environment, people, infrastructure and governance.

While there are still some issues with the plan’s targets – including a NAPLAN-based literacy and numeracy target – this final version of the Queensland Plan takes a broader view of the value of education than the initial draft, which focused too narrowly on education for job readiness. Importantly, it also acknowledges that the teaching profession should be held in high esteem, and should have attractive working conditions, good pay, support, resources and administrative assistance.

The Queensland Government is expected to provide a response to the Queensland Plan later this year – it remains to be seen what commitments it will make to turn the “vision” into reality.

The Queensland Plan can be read on the government website at http://queenslandplan.qld.gov.au/assets/images/qld-plan.pdf

Julie BrownVICE-PRESIDENT

This is a week

when we can all

do something about

poverty

Anti-Poverty Week

This is a week

when we can all

do something about

poverty

Anti-Poverty Week

EI photo actionEducation International is launching its first world-wide photo action.

Part of the “Unite for Quality Education” campaign, the aim is to show the importance of quality education and the diverse situations to be found around the world. The pictures can either reflect the importance of teachers, of learning environments or of the teaching tools.

EI aims to organise an exhibition at its headquarters in Brussels, while some of the

pictures will also be part of a photo book that will be handed to UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon. The photo action will finish with a raffle for an iPad mini.

Entries must be submitted by 15 September. For more information, visit https://basicfront.easypromosapp.com/p/160119

4 Queensland Teachers' Journal | Vol 119 No 6

Meetings offer a chance to have your say on the future

As this Journal goes to print, QTU Workplace Reps are being asked to conduct workplace meetings around a range of issues vital to Union strategy over the coming year.

The first element will be to reaffirm the results of the ballot conducted in October last year that endorsed industrial action if the Queensland government proceeded with a number of proposals contained in either the GT=GR action plan, or in the recommendations of the Commission of Audit.

The vote of over 20,000 members for all resolutions, with support in excess of 90 per cent on each question, has been vital to preserving teaching and learning conditions.

Those votes have borne their first fruit with the finalisation of an agreement on an amended teacher performance review process after many months of patient and painstaking negotiations. The final agreed model is a far cry from the notions of performance appraisals first touted with the announcement of the GT=GR action plan in March 2013. The performance review process will commence in 2015 after a period of induction and professional development concerning its implementation (see page 9).

The key to negotiating the new process was the ballot result supporting taking industrial action if the department attempted to proceed unilaterally with an unacceptable model. Ten months later, it is important to reaffirm those ballot decisions on industrial action around things like performance bonuses, principal contracts

and performance review, and the potential abolition of class size targets.

The other purpose of the workplace meetings is to invite members around the state to nominate issues that they would like to see incorporated in one of three agreements proposed by the QTU:• professional issues• industrial and resourcing conditions • EB8 claim.

Legislation passed by this government has placed restrictions on the conditions that can be contained in enterprise bargaining agreements and negotiations. We may not be able to maintain some existing conditions in an agreement.

Also, the government’s award stripping process, under the guise of modernisation, will potentially remove some existing conditions. Certainly, in a recent letter to another Member of Parliament, the Minister suggested that the conditions no longer allowed might include class sizes, the transfer system, remote area incentives and workload management provisions. Ultimately, it will be the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission that will decide what is removed.

Irrespective of industrial relations legislation, there is no reason why these conditions cannot be maintained in non-industrial agreements between the department and the QTU. That was after all the basis of

secondary non-contact time for the first 20 years of its existence as an entitlement from the early 1970s. In the lead up to the next state election, which is due no later than June next year, the QTU will be seeking commitments from the government, and from political parties and independent candidates, that they will enter into agreement with the QTU in relation to these and other non-allowable matters. Hence, the need to develop claims and seek agreement now.

In addition to industrial conditions and resourcing issues, there is also a range of professional issues that might be the subject of an agreement. These include induction and mentoring for beginning teachers, access to professional development and consultation at state and local levels concerning the implementation of educational initiatives to name but a few. This also sits neatly with the government’s Education Accord process (see page 11).

I encourage as many members as possible to participate in these meetings to have a direct say in the Union’s direction over the coming 18 months.

Graham MoloneyGENERAL SECRETARY


Editorial

News

National coalition seeks safe schools for allA new program aiming to ensure that every student and teacher has access to a safe and inclusive learning environment is to be rolled out across Australia.

Safe Schools Coalition Australia is the first national coalition of schools bringing together school staff, students and families to create safer and more inclusive learning environments for same sex attracted, intersex and gender diverse young people. It employs a whole-of-school approach to deliver trusted and engaging training and support for staff and students.

Successfully trialled in Victoria, where it was funded by the state government, the national roll out is being driven by the Foundation for Young Australians and is funded by the federal government.

Speaking at the national launch, Parliamentary Secretary to the Education Minister, Senator Scott Ryan, said every student had the right to feel safe at school.

“While a safe and supportive school environ-ment leads to many positive impacts for students, this is not the only reason we strive for this – it is simply the right thing to do."

Joining the coalition is free and must be approved by the school’s principal. By signing up, schools commit to building a school that is free from homophobic and transphobic bullying, and is safe and inclusive for the whole school community. In exchange, the coalition will provide professional development for staff, resources and advice and support for schools to help build connective and supportive spaces for students now and in the future, including:• professional development tailored to

school and staff needs, experience and expertise

• consultation, guidance and support around specific issues and concerns

• printed and digital resources for school staff and students which provide the tools to respond to homophobia and transphobia and to actively support gender diversity, intersex and sexual diversity

• staff and student audits, to help schools get a clearer picture of what’s happening in the school and to track progress

• activities and events to inspire and support young people to lead change in schools.

While the program is currently only available in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, the program will shortly be extended to the remaining states and territories, including Queensland.

To register your interest or learn more about Safe Schools Coalition Australia, visit www.safeschoolscoalition.org.au

2014 theme: Peace for me, peace for you

Prizes:The winner of each category will receive a prize to the value of $100. Special awards (to the value of $50) may also be presented in each category.

Entries:WHO: Students in all Queensland state schools are invited to submit artwork.

SIZE: Entries must take the form of an A6 postcard (150mm x 100 mm). A template is available at www.qtu.asn.au/peaceawards

FORMAT: Hard copy or digital. Any digital entries should be submitted as a JPEG file.

All entries submitted should have the following information:

• name • school

• address • year level/category.

PLEASE NOTE: entries cannot be returned.

CLOSING DATE: 31 October 2014ENTRIES: should be sent to:

QTU Peace Awards Queensland Teachers’ Union PO Box 1750 Milton BC 4064

or by email to [email protected]

Winners will be notified by the end of November.

For further information, contact Penny Spalding at the QTU on 07 3512 9000 or email [email protected]

The QTU has proudly conducted an annual peace competition in state schools in Queensland since 1990. The Department of Education, Training and Employment has granted permission for the QTU to present Peace Awards in Queensland State Schools in 2014. Authorised by Graham Moloney, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union, 21 Graham St, Milton Q 4064

1. Prep to Year 12. Years 2 - 33. Years 4 - 6

4. Years 7 - 95. Years 10 - 126. Special education

Categories:Entries should be submitted in the following categories:

Their past is our future (part 2): lessons from UK schools


From the President

Imagine a schooling system where the government has legislated to prevent the construction of any new state schools, where high profile business people with political links to the ruling party own and run chains of schools and successful local state schools are compulsorily closed after fabricated inspections by external agencies also with links to those chains.

This is the current state of schools in England and Wales and a thundering warning for Queensland and Australia as a whole.

In the July Journal (Volume 119, number 5), I explored lessons from the Swedish school system - lessons learned from a study tour undertaken as part of a national delegation led by the Australian Education Union. This article exposes the horrible truth about the corruption of public education that can result from the logical conclusion of the policies of choice and autonomy in education that currently dominate the Australian political context.

The free school movement of Sweden has translated into the academy and free school systems in England and Wales. Of the more than 25,000 schools in those nations, almost 4,000 schools are now classified as academies and 300 are free schools. Each academy has the authority to set staff pay and conditions, employ unqualified teachers, determine its own curriculum, control enrolments and assume control of all land and assets. Forty-two free schools have opened in districts with no forecast need at a capital cost of some £241 million (AU$438 million).

The free school movement has spawned a number of school chains that are well on the

way to becoming dominant in the education system. These chains have established a dubious standard for the management of public funds to run education. Lord John Nash, a schools minister in the current UK government, is a major donor to the Conservative Party and runs the Future Academy chain.

While profit making from education is currently not permitted in England and Wales, the academies/free schools have stretched legal credibility by engaging in commercial arrangements that see large sums of money transferred to related entities for the provision of school-related services (a feature I identified in Sweden as well). Another area of concern is the central government resuming land from local authorities to be handed to chains to establish academies/free schools.

If the financial arrangements for these UK schools have a distinctly unsavoury character about them, the educational standards agenda that underpins the move to academies and free schools is revealed as a farce. Concerns about the independence of the Office of Standards for Education (OFSTED) and the role of that organisation in forcing schools to become academies, have gained prominence in the UK. Links between OFSTED inspectors and academy chains or free school sponsors have further

sullied the reputation of that organisation and fuelled community backlash against the policy as a whole. One school I visited is engaged in a High Court battle to overturn an order for the school to close and be amalgamated with a local free school.

The purported need for academies and free schools to improve the quality of education is not borne out in reality. Numerous examples exist of academies and free schools being declared “inadequate” and placed under “special measures” by OFSTED. Some 52 per cent of students in free schools are being taught in schools deemed to be “inadequate”. In May of this year, one academy chain closed after the government ordered that it not be allowed to open any new schools because of concern about falling standards. The six schools it managed were left without the means to operate as a consequence.

