Editions
March 2020
It has been a challenging start to the year, with the drought, bushfires, floods and now the COVID-19 pandemic, but Federation has been there to support its members. Senior Officers visited bushfire-ravaged school communities on the first day of term and the union has made relief funds available for those members affected. On that note, our focus this year is on the wellbeing of teachers, highlighted by the announcement that Federation has commissioned a panel of eminent people to conduct an inquiry into the work of teachers with a view to presenting a report on the value of the profession.
Content
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Valuing the teaching profession — An independent inquiry
March 04, 2020Attention will be drawn to the extent and complexity of changes to the nature of members’ work when an independent inquiry investigates the value of the work of teachers and principals over the next 12 months.
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Call for additional release time for all teachers
March 02, 2020In line with a determination by members, Federation is demanding at least two additional hours of release from face-to-face teaching per week for all school teachers.
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Federation negotiations secure extra staff for SSPs
February 21, 2020A Federation campaign has helped secure $37 million funding for extra staff across all Schools for Specific Purposes (SSPs) during 2020.
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Local Schools, Local Decisions: eight years of policy failure
March 02, 2020While the professional voice of teachers is often ignored under Local Schools, Local Decisions, the views of Federation members will be amplified in the union’s submission to the Department’s evaluation of the policy.
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Sculpture spectacle to showcase student talent
February 26, 2020The Maagunda Gaagal (Festival of the Sea) at Nambucca Heads Main Beach on 29 February will trumpet the skills proficiency of local high school students to the locals.
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Are you getting the release time you are entitled to?
February 21, 2020Special funding is available for new teachers to lighten their workload in their first years of teaching and allow for mentoring to achieve accreditation.
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Tree Levy provides real growth
March 09, 2020An oasis of native trees, shrubs and grasses has flourished at an inner Sydney school after it received a Tree Levy Grant from Federation eight years ago.
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Stay calm and informed of advice
March 06, 2020Federation is aware, through evidence from members, of racism and unacceptable actions by some students and community members towards certain ethnic groups as the COVID-19 epidemic moves into its third month.
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Union campaigning is a time investment worth your while
February 11, 2020In keeping with the idea that you should give your time to the things that make the biggest difference, devote some of your time to participating in Federation activities, says member activist Guv Johal
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Racism is a virus - there's an antidote
March 05, 2020As a union of educators, all Federation members have the responsibility to organise, oppose, act and educate against racism in all its forms.
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Units set path for learning
March 09, 2020Units of work to support the teaching of themes present in the film naa muru gurung (to see a path for children) are set to be released by Federation soon.
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Local teaching community welcomes input
February 27, 2020At the heart of discussions at Federation association meetings is the desire to maximise students’ learning opportunities via improvements in teachers’ working conditions.
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Bathurst course revs up motorsport careers
March 07, 2020TAFE automotive students were put on a fast track to a motorsport career as part of a short course during the Bathurst 12-Hour event at Mt Panorama earlier this term.
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TAFE review must restore key funding
March 07, 2020Federation will highlight the failed privatisation policies of successive state and federal governments during the NSW Government’s review of the vocational education and training system.
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Workplace contacts
March 05, 2020Micaela Cecire, Erskinville Public School
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Every additional member makes the union stronger
March 03, 2020History has taught us that everything we have gained has been commensurate to our strength on the ground says Federation President Angelo Gavrielatos.
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Prisons struggling to fill teacher positions
March 09, 2020The NSW Inspector of Custodial Services’ report has delivered a damning assessment of the failed privatisation of adult education in NSW prisons.
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Members aid animals caught in summer’s tragedy
March 01, 2020Animal lovers within Federation’s ranks stepped in to assist creatures displaced by bushfires.
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Focus on members’ needs
March 10, 2020Commitments, a listening ear and a shoulder to lean on provides support to members to rebuild after crisis
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Classes in disarray amid fire clean-up
March 10, 2020As communities on the NSW South Coast continue the clean-up effort after the destructive bushfires, TAFE courses are in disarray with enrolments down and classes cancelled.
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Members give up their holidays for others
March 12, 2020NSW’s inordinate need for the skills of Rural Fire Service volunteers this summer had some teachers working extremely hard for strangers during the vacation period.
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Union reaches out to fire victims
February 23, 2020Your union has provided financial support to members who suffered losses in the bushfires of recent months, to help them in their recovery process.
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Members coordinate emergency and school supply drives for fire victims
February 04, 2020Students whose South Coast homes were destroyed by bushfire have returned to school with new backpacks filled with supplies thanks to a fundraiser coordinated by two members.
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Our 2020 vision: A spotlight on the profession
March 09, 2020The start to the school year brought with it tremendous challenges that we would all hope to never be experienced again. For many of our members, their students and families there was no summer vacation.
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Pollution concerns can be raised as WHS issue
February 12, 2020Unless all levels of government commit to urgent action to address this climate emergency, bushfire seasons are going to continue to become longer and more intense and the associated hazard of smoke is not going away any time soon.