Many characteristics of the UK model are shared with Sweden and are the current vogue in this country. The mantra of parent choice, parental control, school autonomy and education “reform” dominates the policies and practices that have led to the dismal state of education in both nations. It is this topic that will form the basis of the last article in this series, “Lessons for Australia” to be published in the October edition of the Journal.

Kevin BatesPRESIDENT

A commonly asked question regarding the award modernisation process is “when will our awards be modernised?”

On 27 November 2013, the Industrial Relations (Fair Work Act Harmonisation No. 2) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2013 received assent. This fundamentally changed the scope and tenure of the award structure in Queensland. Part of the changes included incredibly unrealistic time frames for all parties involved, including the Industrial Relations Commission, set out by way of a notice issued by the Attorney-General.

Originally, the view of all parties was that both the Teachers’ Award – State 2012 and the TAFE Teachers’ Award – State 2012 would be scheduled for modernisation at the beginning of 2015, due to the expiry date of the relevant certified agreements and related matters.

On 2 February 2014, the Attorney-General sent out a notice stating the priority industries scheduled for award modernisation. Neither the Teachers’ Award nor the TAFE Award were listed as a priority, however the entire process was to be completed by December 2014, meaning that both awards were scheduled for the second half of the year. On 19 February, Deputy President Bloomfield advised that both awards were scheduled for modernisation in May, again shifting the process to an earlier date.

On 19 March, the Commission summoned the QTU to appear on the 24 March in relation to the same issue – the modernisation of the awards pertaining

to teaching and TAFE. In the Commission, the Department of Education, Training and Employment announced its preference for an “inside the school or TAFE gate” approach, meaning that all employees found “inside the school gate” were to be covered by the same award.

DETE alone devised this approach after reading and reviewing the Commission of Audit and the continued emphasis on devolution within the department. The QTU opposed the bringing forward of the modernisation of the awards, as well as strenuously opposing DETE’s “inside the school gate” proposal.

Deputy President Bloomfield decided to adhere to the original timeframes, with the modernisation of the education awards to commence in the second half of the year, with the parties scheduled to meet in mid/late June.

On 2 May, the Attorney-General again changed the order for award modernisation to list TAFE as a priority due for completion by April 2015. Further, on 10 June 2014, we were served by DETE who sought a Directions Order for a hearing in the Commission to prioritise both the TAFE and School Award modernisation and bring both matters forward. DETE sent another letter on 2 July to Deputy President Bloomfield seeking a change to the timeframes of the process to bring both matters forward.

When will the awards be modernised? The goal posts are constantly changing as a result of the different agendas being run by the government and DETE. The answer, quite clearly is, how long is a piece of string?

Thalia EdmondsINDUSTRIAL ADVOCATE


News

Award modernisation keeps us guessing


The QTU and DETE have signed a joint statement on the teacher performance review process.

After 24 meetings with DETE, the statement was signed on Friday 8 August. The new process is an elaboration of the Developing Performance Framework and provides a comprehensive process for teacher performance review.

These are the key things to note with respect to the new process.• A template is to be used, without

modification or pre-population of goals and sources of evidence.

• It will follow a 12 month cycle not restricted to a calendar year, which will provide teachers with an opportunity to reflect on the needs of the students they teach prior to the development of their goals.

• Goals will be considered in the school context and in accordance with the proficient standard of the AITSL Professional Standards for Teachers, and

are to be jointly agreed between the teacher and the supervisor.

• Simplistic numerical targets such as goals have been removed.

• There is a requirement that evidence used for reflection on performance and development of teachers as aligned to the goals is jointly agreed.

• Levels of achievement have been removed, i.e. no ranking system.

• There is no requirement to maintain a digital portfolio of evidence.

The new process is supported by a step-by-step guide, and processes for familiarisation prior to the implementation of the new process are being jointly developed between the QTU and DETE.

The annual teacher performance review process will replace the Developing Performance Framework.

DETE reveals plans for master teacherDETE has provided the negotiators with a draft position description (PD) regarding master teacher.

The PD is closely aligned to that of literacy and numeracy coaches and heads of curriculum in primary and special schools. The key distinction is that DETE has included a requirement for a master teacher to hold a Masters in education or teaching.

The QTU has rejected this requirement, as it undermines the current classification structure. We have also advised DETE that, in terms of the Recruitment and Selection Directive, the following applies:

“Mandatory qualification means a qualification that is essential for the occupant of a role to hold in order to comply with an industrial instrument or to satisfy legal, accreditation or registration requirements or where a chief executive determination has been made. A chief executive may make a determination in relation to any role within their agency, provided that before making a determination (and where applicable) the chief executive consults with any agencies that have roles identical or

substantially similar to that proposed to have mandatory qualifications attached and with the CCE of the PSC.”

Given that similar roles exist within the classification structure and the award that currently do not require the qualification, the QTU finds the requirement for both a Masters qualification and an EST classification as not essential to the role.

Joint statement signed on teacher performance review

GT=GR

The new process partly completes Action 1 of Great Teachers = Great Results. However, it is important to note that it was QTU members’ preparedness to take industrial action that has ensured that the new process is not an appraisal process with rankings, but a supportive process that allows for reflection and development of practice.

Kate RuttimanDEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY


The long process of securing a new enterprise bargaining agreement for members has begun.

In accordance with the strategy shared with members earlier this year, the QTU has commenced the development of the enterprise bargaining (EB) claim for EB8. While negotiations are not due to commence until 1 July 2015, changes to industrial relations legislation mean that it is essential that the QTU begins developing its claim now.

These changes impact on the contents of the claim, and the future contents of all certified agreements, with those matters that must be removed under the award stripping process also having to be removed from EB negotiations.

The early development of the EB claim will allow us to address these non-allowable matters (as described by the legislation), which are:• “contracting provisions” that restrict or

set conditions on contracting out of services

• employment security provisions• union encouragement provisions• policy incorporation• training arrangements

• workload management• delivery of services • workforce planning.

Under the terms of the legislation, no claim relating to matters as described above can form part of an EB claim. If such a claim is included, the Union would be prohibited from taking protected industrial action and the matter could not be arbitrated (should the negotiations lead to arbitration).

Consequently, following the consideration of those matters members want included as part of EB negotiations, the QTU will determine which matters should form part of the EB claim and which will have to be processed as part of education compacts to be negotiated and committed to with the current and future governments of Queensland.

The process of claim developmentThe claim for EB8 will be developed through input from workplaces, branches and area councils, which have been asked to convene meetings at which the EB claim is one of the major items of discussion.

A summary of suggestions will then be provided to QTU Executive, with the suggestions divided into two groups: those that can be pursued through the EB claim and campaign, and those that will have to be pursued through professional and teaching and learning condition compacts with this and future governments.

Following the compilation of these lists, the QTU will put a refined claim to members for consideration. A preliminary outline of the EB claim and the claims around the education compacts will be considered by September Council, which meets on Saturday 13 September.

The information provided by members will also be used to inform those people attending the Education Accord about those matters which QTU members believe are an imperative part of a quality education system within Queensland.

Kate RuttimanDEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY

Pictured: QTU members attended meetings and rallies across the state during EB7 in 2012.

EB8 process underway

EB8


News

The state government’s proposal for an Education Accord for the development of education over the next 30 years, and the summit scheduled for 25 September, provide an excellent opportunity for the QTU and its members to argue for improvements around a range of professional, organisational and resource issues.

The Education Accord idea arises from the prominence of education as an issue in the Queensland Plan consultations and its eminence as the first of the plan’s foundation areas. Each Member of Parliament has been asked to select a principal, a teacher and a parent to attend the summit, and a number have already been running round-tables in their electorates for the stakeholders.

The QTU and other organisations have also been invited to participate in the summit, which is to be organised around seven key questions.• How do we ensure that all young

Queenslanders have access to an affordable, high-quality education, regardless of their circumstances? In particular, how do we ensure young people in rural and remote locations have access to world-class educational opportunities that build on the strengths and potential of our regions?

• With competing demands on available resources, how do we ensure the school system and schools have the agility, flexibility and autonomy to keep improving in the changing environment over the next 30 years?

• What qualities do we – as parents, educators, business leaders and community members – expect young Queenslanders will gain from their school

education?• How do we ensure that schools equip

students with the skills, knowledge, aptitudes and values they need to strengthen our economy and participate in a globalised 21st century world?

• How do we assure and improve the quality of teaching and learning in our schools? How do we attract, retain and develop the very best teachers and school leaders?

• How do we support young Queenslanders in making a successful transition from home or early childhood education and care to school, and from school to further education, training and employment?

• How can we develop greater engagement and partnerships between schools and their communities (including parents and carers, other education and training providers, local government and community organisations, businesses and industry)?

A preliminary question, however, might be to consider the goals of schooling. All too often debates about education are reduced to a goal of preparation for employment, neglecting other goals of education for personal growth of the individual and the development of community and active citizenship.

The Melbourne declaration was the last joint statement of the Commonwealth and each of the states and territories concerning the goals of schooling. However it is not clear whether that declaration remains the position of the Queensland Government.

The QTU is encouraging members to participate in local round-tables concerning the Education Accord and to seek the opportunity to participate in the summit on 25 September. Members around the state can have some influence by contributing to the online questionnaire, which can be accessed through the department’s website. The aim is to develop the 30 year vision for the future of education in the state, just as the Queensland Plan itself is supposed to be a 30 year vision for the state overall. That is a worthy objective, and the Accord, if achieved, will be a valuable document. There remains, however, a sense of urgency about some immediate objectives. As Ken Boston said in addressing the QTU Education Leaders Conference about the Gonski funding reforms in May this year, the eight-year-old student in our schools today will only ever be an eight-year-old once. It is imperative that we give them the best opportunity that we can possibly give them now.

Graham MoloneyGENERAL SECRETARY

Education Accord is an opportunity

Thank youNational Gonski Week (July 28 to August 3) saw teachers and principals across Australia holding events with parents and MPs to discuss the benefits of equitable school funding and the impact of the Abbott government's decision to abandon the full six years of Gonski. Huge thanks to all of you who took part

The Gonski basketball team, featuring six teachers, which competes in the Northern Peninsula Area

Basketball Association comp

Federal MP for Blair Shayne Neumann joins a Gonski breakfast in Ipswich

Murray Caswell, Laura Crump and Janelle Cliffe, take the message to Greens Senator Larissa Waters.

Brent Brown discusses Gonski with the P&C at Charleville School of Distance Education (via teleconference).

Getting the message at a Gonski afternoon tea at

Woodford P-10

Tea time at Dalby South State SchoolF

Federal MP for Lilley Wayne Swan joins QTU President Kevin Bates at Wavell State High School


Senate report calls for reinstatement of Gonski


School fundingThank you

The report of the Senate Select Committee on School Funding is recommended reading, not just because it validates what we do, but also because it gives an insight into the way those who oppose Gonski think.

The committee recommended, as one of eight recommendations, that the Australian Government honour its pre-election commitment to implement the national needs-based, sector-blind funding model incorporated in the National Plan for School Improvement to improve equity across Australian schools.

The committee in particular recommended that the Australian Government should commit to a six-year transition to a nationally consistent schooling resource standard.

The committee also made a number of recommendations regarding students with a disability, including that: • ""the government moves as a matter of

urgency to a disability loading based on student actual need"

• "the federal government honours its election commitment for increased funding to cover unmet need for students with a disability".

A number of those who provided evidence to the committee made extremely salient points.

Much is made of choice in the rhetoric of those who seek to undermine public schools. Appearing in a private capacity, Monash University senior lecturer Dr David Zygnier stated: “School choice is exercised in Australia, favouring those with resources to exercise that choice while reducing

opportunities for disadvantaged students who are increasingly sitting in classrooms alongside their own disadvantaged peers.”

Professor Stephen Dinham, National President of the Australian College of Education, said this of the Abbott government’s changes: “It is hard not to conclude that what we are seeing is a deliberate strategy to dismantle public education, partly for ideological and partly for financial reasons.”

And while there has been increased education funding from 2000 – 2012, former Gonski Review panellist Dr Ken Boston pointed out that this has been far from needs-based and sector-blind, and national performance has declined as a result: “The issue is that increased funding is not spent strategically. Too much is being spent on schools that do not need it. Not enough is being spent on what matters where it matters.”

That is the point that those supporting a new funding model have been consistently making – diverting the rivers of funding to those who are already flooded with money rather than sending it to those areas suffering a shortage will not improve the overall outcome.

Not all the comments were that sensible however. A minority report from the Coalition Senators devoted significant ink to attacking the messenger, condemning

the AEU for sloganeering, using emotive rhetoric and distorting the public debate.

Those who put the minority view included a number of right wing think-tankers and members of the commentariat who displayed a complete lack of understanding of the principles that underpinned the Gonski recommendations.

They showed no awareness that Gonski is about targeting educational disadvantage, creating a meritocracy and spending where it is needed – in short, that educational outcomes should be determined by how smart and how diligent the students are, not by the income of their parents.

Or perhaps they are aware and that is why they are afraid of Gonski - because they believe that a quality education should remain the privilege of the already privileged.

Certainly, while those government senators responsible for the minority report state that “as a function of their birth right, each Australian citizen is equitably entitled to an excellent education,” their actions are completely at odds with their words.

Barry WelchDEPUTY GENERAL SECRETARY

You can read the report here http://tinyurl.com/senate-sfr

Rockhampton14 Queensland Teachers' Journal | Vol 119 No 6

Gandu Jarjum

As someone wanting to know more about my own people, the thing that really struck me was the importance of language, the preservation of it and the teaching of it. It’s not just about learning our language, it’s about understanding our language, the messages, the meanings, the culture that is behind all those words. Professor Leroy Little Bear said it this way: “When we teach our kids our language, we are teaching them about where their heart is.”

It dawned upon me that not just here in Australia but all around the world, different cultures have a generation of people who do not know their own language. Some grandparents try to teach the children, but who do they talk to in language? Their parents can’t, their school is in English, the radio, TV, books, newspapers, all other media is in English. How can they use the words they are learning? In Canada, only 2 per cent of the Indigenous population under 25 can speak their language.

In workshops I learned about two programs addressing this issue.

The Master – Apprentice Program, which was presented by Dr Onowa McIvor from the University of Victoria in Canada, helps adults learn the language through immersion. The “apprentice” visits a person skilled in their language (the “master” or “mentor”) and hangs out with them, conversing only in language. The apprentice is evaluated after 100 hours. They do not do literacy until they became advanced speakers.

In New Zealand, Maoris have become disconnected from their country, and it is hard to teach language to people who are not even there. The “Te Pumanawa” app, presented by Stuart Hese from New Zealand, can be purchased from iTunes and

allows you to log in (if you are a member of the family group) and learn lessons: cultural, language and more. It not only lets you watch/hear the lesson being taught on country, it provides a recorder to practise your words and send on to your elder for correction or praise. I know I would use this and could see how teachers could use this app in their classroom for our disconnected children.

I was fortunate enough to go on a tour for my Huaka’i (excursion) and saw how two programs were being implemented in Hawaii.

The first is through Keiki O Ka Aina Family Learning Centres, a grass-roots non-profit program. I was invited into the Parent Participation Preschool, a travelling preschool which meets in different communities around the island. Its program is literacy based and full of cultural teachings. Kids can attend from age three months until they are five years old and their parents or caregivers must stay. They open

and close with a circle time where stories, songs and language are the focus.

The second is the ‘Aha Punana Leo language nest, which provides a cultural educational environment that emulates Mauli Ola Hawai’i (Hawaiian language and culture). The school is for Hawaiian children only between the ages of three and five years old. The classes are all taught in language and on a Wednesday parents or family come to learn what their children learned that week so they can discuss it at home. They also learn the language so they can use it with their children.

One of the final messages of the conference was: “We are the salt and the light of our communities”. Let us go out and be that shining light and lead the way to ensure our cultures and languages last.

Amanda PowerGANDU JARJUM

Amanda Power represented the QTU at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education in Hawaii, a triennial opportunity to share ideas about education, cultural practice and cultural knowledge. Here she explains what she learned.

The importance of language

Visiting the 'Aha Punano Leo Preschool in Honolulu

Brisbane


School funding

Nelson Mandela described education as being “a powerful weapon to change the world” – at Yarrabah State School we are all working extremely hard to ensure that our students are equipped to guarantee this change is achieved.

Yarrabah State School is situated in the Yarrabah Aboriginal Council, which is approximately 50 kilometres by road from Cairns. It caters for students from pre-prep to year 10 and has a successful Remote Area Teacher Education Program (RATEP) allowing students to continue their learning journey. Students attending the school are of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent and enter school with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Most students speak Yarrie Lingo (Kriol) as their home language and are taught standard Australian English as an additional language at school.

Yarrabah is a thriving and diverse community with many people, cultures and histories. The community also faces inter-generational challenges. These challenges include high unemployment and families living in poverty, which stem from long-term social issues that have been the result of the marginalisation and discrimination of First Peoples Australians.

Although students from Yarrabah State School face a range of challenges in

their everyday life, over the past few years, students and teachers have been changing views and opinions in Far North Queensland. We have installed specific programs within each cohort, tailored to the learning needs of our students. This has seen huge improvements in our reading and NAPLAN data, with rapid student improvements and our students’ increasing desire to read resulting in the school having to investigate other reading and learning programs and purchase more challenging books. A mother at our recent Foundation Day celebrations even advised me that “the school has improved to the point that it is now positively impacting on the community”.

The school has also successfully put in place a LOTE program, connecting students to Yarrabah’s history through the teaching of the traditional language of the Gunggandji people, the traditional owners of the land. Students, for the first time, are connecting cultural language with school and are also learning valuable lessons in their history, as well as learning a third language.

It is very clear that students and staff at Yarrabah State School are working hard, having success and reaching goals. Despite this, the educational gap between my students in Yarrabah and those in other schools within Queensland is widening. The gap is getting bigger and unfortunately we find ourselves in a situation where our achievements thus far are redundant due to the loss of focus on fair resourcing and funding for all students, no matter what their circumstances.

If my students had access to both adequate health and educational resources I am 100 per cent sure that they would be achieving at a higher level. The staff members at Yarrabah State School are hard-working and dedicated to their profession, but without adequate resources and funding, students can only achieve to a certain level, as teachers can only provide the necessities.

There is no simple solution, we all accept that. Fair funding and resourcing, however, creates an even playing field, offering the opportunity for all our students to reach their full potential. If we can achieve that, then I believe that we will have taken a step in the right direction.

Tom McCartneyQTU UNION REP

Extra resources can change lives

Pictured: Nathan Schrieber (Traditional Owner of Yarrabah) talks to Kailen and Nadia Yeatman (left). Tom McCartney lends a helping hand to Symaan Ambrym and Shiniqwa Murgha (right).


LegalNews

The expression of interest process to become an Independent Public School (IPS) opened on 17 July and closes on 5 September.

The QTU does not support schools nominating for the IPS program, as a result of the department and government’s failure to recognise teachers as key stakeholders in last year’s IPS decisions.

Last year, schools in which the majority of QTU members voted against the program were still selected for IPS, despite statements made by the Minister that he would not support a school becoming IPS if the staff did not support the nomination. The Director-General justified the selection of these schools by stating that the school staff were one stakeholder in the process, but were weighted no differently from the community and students. This statement contradicts those made by the Minister.

The QTU believes that the staff at the school are the most significant stakeholder group and that their views should prevail when determining whether a school should become an IPS. At least one school was selected even though the department was aware that the nomination had been submitted against the wishes of QTU members at the school, who had clearly voted against nominating to become an IPS.