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New role to inform union’s policy
March 08, 2020As part of Federation’s response to the climate emergency, the union will appoint a Climate Emergency Coordinator to inform its escalated climate strategy and policy.
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Stay safe in cyberspace
March 14, 2020Here are some of the most frequently asked questions fielded by Federation.
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World’s unions call for action from PM
March 08, 2020Education unions from around the world have written a strident rebuke of the Morrison Government’s environmental record calling for urgent action to address the climate emergency after Australia’s devastating bushfire season.
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Religious Freedom Bill to take away rights of others
February 10, 2020At the end of last year, while bushfires roared across NSW and smoke blanketed Sydney, the Prime Minister released the second draft of the Religious Discrimination Bill. At the time, Scott Morrison was accused of using the haze of bushfires to release a flawed and damaging Bill.
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Association spotlight: Newcastle Teachers Association
March 06, 2020The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in NSW with 322,300 citizens.
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Partnerships play valuable role in art journey
February 28, 2020What a difference 12 months makes. At the beginning of last year Woolooware High student Kyra Gilfallan was struggling with “white canvas syndrome” and now her art is on show in the Artexpress exhibition at Hazelhurst Gallery.
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Specialists who go by the books
March 13, 2020As a teacher-librarian at Fairvale Public School, I work with a team to align library lessons and activities to our school’s strategic directions and to integrate outcomes and content from the learning areas in the NSW curriculum.
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Join the Palm Sunday Peace Rally for Refugees
March 16, 2020This year’s Palm Sunday Peace Rally for Refugees will call on the Federal Government to offer permanent protection and the chance of family reunion to all refugees and those seeking asylum.
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New chapter for SIG recognises vital role
March 06, 2020For some time, Federation has held serious concerns about the erosion of the specialist positions under the State Government’s Local Schools, Local Decisions policy, including the role of the teacher-librarian in NSW public schools.
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Support the safety of all
March 11, 2020Safety in schools for teachers, support staff and students is paramount.
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High entry benchmark will lift profession
February 20, 2020National academic benchmarks should be set for admissions to initial teacher education degrees, Associate Professor Rachel Wilson advocates in a new report released today.
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Signatures demand rethink on trades centre location
February 18, 2020Federation members and Bega locals are calling for a moratorium on the construction of a TAFE trades centre.
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‘See yourself as part of the big picture’
February 25, 2020The introduction of release from face-to-face teaching for infants/primary teachers in the late 1980s is a memorable moment for Paul Regan, because it changed his working conditions for the better.
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Support to deal with complaints
March 12, 2020Federation has recently received a number of inquiries from members seeking support in relation to complaints against teachers in TAFE.
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There's nothing casual about teaching
March 15, 2020A suite of casual teacher seminars for Federation members will be held in the school holidays this year.
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Actively showing our support
March 06, 2020With the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras comes an increase of rainbows across the city, from businesses, government bodies and community.
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Set up for the best possible start: Future Teacher Scholarships
January 24, 2020Federation’s $4000 Future Teacher Scholarships enrich recipients beyond financial support, awardees embarking on their teaching careers in 2020 can attest.
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Boom in enrolments unmatched by funding
March 08, 2020A Productivity Commission report shows total government funding to NSW private schools increased by 32 per cent while equivalent funding for public schools increased by only 11.8 per cent between 2008-09 and 2017-18; almost three times as much.
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Maternity leave in schools
March 06, 2020People use the term “maternity leave” to refer to a range of rights and entitlements related to pregnancy. However, those entitlements can vary depending on the nature of employment.
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Call to address root of work-related psychological injuries
February 24, 2020A government Bill before the NSW Parliament falls drastically short of addressing the key work health and safety issues experienced by members in schools and TAFE colleges, Federation has argued in its submission to an Upper House inquiry into the provisions of the proposed Bill.
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Asia-Pacific: Education leaders highlight challenges around rights, climate, and privatisation
March 10, 2020The Education International Asia-Pacific Regional Committee meeting focused on union responses to threats to human and trade union rights, the impact of climate change, and growing privatisation in education.
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International Day of Education: the world needs another 69 million teachers
March 09, 2020On the International Day of Education, unions warn that the world is not facing a global learning crisis, but a global education funding crisis.
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Canada: Educators strike against cuts in education and for collective bargaining
February 18, 2020Rotating strikes by teachers and education workers are set to continue this week in Canada’s Ontario province.
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Kenya: Deadly stampede in school highlights dangers of overcrowding and poor infrastructure
February 12, 2020On 3 February, a stampede in the Kakamega Primary School in Kenya's western region left 14 students dead and 40 severely injured.
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Book reviews
March 05, 2020How the Queen Found the Perfect Cup of Tea, Saga, Teacher for Justice, Celebrating Difference
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Film reviews
March 05, 2020Honey Boy, The Peanut Butter Falcon, The Leunig Fragments, Undertow, A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood, The Biggest Little Farm
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Theatre reviews
March 06, 2020The Campaign, Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam, The Deep Blue Sea
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