The QTU has continued to work with any school that chose to become IPS in spite of a staff ballot against the nomination.

What action do we take if our school is considering becoming an IPS?Should your school be considering nominating for IPS, the QTU’s advice is that members should participate in the consultation process and conduct a ballot regarding their school’s nomination for the program. For the reasons identified above, the Union encourages members to vote against nominating to become an IPS. A clear no vote will send a message to

the Minister that he needs to listen to QTU members. The acceptance of nominations from schools at which the staff have clearly voted against IPS will further demonstrate to members the Minister’s determination to ignore their point of view and attack the profession. However, where members vote in favour of their school nominating to become IPS, the QTU does not oppose the school doing so.

What does this mean for those members in IPS?The withdrawal of support for IPS will not impact on those members who are currently in IPS. The QTU will continue to work to support all members and to advocate to protect the working conditions of members in all settings across Queensland.

BackgroundThe QTU has never supported the rationale of the IPS program, but it did not oppose schools wanting to nominate for IPS under certain conditions.

In 2013, the QTU’s position statement on IPS clearly indicated that “the QTU supports schools that wish to exercise increased school autonomy, within the following parameters.• Schools wishing to move to models

of higher degrees of school based management and decision making, do so only after a thorough process of consultation with and approval by the school community, including endorsement by the local consultative committee.

• School funds that are allocated to the school for staffing must be used for the employment of staff.

• Notional allocations for staffing should be used rather than real dollar allocations to schools for staffing.

• All state schools should remain a part of a continuing viable transfer system for classroom teachers and relocation system for classified officers.

• Where schools move to a model of governance incorporating school councils, the role of those councils will focus only on broad strategic direction.

• The government retains responsibility for funding of specific systemic imperatives eg. workers compensation, workplace health and safety requirements.

• School decisions and actions are compliant with existing industrial agreements and conditions within certified agreement or established memoranda of agreement .

• Any scheme must be the subject of negotiation and agreement between the QTU and the department, and the agreement must be in an enforceable form."

The QTU did oppose schools nominating for IPS in 2012, because at the time the department had not negotiated a set of guarantees protecting members whose schools entered the program. It was negotiation of the IPS Memorandum of Agreement that allowed the QTU to step back from recommending that schools not nominate for IPS in 2013.

As stated in the Newsflash sent on 30 April, should DETE and the government give a commitment that the views of QTU members will prevail when determining which schools should become IPS, then the QTU may review its current position.

For further information regarding the consultation process for IPS, please access the QTU IPS Consultation Kit at www.qtu.asn.au/ipskit

Paige BousenASSISTANT SECRETARY - EDUCATION LEADERS

IPS expressions of interest process

Tieri

News


With year seven set to move to high schools in 2015, the coming months will be challenging for many current primary teachers. Here QTU member Sam Colbert draws on her own experience of sector change to offer a few words of advice.

I remember well my own sector change. On my first day at a new country school, the principal delighted in welcoming me to my 6/7 composite class. No, no, I hastened to correct him, I’m a secondary teacher. He shook my hand and smiled. “Not anymore, you’re not.”

Of course, if you’re reading this, your impending sector change won’t be quite so unexpected. Nevertheless, you may be feeling trepidation along with the inevitable anticipation and excitement. Take it from someone who has made the switch both involuntarily and voluntarily; it needn’t be such an epic event! Keep a few key things in mind and be ready to meet junior secondary as though you were born to it.

Assimilate. Get your Borg on and absorb everything you can. There is no need to lose your professional expertise as a primary teacher; indeed, others will be looking to you as an expert and will regularly seek you

out for ideas and advice. However, there are many things that will be unfamiliar and you have to grasp them – fast!

Build your team. You’ll be starting out with several other teachers who are in exactly the same situation and you can be an invaluable support for each other. There are no prizes for going it alone and we all need to celebrate, commiserate and vent now and then. Talk out issues, innovate with solutions and become the architects of junior secondary in your school.

Participate with your whole heart. Start a club, coach a team, attend everything, dress up on sports day, get on the floor at the disco, decorate your classroom... The kids, big and small, will love you for it.

Work shadow the senior school teachers. Whenever you can, check out some senior classes or get out and about in the senior playground areas. It can be intimidating

the first time you have to supervise a senior class or activity, and they will respond to you much more readily if you are a familiar face.

Hold on to your best practice. One of the hardest changes from primary to secondary is the loss of flexibility in your timetable. You can easily feel overwhelmed with having to fit every activity into a tightly specified time. It’s important to marry this lack of flexibility with those excellent activities and strategies in your repertoire. Collaborate with your team, be willing to compromise and pare your teaching down to those essential skills. Be prepared though, it will be a big adjustment.

The transition of year 7 to secondary presents a unique opportunity for upper primary teachers to step into a new sector environment while still teaching within their comfort zone. Make the move to make your mark on junior secondary education in Queensland.

Sam Colbert QTU UNION REP

Preparing for the year seven transition

News


Enterprise bargaining negotiations have made it clear that TAFE Queensland has a strong desire to eliminate non-attendance time (NAT leave).

Despite this, current entitlements and arrangements relating to NAT leave as specified in the TAFE Teachers’ Award, the Senior College Teachers’ Award and the TAFE Educational Employees Certified Agreement continue to apply, and members should firmly resist attempts by over-enthusiastic management or HR personnel to diminish their access to NAT leave or to unilaterally set conditions on how it may be accessed or used.

While TAFE teachers and tutors (and other TAFE employees) were transferred from the Queensland public service to the TAFE Queensland statutory authority on 1 July, the TAFE Teachers’ Award, the Senior College Teachers’ Award and the TAFE Educational Employees Certified Agreement (including those provisions relating to NAT leave) continue to apply.

NAT is a personal entitlement which can be taken as leave. It is considered leave because unused NAT is paid out on a pro-rata basis on resignation in the same way that unused recreation leave is paid out when an employee resigns. Staff can be recalled

from NAT in the same way that they can be recalled from long service or recreation leave, but the NAT must be re-credited.

There have been instances of QTU members being incorrectly informed that NAT leave is no longer fully available or that the provisions in the award and agreement no longer apply. Any suggestions of this nature should be quickly and firmly rebutted.

Alternatively, some managers in TAFE institutes seek to require teachers and tutors to undertake preparatory tasks during their NAT leave and cite the certified agreement as the authoritative source. This common misunderstanding has arisen because of the wording of the certified agreement clauses about the programming of NAT. In this context, the agreement mentions that it should provide an “opportunity for staff to prepare all necessary work”. The critical word in this clause is “opportunity”, which the Union reads strongly to mean “option” or “choice”, in the same way that teachers in the schools sector have the option or choice to undertake preparation during school vacation periods.

The only obligation that teachers have in relation to NAT is that they must return after their NAT leave prepared to start teaching on day one of the new term or semester. If a teacher has undertaken all necessary preparation for the commencement of delivery at some other time (on week nights or weekends leading up to the taking of NAT), then NAT can be taken as leave.

The TAFE Teachers Award, the Senior College Teachers’ Award and the TAFE Educational Employees Certified Agreement can be accessed on the QTU website (www.qtu.asn.au).

John McCollowINDUSTRIAL SERVICES OFFICER

TAFE: NAT entitlements still apply


TAFE

TAFE's share of Certificate 3 Guarantee funding in the 2013-14 financial year was $63 million. That sounds like a lot of money, but according to the Minister for Education Training and Employment's response to a question on notice at the recent Estimates hearings, it was just 49.6 per cent of the total pot.

The most chilling aspect is that private providers received the remaining 50.4 per cent ($64 million actual expenditure) for delivering only 19 qualifications in the FY13/14 funding period. Only 19 qualifications were open to private providers under the first iteration of the Certificate 3 funding model, and for most of that year it was only 12; the remaining qualifications where phased in later in the year.

The current financial year sees 105 Certificate 3 and a medley of other lower qualifications up for grabs by all pre-qualified providers, as Queensland goes fully competitive. Some of these pre-qualified RTOs are interstate companies or interstate TAFE colleges. This foreshadows the marginalisation of TAFE as a provider in Queensland, in spite of the best efforts of those employed in TAFE Queensland, and threatens TAFE as the benchmark for quality provision.

The impact on quality of the marketisation of training through the introduction of private for-profit providers has been the subject of much debate over the past decade and a half. Some argue for the increased flexibility and innovation that marketisation seems to drive. Others argue that with the profit motive as the key driver, educational quality suffers. What hasn’t been examined to date is the economic impact of marketisation and competition policies.

In his recent article “Contracting out publicly funded vocational education: A transaction cost critique”, published in The Economic and Labour Relations Review, Phillip Toner of the University of Sydney draws together evidence of the effects of 15 years of contracting out training provision by government and runs it through the filter of “transaction cost economics” to see if the result is worth the price paid.

Toner points out that the move to competition is based on the 60-year-old ideas of Milton Friedman, who championed the separation of the government roles of provider and purchaser of educational services. Friedman’s argument was that private providers would increase pedagogical innovation, decrease costs and be more proactive in meeting the needs of employers and students.

However, the evidence points to different conclusions. While the market does throw up increased flexibility and innovation, it is often at the expense of adequate delivery and rigorous assessment practices. This is exacerbated by the unwitting collaboration of

students and private providers to get the qualifications issued for the least cost and in the shortest time possible. Providers maximise profit at the expense of contact with students and through ensuring that failure is not an option. Students don’t complain about poor quality provision as long as they get the piece of paper quickly and cheaply.

The one provider that has no incentive to cheat the system and cut corners is TAFE. In his conclusion, Toner says: “Funding needs to be re-balanced to the public VET provider to assign the task of delivering this critical service to the organisation which has within it the least incentive and opportunity to diminish quality.”

Toner makes it clear in his analysis that he is not against markets as a mechanism for the distribution of government services, but he identifies that leaving it to the unfettered market constitutes a risk of poor provision and assessment of vocational skills that is a cost for the community and economy that is too high to pay.

Queensland is about to discover the true price of conducting broad scale social and economic experiments based on decades-old philosophical ideas that fly in the face of critical evidence.

David TeraudsTAFE ORGANISER

VET experiments will come at a cost

What are you doing Mr Langbroek?

Restructuring TAFE!

Getting blood from a stone

News

A common theme among speakers at the recent annual general meeting of the Australian Education Union (AEU) National TAFE Council was strategy – on how to get blood from a stone.

There is no doubt that TAFE is suffering from a severe lack of lifeblood. The position is grave, with huge increases in student fees, cuts to courses and campuses, the loss of thousands of jobs, and the move to contract out TAFE facilities to private providers. We were called on to reconceptualise and rethink our role, to campaign and activate to save our TAFEs.

Angelo Gavrielatos, Federal President of the AEU, urged us to harness the state elections to send a message via voters. Richard Dennis, Executive Director of The Australia Institute, Canberra, advised us to look at what the other side did right – why did they win and we lose? Don’t stick to the same story. Look to be different to gain media attention. According to John Mitchell, Managing Director of a research, evaluation and consulting company specialising in education, health and the public sector, we need to keep our dignity, but be smarter with media techniques, and reinvent ourselves.

We heard from two Greens politicians, Senator Lee Rhiannon and Senator John Kaye. Both were understanding of our current position, the downside of contestability, and the importance of connecting with our local communities to spread the message about stopping TAFE cuts. Professor John Buchanan, Director of the Workplace Research Centre at the University of Sydney, talked of navigating a retreat, and thinking about how you want to come back. He also suggested competent managers were critical to our success.

Arthur Rorris, Secretary of NSW South Coast Labour Council, touted story telling – relate

to people’s lives, don’t just present them with facts and figures. We witnessed the strength of this strategy in the enthusiastic, personal presentation from Miriam, an arts student from Adelaide – her story buoyed everyone, with her passion for TAFE and what it has brought to her life.

We resolved to call on governments to restore funding removed from the TAFE system and publicly recognise and affirm the important role of TAFE as the public provider in giving access to training and retraining in areas of high and low demand (particularly in rural and remote areas), and in support of improved access and participation for disadvantaged learners.

Now we have to work out how to achieve this! Take your strategies to your next branch meeting, and let’s not just chip away at the problem, but crack it open!

Gail Anzolin QTU TAFE COUNCIL

Aussie teachers - bigger classes and longer hoursAustralian teachers are working longer hours and teaching bigger classes than the OECD average, new figures have revealed.

The OECD’s Teaching and Learning in Schools (TALIS) Report 2013 reveals that Australian teachers worked an average of 42.7 hours per week, compared with the OECD average of 38.3, and spent 7.4 hours doing administration or management, compared with the 4.5 hour OECD average. The average class size in Australian schools was 24.7 students, above the OECD average of 24, and far bigger than high-performing school systems such as Finland (17.8).

The report shows that:• 26 per cent of teachers were working

in schools at which more than 30 per cent of students come from low income households, above the OECD average of 20 per cent

• Australia is struggling to attract experienced teachers to rural and regional areas

• Australian principals have, on average, a high degree of autonomy over issues such as hiring teachers compared to other OECD countries.

To browse the report, visit http://tinyurl.com/oecd-talis



Opinion

Thank goodness people like that exist, as there’s no doubt that even the most positive of people must have been tested during this past couple of months.

It’s been a pretty heavy term three – getting on with everyday life at school while tragedies occur on the other side of the world and closer to home, impacting on all of us in different ways.

It’s not always easy to remain positive, stay upbeat and keep things light. National depression initiative BeyondBlue estimates that more than 3 million Australians are living with depression and anxiety. Most of us have experienced feelings of stress and worry, but anxiety and depression are different – they don’t pass once the stressful event passes. According to BeyondBlue: “Anxiety is when these anxious feelings don’t subside. Anxiety is when they (stress and worry) are ongoing and exist without any particular reason or cause. It’s a serious condition that makes it hard for a person to cope with daily life. We all feel anxious from time to time, but for a person experiencing anxiety, these feelings cannot be easily controlled.”

We can all play a role in ensuring that our workplaces are conducive to good mental health. It’s not just about taking care of ourselves, it’s also about supporting others. As resources available from Heads up (www.headsup.org.au), the website encouraging mentally healthy workplaces, put it: “If you’re concerned about a colleague, learning more about the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety is a good place to start. It’s not your role to provide a diagnosis or counselling – that’s what health professionals are for – but you can encourage them to seek support and let them know you’re there to help.”

R U OK? Day is a national day of action held annually in September which may offer a starting place for regular, open conversations about teacher wellbeing in our schools. Organisations like R U OK? and BeyondBlue provide a range of resources to help us to start these conversations.

There are, of course, excellent services available specifically for teachers, and at a time of high stress or anxiety it can help to talk with someone who understands “teacher world”. TUH members can access Supportline and the Department of

Education, Training and Employment also provides the Employee Assistance service. These services are available not only for work-related stress and anxiety but also for support related to personal circumstances.

These issues aren’t easy, but they are important. As unionists, we understand the power of the collective and the need to care for one another.

As they say during the airline safety demonstration: “Fit your own mask before helping others”. We will only be the best teachers, colleagues and unionists we can be when we are taking care of ourselves. A healthy teacher is healthy both physically and mentally.

Let’s take some time this month to think about how “mentally healthy” our workplaces are. It may change someone’s life.

Sam Pidgeon HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENT

If I only had a blog ...

Do you have one of those colleagues who makes you laugh at just the right time? Someone who manages to stay positive in the face of a heavy workload and ever increasing demands? Perhaps you are that person.

Further information:

BeyondBlue www.beyondblue.org.au

Heads Up www.headsup.org.au

R U OK Day www.ruokday.com

Lifeline 13 11 14

Employee Assistance (DETE) http://education.qld.gov.au/health/ contacts/contacts-ea.html

TUH Supportline 1800 655 302

Taking care of your mental

health in the workplace

A guide for employees

www.headsup

.org.au

Taking care of your mental

health in the workplaceA guide for employees

www.headsup.org.au

Need crisis support now? We’re here to help.

Department of Education, Training and Employment

1400

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Activists

The AEU created the annual Rosemary Richards’ Scholarship to provide women unionists with the opportunity to increase their skills and experience in their union’s work at a state/territory/national or international level. Last year’s successful applicant, Leah Olssen, explains the opportunities it has opened up to her.

Since the LNP government came to power in 2012, teachers have been faced with attacks on Labour Day, the cancellation of organisations that support women, the failure to consult with teachers before announcing reforms (GT=GR) and the onset of “award modernisation” stripping away conditions. Given these sweeping changes, it is vitally important that teachers know their working conditions and the potential ramifications such changes will have on teachers and Queensland education.

So in 2013, with the encouragement and support of my Organiser, Kevina O’Neill, and Assistant Secretary - Women’s and Social Welfare Issues Penny Spalding, I successfully applied for the AEU’s Rosemary Richards’ Scholarship. My plan was to develop and facilitate “know your working conditions” workshops for women members in target areas, identified by organisers around the state.

The “Your Rights, Your Union” workshops focus on women in QTU structures, outlining the role women have played over the past 125 years, defining the organisational structure of the QTU, promoting Union activism and encouraging women to engage in their Union, and educating women so they can understand their working conditions and increase their capacity and willingness to assert their professional and industrial rights.

Successful workshops have been held in Rockhampton, Gold Coast (pictured), Shailer Park and Browns Plains. I’ve had conversations with women about what is

happening in their area, and many of the issues are the same around the state, with workload intensification being a particular concern. Others commented that “teachers are given information that simply is not accurate and at the workshops it was great to hear the facts from people who know.”

The scholarship also gave me the opportunity to work-shadow QTU Organisers, attend professional development courses facilitated by the QTU and visit a meeting of the Central Queensland Area Council.

I also attended a new educators professional development day at Milton and a Union Reps training afternoon in Mackay. More "Your Rights, Your Union" workshops for women are planned for other areas around the state later in the year.

With the endorsement of WTGEC (the QTU’s Women Teachers’ and Girls Education

Committee), I have begun work on a ‘flexible work options’ kit for members, which will provide information on part-time teaching, applications and draft letters to principals and tips for those returning to work.

The Rosemary Richards’ Scholarship has provided me with the chance to expand my industrial knowledge and implement different strategies in my own workplace gained through experience by liaising and work-shadowing with QTU Organisers and Officers. My public speaking skills have improved, as has my confidence when speaking at forums/meetings/rallies and participating in debate at State and Area Council meetings.

Leah OlssonQTU EXECUTIVE

The Rosemary Richards Scholarship: what it did for me

New in the QTU Library

A history of Australian schooling Craig Campbell & Helen Proctor Allen & Unwin , 2014

A social history of school education in Australia, from dame schools and one-teacher classrooms in the bush, to the growth of private schools under public funding in recent years.

I’ve got something to say: how student voices inform our teaching David Booth Pembroke Publishers, 2013

This book discusses how to inspire your students to buy into their own learning by giving them a voice in determining, organising, structuring and responding to what is happening in the classroom.

How to teach thinking skills within the Australian Curriculum James Bellanca, Robin Fogarty & Brian Pete Hawker Brownlow Education 2012

The Australian Curriculum has been designed to make F–12 students university - and career - ready in mathematics, English, history, geography, science and technical

subjects. This practical guide prepares you to teach to the standards, across all year levels and content areas.

Taking God to school: the end of Australia’s egalitarian education? Marion Maddox Allen & Unwin, 2014

Maddox demonstrates that our governments are systematically demolishing the once proud free, compulsory and secular education system, in favour of taxpayer-funded dogma and division.

Teachers under pressure Maurice Galton and John MacBeath Sage Publications/NUT 2008

This book discusses and discovers the many factors that are in play

when it comes to aspects of teacher welfare and conditions. The authors point to a number of case studies in both the primary and secondary contexts, as well as reaching out to references to support their claims. Of particular note is the societal factors that the book points out, noting “at a time when many people view schools as one of the few intact social organisations, students arrive with very different attitudes, motivations and needs than their counterparts of three or four decades ago”. It continues by recognising the specific challenges teachers face in educating the modern child.

However, this book also recognises the context of a teacher – including managing consistent policy changes, inclusive education and teacher turnover – and understands the reality of working from 7am to 6pm some days, including weekends and holidays. But it concludes by reminding us of the role of the teacher who knows when to stop underestimating themselves or their abilities. "Teachers Under Pressure" is a very impressive read that engages practitioners and encourages them to reflect on their career, and what they can do to ensure the longevity of what is a rewarding profession.

The frazzled teacher’s wellness plan (2nd edition) J. Allen Queen and Patsy S. Queen Corwin, 2013

Have you ever wanted a recipe for your overall professional life as specific as the ones you use to cook your evening meal? If so, this is a must read. Organised into five easy to manage steps, the authors have given you the secret tools for being “as

productive as your talents will allow you to be”. Armed with the knowledge that the combination of stress and teaching are inevitable, this book will ensure you have an understanding of

the stress associated with our profession, teaches you to “prepare for, prevent, and deal with school-related stress and be able to identify and separate the good from the bad types of stress. It’s as easy as this.

• Step 1: identifying schools as a culture of stress

• Step 2: restructuring personal and teaching priorities for a healthy lifestyle

• Step 3: mastering the science of stress management for better health

• Step 4: arresting time bandits at home and at school

• Step 5: using nutrition to support a healthy lifestyle.

If this seems to suit your current dieting requirements, then it would be strongly recommended you take a dose of “The frazzled teacher’s wellness plan”. It’s well worth a look.

Aleksandr Taylor-GoughFORMER ACTING RESEARCH OFFICER

Come across something in your professional reading you'd like to share? Why not submit a review (maximum 300 words) to [email protected]

Professional reading updateTeacher workload, stress and wellbeing

The QTU Library stocks these and other books and journals and indexes journal articles, websites and other resources of interest. Check out www.qtu.asn.au/library for updates on resources or to send a library request form.

Professional reading


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Things you need to know: Salary packaging is only available to eligible employees of the Queensland Government as per the Standing Offer Arrangement CPO 250/10. The implications of salary packaging for you (including tax savings and impacts on benefits, surcharges, levies and/or other entitlements) will depend on your individual circumstances. The information in this publication has been prepared by RemServ for general information purposes only, without taking into consideration any individual circumstances. RemServ and the Queensland Government recommend that before acting on any information or entering into a salary packaging arrangement and/or a participation agreement with your employer, you should consider your objectives, financial situation and needs, and, take the appropriate legal, financial or other professional advice based upon your own particular circumstances. You should also read the Salary Packaging Participation Agreement and the relevant Queensland Government Salary Packaging Information Booklets and Fact Forms available via the Queensland Government Contracts Directory at http://qcd.govnet.qld.go.au/Pages/Details.aspx?RecID=839. The Queensland Government strongly recommends that you obtain independent financial advice prior to entering into, or changing the terms of, a salary packaging arrangement.Conditions and fees apply, along with credit assessment criteria for lease and loan products. The availability of benefits is subject to your employer’s approval. RemServ may receive commissions in connection with its services. Remuneration Services (Qld) Pty Ltd. ABN 46 093 173 089 Authorised Representative (No. 293159) of McMillan Shakespeare Limited (AFSL No. 299054). REMMKG_Q4NL_HCEdu_Gov_A_0414

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First hand experience of the dangers posed to young children by slow moving cars persuaded QTU member Luise Manning that something had to be done.

Although she had long been aware of the risks of toddlers being run over by low speed vehicles in driveways, garages and car parks, something that injures one child a week in Australia, it was a terrifying incident with her own daughter that lead early childhood teacher Luise to produce a photo book as a tool to teach young children of the dangers.

“She had to walk 10 metres to our car from our ballet class and suddenly pulled free from my hand running to the car. Fortunately for me I was able to catch her.”

Wanting to educate her daughter of the dangers posed by cars, Luise found help hard to come by.

“I tried to find some resources to help but there was nothing particularly about driveway or car park safety. As a teacher, I found social stories particularly useful for kindergarten and year 1 students to help learn routines and behaviour, so I made a photo book to help her understand the dangers and involved her in the process.”

“In July 2013, I saved a little autistic girl from being reversed over in a car park, and her mum wanted a copy of my daughter’s photo book. So I realised that the tool could help other parents.”

“Hold My Hand”, alerts parents and helps children to learn about the need for safety in areas where children are often not seen

and may be in danger from vehicles moving. Using clear photographs to highlight the factual content, it tells the story of a toddler who shares with the reader the story of how she travels safely to ballet class.

To find out more or to order the book, visit www.safetykids.net.au

Dealing with driveway danger

News


Queensland Teachers' Assist Desk 1300 11 7823 | [email protected]

I’m a permanent teacher taking marriage leave prior to the September holidays - will I still receive payment for the vacation? Brides and bridegrooms may be granted up to five working days special leave without pay, provided that the maximum period of absence from duty (including any mid-year vacation period) does not exceed 15 working days.

Where the unpaid marriage leave is granted on only one side of a vacation, the vacation will be with pay. Where unpaid leave is granted on both sides of a vacation, no payment will be made for the vacation. It should be noted that marriage leave will not be granted to extend the summer vacation period.

What are the requirements for specialist teachers to be replaced if on sick leave? According to the department’s policy and procedure on the Management of the Teacher Relief Scheme (TRS), short term relief is provided for classroom teachers who are absent on sick/special/emergent leave for less than five consecutive days. Only classroom teachers who are essential for program delivery are to be replaced. This includes specialist teachers such as physical education, music and languages other than English teachers whose classes are providing the industrial entitlement of non-contact time.

It does not include:• the non-teaching component of classified teaching positions• specialist teachers such as physical education, music and

languages other than English teachers where not supporting non-contact time

• curriculum coordination time• out of classroom support services and other teaching positions

such as: » guidance officers » classified officers including principal, deputy principal

(DP), head of special education services (HOSES), head of department (HOD), head of curriculum (HOC), guidance officer (GO)

» teacher-librarians » instrumental music teachers » learning needs teachers, primary and secondary » advisory visiting teachers » key teacher time » English as a second language (ESL) teachers

G20 Public Holiday – Brisbane areaThe G20 Leaders’ Summit will be held in Brisbane on 15 and 16 November 2014.

Friday 14 November 2014 has been declared a public holiday for people who work in the Brisbane local government area. This will also affect parents and school communities in the area, as schools will be closed on this day to help ease the impact on the city and minimise any potential disruptions.

Similar to the Brisbane Ekka public holiday, entitlement is not based on a person’s place of residence but their place of work.

To find out if you work in this area, visit the Queensland Electoral Commission’s interactive map: http://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/myCouncil_2012.aspx?id=3984

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Department policy and procedure: Management of the Teacher Relief Scheme (TRS): http://ppr.det.qld.gov.au/corp/hr/hr/Pages/Management-of-the-Teacher-Relief-Scheme-(TRS).aspx


As the union movement once again finds itself standing up in defence of the rights and protections of ordinary working men and women across our state, it has never been as important to remember those who went before, the people whose acts of bravery, dedication and sacrifice secured those rights in the first place.

That’s where the Australian Workers Heritage Centre comes in. More than a museum, it is a celebration of what workers can achieve when they stand united, a memorial to those who made our movement what it is, and an inspiration for today’s activists as they attempt to live up to the legacy of the heroes of the past.

Visitors can journey through the numerous exhibition spaces and historical work places of the ordinary working people – the railway workers and blacksmiths, the farmers, nurses as well as teachers – who shaped our nation. These include the 1915 Kunwarara Railway Station, the Toogoolawah Police Watch House, the AWU Shearers’ Hall, The

Power House and exhibits celebrating the contributions of road builders, the emergency services and more.

A visit to the centre is a particular delight for members of the Queensland Teachers’ Union, not least because it stands on the site of the old Barcaldine State School, with many of the old school structures still in use today. These origins are particularly appropriate, given the centre’s wonderful work as an educational facility hosting visits from school parties from across Queensland, and beyond.

Then there is the one-teacher school from the 1900s, a must-see for QTU members, which brings into stark relief how

developments in technology and, more importantly, the hard work and commitment of teachers and principals have transformed education during the past century.

And finally, the centre is the new home of Greg the Combet Van, the QTU’s four-wheeled mascot during the Your Rights at Work campaign, which is soon to be the centrepiece in a new exhibition celebrating that landmark campaign.

To find out more about the centre, visit www.australianworkersheritagecentre.com.au

The Australian Workers Heritage Centre

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As the officer responsible for new educators, I have recently received several calls from educational leaders regarding new educators’ and pre-service teachers’ perceived inappropriate use of electronic media, which calls in to question professional conduct.

It is pivotal to remember that, as new educators and pre-service teachers, appropriate communication and professional boundaries must always be kept when dealing with students.

The following tips will assist.

Mobile phones• Never use your personal mobile phone,

verbally or via text, to communicate with a student. The only time this may vary is where prior approval has been given in writing by your supervisor (principal/HOD etc).

• Do not use a personal camera or mobile phone to photograph students or students’ work. The only time this may vary is where prior approval has been given in writing by your supervisor (principal/HOD etc).

Email• Never communicate with students from a

private or personal email address.

• Always treat co-workers with dignity and respect in written communication.

Electronic social networks• Never use social networks to contact or

access present students enrolled in any school or institute.

• Never post photos of students on your social network pages (eg. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).

In addition, consider the following.

• Keep your profile set at the highest privacy setting permitted by the website.

• Be mindful of the content, especially when it comes to photographs.

• Keep “friends” to people you know.

It would be naïve to think that, even when you do your best to maintain the highest of privacy settings, students and their carers will not see your private information. These days, even 9-year-olds can quite easily access online information which has

high privacy settings. Always be mindful that your private information could be considered inappropriate in a teacher/student relationship and therefore could become the cause of an official complaint being lodged with the employer.

Relationships with students• Discourage and reject any advances of a

sexual nature initiated by a student. • Interactions with students must be, and

must be seen to be, professional at all times.

While the above is just a quick dot point reference for you, it is important to keep this at the forefront of your mind at all times.

For more information, go to the QTU website and spend some time reading the "Electronic media and professional conduct" legal information brochure (www.qtu.asn.au/br-legal-electronic-media). You will need your QTU membership number and password to access this brochure.

Lynn Cowie-McAlisterASSISTANT SECRETARY - NEW EDUCATORS AND RECRUITMENT

Electronic media: a quick guide to staying out of trouble

Beginning teachers


Retired teachers

Active ageingThe Queensland Retired Teachers’ Association conference in November will be a vehicle for advocating active ageing for our senior citizens.

If ageing is to be a positive experience, longer life must be accompanied by continuing opportunities for health, participation and security. The World Health Organisation has adopted the term “active ageing” to express the process.

Active ageing is the process of optimising opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age. Active ageing applies to both individuals and population groups. It allows people to realise their potential for physical, social, and mental well being throughout the life course and to participate in society according to their needs, desires and capacities, while providing them with

adequate protection, security and care when they require assistance.

The word “active” refers to continuing participation in social, economic, cultural, spiritual and civic affairs, not just the ability to be physically active or to participate in the labour force. Older people who retire from work and those who are ill or live with disabilities can remain active contributors to their families, peers, communities and nations. Active ageing aims to extend healthy life expectancy and quality of life for all people as they age, including those who are frail, disabled and in need of care.

“Health” refers to physical, mental and social wellbeing as expressed in the WHO definition of health. Thus, in an active ageing framework, policies and programmes that promote mental health and social connections are as important as those that improve physical health status.

Maintaining autonomy and independence as one grows older is a key goal for both individuals and policy makers. Moreover,

ageing takes place within the context of others – friends, work associates, neighbours and family members. Interdependence as well as intergenerational solidarity (two-way giving and receiving between individuals as well as older and younger generations) are important tenets of active ageing.

With the notion of active ageing as our driving force, our conference at Broncos Leagues Club on 25 November (9am to 3pm) aims to give positive information to all senior citizens who attend. Please note the change of date from our published program because of the clash with the G20.

The day will be open to friends and relatives of the QRTA and other associations. Cost is $30 for the day, including morning tea and lunch. The conference details will be published online, in flyers and in newspapers. For more details, visit www.qtu.asn.au/qrta

Noela RogersQRTA PRESIDENT


Legal

Recent changes to the laws which govern the Queensland Public Service almost entirely eliminate a teacher’s personal exposure to civil liability claims.

The enhanced civil protections for Department of Education, Training and Employment employees carrying out official duties, provided they act in good faith and without gross negligence, are contained in the Public Service and Other Legislation (Civil Liability) Amendment Act 2014.

The Queensland Parliament passed the new legislation on 19 February, providing certainty that the state will afford public servants, including teachers, legal protections for the discharge of their official duties. The act took effect from 31 March.

ReformsThe act amends the Public Service Act 2008 (Qld) by inserting provisions that:• provide protection from civil liability for

state employees for engaging in, or as a result of engaging in, conduct in an official capacity

• preserve the rights of potential claimants by transferring civil liability of state employees to the state

• give the state a right to recover financial contributions from state employees who have engaged in conduct, but only if the conduct was other than in good faith, and with gross negligence.

That means that the state provides a comprehensive shield to teachers unless it can be shown that their conduct was not in good faith and grossly negligent. Individually those provisos are difficult to prove but combined it is difficult to imagine any realistic scenario in which a teacher could find themselves deprived of the state’s support.

ObjectivesThe explanatory notes to the Public Service and Other Legislation (Civil Liability) Amendment Bill 2013 suggest that the enhanced protection from civil liability will enable state employees: • to perform their roles and to make

decisions independently • to innovate and improve service delivery

without the concern of litigation and the accompanying financial risk.

Civil liabilityCivil liability is defined by reference to liability to pay amounts. This encompasses direct costs such as compensation or financial settlements, as well as liability because of an obligation to do something that involves payment of an amount, such as rectifying damage to property.

Importantly, the immunity will “not preclude an employee being named in proceedings or prevent a court making orders issuing injunctions about specific conduct by employees, such as orders to cease contraventions of an act”.

That means while employees may be shielded from financial consequences of their actions, all alternative legal sanctions, for example for allegations of assault, still apply.

Scope of protectionA new section 26C provides that “an employee does not incur civil liability for engaging in, or as the result of engaging in, conduct in an official capacity, transferring this liability instead to the state”.

However, where an employee is found to have engaged in conduct other than in good faith and with gross negligence, the state can seek a contribution from the employee. Conduct is defined to include both acts and omissions.

It remains absolutely essential that teachers comply with department policies and school procedures in relation to the way in which they undertake their work, to ensure the benefit of protection from civil liability. Deliberate or reckless failure to comply with the school’s policy in relation to classroom work and activities like excursions could give the department a basis to assert that the protection does not apply.

The section is designed to capture conduct of an employee either engaged in their official duties or as part of their official duties. Such scope recognises the range of duties undertaken by state employees, but it will not apply to actions allegedly taken outside official duties.

An effective shield Simply put, the effect of the legislation is that teachers are protected from personal liability for claims such as negligence or discrimination. That means students, their parents and even other teachers will not be permitted to pursue civil claims against teachers personally and will instead have to sue the state.

Rachel Drew and Edmund BurkeTRESSCOX LAWYERS

Law changes strengthen teachers’ protection against civil liability claimsLaw changes strengthen teachers’ protection against civil liability claims

Send your letter to the editor

online: www.qtu.asn.au/lettersemail : [email protected]: PO Box 1750, Milton LPO 4064fax: 07 3512 9050


At leisure

Winedown This time we take a look at some great reds for cool weather drinking, which also offer excellent value for money.

Morris is a long established name in the Rutherglen region, dating back to 1859. The 2010 Shiraz is a full-flavoured wine that sings of the Rutherglen region. Deep colour in the glass with crimson-red hues. An enticing nose offers ripe plums and dark berries with a hint of spice that flows seamlessly onto the palate. The ripe, rich fruit is balanced by background tannins providing a sustained finish. Ready to drink now and great value.

The Red Knot wines are produced by the Shinglebark winery in McLaren Vale. The label covers Chardonnay, a GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre blend), a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Shiraz. The panel tasted the 2013 Shiraz. The colour is intense with

purple-crimson notes. The nose leaps from the glass with plenty of berry fruit. The palate is rich and structured with ripe berry fruits underlain by firm oak – the result of maturation in used American and French oak – combined with a good acid structure that supports the extended finish. A medium to full-bodied wine in which all the components are integrated and working harmoniously together, delivering a wine ready for everyday drinking at a terrific value for money price.

Maverick Wines is a boutique operation in the Barossa with access to old vines, biodynamic growing practices and dry grown fruit. The panel tasted its 2011 “Breechens” GSM. A difficult vintage, but they have pulled off an impressive wine with a mouthwatering palate that offers ripe soft berry fruits underlain by a pepper tang balanced by soft tannins. A wine that is layered and complex. Sensational value.

Also located in the Barossa region is Bethany Wines. 2010 was an excellent vintage year for the Barossa, and the 2010 Bethany Shiraz has a vibrant deep purple colour with a nose offering lots of dark cherries and a slight floral component. The palate offers an abundance of warm fruit character which, together with nuanced tannins and balanced acid, provides a medium bodied wine that displays elegance and finesse right to the end of a long finish. This wine is one for special occasions as it costs about $28.

Jenni Holmes, Keryn Archer and Warwick Jull

Superfoods – what are they and why are they so super?"Superfoods" have recently made a name for themselves as especially beneficial because of their health protecting qualities. These qualities are associated with their high level of antioxidants, vitamins, or other nutrients. There is some evidence that phytonutrients, which are produced by and found in plant-based foods, can protect against certain health conditions, including some cancers and heart disease. The term “superfoods”, however, is not generally used by dieticians or nutritional scientists.

Many recent superfood lists contain common food choices that have long been recognised for their nutritional value. Examples of these include berries, nuts and seeds, dark green vegetables (such as kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts and broccoli), citrus fruits, oily fish (such as salmon, mackerel and sardines), vegetables with bright, dark or intense colors (such as beetroot and sweet potatoes), certain wild

mushrooms, many legumes (peanuts, lentils, beans, raw cocoa), and whole grains as a group.

There is no quick fix or single superfood that can change your health. For example, blueberries are not especially nutritious, having high content of only three essential nutrients: vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese.

The biggest concern for Australians is that many of us are not meeting the recommended daily amounts of fruit, vegetables and whole grains and are therefore missing out on these beneficial nutrients. Eating a balanced diet that is full of variety and different colours is the best medicine for obtaining nutrition based health benefits.

This column supplied by TUH.

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Lighter side

There is something ridiculously rewarding about getting on a plane and heading off somewhere warm and inviting while the rest of the school is hard at work. Yes, that’s right. I have tapped into my long service leave for the first time and am feeling quite pleased with myself. However, the preparation involved for such a fling can be so involved and torturous that it more than makes you “pay” for the experience.

Lesson plans, unit outlines, notes on students and requests for holiday homework to be handed in all had to be uploaded and, for some reason, when you have to think under pressure, this process becomes even more drawn out and stressful. By the time you have everything organised, you are seriously questioning whether the break will be worth it.

Oh, but it is. Boarding a plane on the first day back of term was extremely liberating, yet, made me feel as though, on some level, I was missing out. The first day back after holidays is always such a buzz of news,

gossip and frantic photocopying, that when you miss it, you can feel left behind and out of the loop. Colleagues who are friends text you with information and laments of excruciatingly long staff meetings and it can feel as though, even in your far away tropical paradise, school is ever present. Sure, I could have refused to check my phone or respond to texts from school friends, but these people form a significant part of my life and I was genuinely interested in what was going on, or as much as one can be when indulging in a long lunch overlooking a beach.

I am, however, proud to say that I managed to shake the constant “Oh, it’s 9:30, my year 7s would be in English now” moments as my holiday progressed. I also refrained from checking emails or, God forbid, responding to them. Yet, when I returned, it was amazing the number of emails that were sent with the knowledge that I was on leave, with the assumption that I would reply. Even though I appreciate that people wanted to

let me know how my year 10 class worked in English, I was not going to respond to their questions about whether the kids are allowed to go to the computer room. Next time, I think I will set up an out of office reply to remind people that there will be no response… I say next time, because there will definitely be one. I think I have the taste for it now. I used to think that it would take forever to accrue long service leave, yet here I am planning my next extended break and the wording of my out of office email response. And don’t let people tell you that “you’ll forget about the holiday after an hour back at school” - I haven’t and I won’t. It’s the little inner glow that is going to get me through the term.

Christina Adams

Getting away from it all

"I was genuinely interested in what was going on, or as much as one can be when indulging in a long lunch overlooking a beach"


Super scamsThe Australian superannuation industry has been acknowledged as one of the largest pools of savings in the world. According to the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), the total superannuation assets in Australia as at 30 June 2013 were $1.62 trillion dollars.

For some people, getting their hands on a share of this pool is very attractive, which is why there are more “schemes” every day trying to convince consumers they can access their super earlier than retirement age.

Ads trying to entice people to use their QSuper benefit to buy property, precious metals or set up a self- managed super fund are appearing on websites, in social media and in newspapers every day. Unfortunately, a lot of consumers are finding out the hard way that the companies behind these ads are only set up to take their hard-earned money.

Identifying a superannuation scamSuperannuation scams are generally schemes that present opportunities to gain early access to your super. Ads that promote things like “early access to” or “unlocking” your superannuation, sometimes from a financial adviser, should be regarded with caution.

What can I do to protect myself?If you do think an ad is suspicious:• always use your common sense• don’t make a financial decision under

pressure • seek independent advice from a

licensed financial adviser.

Got doubts about who you are dealing with?If you are in any doubt, contact the Office of Fair Trading, the Australian Securities Industry Commission (ASIC) or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Can I access my super early?Under limited circumstances, your super benefit may be accessed on the following grounds.

• Resignation or retrenchment• Compassionate grounds• Financial hardship• Total and permanent disability• Death• Redundancy • Temporary resident departing Australia.

Each circumstance has different qualifying criteria. You can find out more at qsuper.qld.gov.au or by calling QSuper on 1300 360 750.

This information is provided by the fund administrator, QSuper Limited (ABN 50 125 248 286 AFSL 334546) which is ultimately owned by the QSuper Board (ABN 32 125 059 006) as trustee for the QSuper Fund (ABN 60 905 115 063). All products are issued by the QSuper Board as trustee for the QSuper Fund. This information has been prepared for general purposes only without taking into account your objectives, financial situation, or needs. Consider whether the product is appropriate for you and read the product disclosure statement (PDS) before making a decision. You can download the PDS from our website at qsuper.qld.gov.au, or call us on 1300 360 750 and we’ll send you a copy. © QSuper Board of Trustees 2014

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QTAD (Queensland Teachers Assist Desk): 1300 117 823 Telephone: (07) 3512 9000 Fax: (07) 3512 9050 Email: [email protected] Web: www.qtu.asn.au Address: 21 Graham Street, Milton | PO Box 1750, Milton BC Qld 4064 Facebook: www.facebook.com/QueenslandTeachersUnion

All officers, organisers and members of Executive may be contacted through the Union office, except where an alternative is given below.

Senior Officers OrganisersPresident Mr K. Bates a/h phone 0418 789 162 twitter.com/QTUPresident

Vice-President Ms J. Brown a/h phone 0408 194 385

Honorary Vice-President Ms S. Pidgeon

General Secretary Mr G. Moloney a/h phone 0409 613 703

Deputy General Secretary Ms K. Ruttiman a/h phone 0419 655 749

Deputy General Secretary Mr B. Welch a/h 0408 194 385

Brisbane based:

Telephone (07)3512 9000 or email [email protected] B. Crotty (Brisbane South)

Ms F. McNamara (Brisbane North)

Ms K. O’Neill (Redlands/Logan)

Ms M. Maguire (Moreton)

Mr D. Terauds (TAFE) [email protected]

Regional:

Mr Z. Sugden (South Queensland) 1-3 Russell St (cnr Neil St), PO Box 2859, Toowoomba Qld 4350 Phone (07) 4614 4600, fax (07) 4614 4650 Email: [email protected]

Ms J. Gilbert (North Queensland) 15 Palmer Street PO Box 5622, Townsville MC Qld 4810 Phone (07) 4722 6400, fax (07) 4722 6450Email: [email protected]

Ms L. Esders (Gold Coast) Bldg 6, 175 Varsity Parade, Varsity Lakes 4227 PO Box 4, Varsity Lakes 4227 Phone: (07) 5562 6800, fax: (07) 5562 6850 Email: [email protected]

Ms M. Duffy (Peninsula)255 Mulgrave Road PO Box 275, Westcourt Qld 4870 Phone (07) 4046 7500, fax (07) 4046 7550Email: [email protected]

Mr S. Welch (Wide Bay) Shop 6, 264 Bazaar Street, PO Box 150, Maryborough Qld 4650 Phone (07) 4120 0300, fax (07) 4120 0350 Email: [email protected]

Mr T. Evans (Sunshine Coast) 6a, 9 Capital Place, Birtinya PO Box 159, Buddina Qld 4575 Phone: (07) 5413 1700, fax: (07) 5413 1750Email: [email protected]

Mr B. Thomson (Central Queensland)Rockhampton Trade Union Centre, 110-114 Campbell St, Rockhampton, Qld 4700 Phone (07) 4920 4200, fax (07) 4920 4250 or a/h (07) 4928 8177Email: [email protected]

Executive membersMr P. AndersonMr A. BeattieMr A. CookDr P. DarbenMs L. OlssonMs C. RichardsonMs N. RoosMr N. ShirleyMs R. SugdenMs J. SwadlingMs P. TaylorMr A. ThompsonMr S. Tibaldi

Assistant secretaries - ServicesMr M. Anghel Mr J. BackenMs P. BousenMs L. Cowie-McAlister

Assistant secretary - Services/Women's CoordinatorMs P. Spalding

Assistant secretary - Research and IndustrialMs T. EdmondsDr J. McCollowMs L. Mertens Mr D. Coxen (acting)

Wooloowin State School celebrates its centenary this year and is planning a school open day and time capsule placement on Friday 12 September. There will be a gala cocktail dinner party at night and a centenary fete on Sunday 14 September. Past students and teachers please contact https:// wooloowinss.eq.edu.au, contact us and register at [email protected] or ring 3622 1777.

Allora State School will celebrate 50 years of secondary education at the Spring Fair on Sunday 14 September. All past staff and students are invited to attend. The occasion will be celebrated with the cutting of a cake at 11am and tours of the school. For more information, please phone Robyn Westerman on 4666 7222 or email [email protected]

Goondiwindi State Primary School is celebrating its 150th anniversary, along with the Goondiwindi State High School, which is celebrating its 50th. Celebrations take place Friday 19 September, to Sunday 21 September. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/GSHSTurns50 or www.facebook.com/groups/484777831605187 or call 4677 7333 or 4670 0333. Organisers are also seeking past students and staff who have memorabilia, anecdotes or photographs.

Dimbulah P-10 State School celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2014. A full day of events is scheduled for Saturday 27 September. All previous staff and students are invited to attend. There will be roll-call, school tours, opening of the time capsule (25 years) and planting of a new capsule. The day will be completed by a BBQ and cake cutting. For more information or to submit memorabilia, contact the school on 4094 5333.

Sarina State High School is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Saturday 4 October. Activities will be held at the main campus from 10am to 4pm, then at the Rural Skills Centre between 4pm and 10pm. All past staff and students are invited to attend. For more information, ring Michael on 0417470411. To share photos and memorabilia, email Paul at [email protected]

A 40th reunion of students from Nambour High School is being held on November 8. All past students are welcome to attend if they started high school in year 8, 1970 or finished in year 12 by 1974. The dinner will be held at The Waterfront Resort, 42 David Low Way, Diddilibah. Join the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/248735141971334/ or email Rosie Worland at [email protected] for further details and to register your interest. You are welcome to post school photos to the Facebook page. Teachers from these years are also most welcome.

Are you a Cav Rd Senior from 1964? Do you know such a person? There is a 50 year reunion being organised for this November at the school. If you would like to join your old school friends then contact 3394 0790 and ask for Michelle. She will take your details to be passed on to the organising committee who will send you further information. Seniors of 65 are also invited to join in the fun.

Submit your events to: [email protected] or fax 3512 9050


Contact details Anniversaries/reunions

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