AEU to apologise after being accused of grubby attack on Dr Nicola Spurrier in schools debate
The teachers’ union will apologise to South Australia’s chief public health officer for what’s been labelled a “grubby attack” over her support of students returning to school next week.
Education
Don't miss out on the headlines from Education. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- LIVE VIDEO CHAT with Education Department CEO from 10.30am
- Penberthy: Unions miss the mark with stay home campaign
- How to get the most out of your Advertiser digital subscription
The teachers’ union will apologise to SA Health chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier over a controversial social media post that attacked the public servant over her support of students returning to school next week.
Australian Education Union SA branch has been accused of a “grubby” attack on Professor Spurrier after it posted a sledge on Facebook, that was later tweeted last night, taking aim at Professor Spurrier’s message to parents that schools were safe to reopen on Monday.
“It may look good on paper, but how long will it last when school’s back? Keep them safe,” read the post, which included Professor Spurrier’s open letter emblazoned in red writing with the words ‘seriously, Spurrier?’.
Both sides of politics condemned the post last night, saying it had attacked “South Australia’s champion”.
This morning, AEU SA branch president Lara Golding said she would apologise to Professor Spurrier over the post.
“The post has been removed from our page,” she told ABC Radio.
“It was not intended to target an excellent and hardworking public servant – it shouldn’t have appeared to do so.
“I will be apologising to Professor Spurrier this morning on behalf of my organisation.”
Ms Golding explained the reason for the post.
“The point that we’ve been trying to make is that our teachers want to follow the expert medical advice but they don’t know how,” she said.
“They’re not confident that without additional funding and guidelines that they can ensure social distancing in line with the chief medical officer’s recommendation and this State Government will not commit to funding and adhering to the chief medical officer’s recommendations on some safety.”
Premier Steven Marshall quickly leapt to Professor Spurrier’s defence last night, saying she had “helped keep South Australians safe and calm during a global pandemic”.
“This is a grubby attack on a South Australian champion which the AEU must immediately take down and apologise for,” he said.
Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas also defended Professor Spurrier, saying she was a “hard working public servant” who was “doing her best to serve our state at a critical and important time”.
“The AEU has got this one wrong!” tweeted the Labor leader, who said unions were “entitled to advocate for their members’ interests”.
Shortly after Mr Malinauskas’ post, the tweet appeared to have been deleted.
Mr Malinauskas’s rebuke is an extraordinary intervention by a Labor leader to strongly criticise a major union and signals the extent of his anger at his party’s stance for constructive criticism during the pandemic being undermined by the rogue AEU tweet.
The Opposition Leader is a former state chief of the powerful shop assistants’ union – aligned with Labor’s Right faction – whose private sector members have been at the frontline during the coronavirus outbreak. The AEU represents public sector workers.
The online stoush came just hours after the union ramped up its pitched battle with the State Government over plans to reopen schools next week.
MORE NEWS
State’s chief public health officer assures parents and teachers a return to school is safe
Education officials answer questions about sending children back to school – or keeping them home
Earlier, the Government told parents it was safe to send their children back to school on Monday.
Governing councils yesterday supported the Government’s stand, which will see schools return with online and face-to-face learning.
South Australian Association of State School Organisations director David Knuckey said most children would be returning in term two.
“Parents believe the best place for their children to be educated is at school,’’ he said.
“Medical experts confirm that it is safe, and most parents will be sending their children back to school.” But AEU SA president Lara Golding said teachers would continue their campaign to have parents keep their children at home because they could not ensure social distancing.
“We are still receiving numerous contacts from members who are highly concerned about the return to school from Monday,’’ she said.
“They still have not received any guidance on how they can maintain social distancing of 1.5m between students when they have a classroom full of children.’’
But Education Department chief executive Rick Persse said only 10 children in SA had been infected with the virus; there had been only one teacher-to-student infection, none in which a student had infected another and no student to teacher transmission.
He said more than half of all students were expected to return to school for term two and that would increase if the COVID-19 infection rates continued to improve.
“We are very confident about term two starting,’’ he said. “It has been proven out through the data and with SA Health that schools are safe.”
South Australian Primary Principals’ Association president Angela Falkenberg said school leaders were focused on how to make the return to school work properly. “Health professionals are saying it is OK to return to school and we are saying we will trust them as a profession, because we also like to be listened to as a profession,’’ she said.
South Australian Secondary Principals’ Association president Peter Mader said there were concerns in schools about quickly switching from online to classroom learning, and how classrooms would cope with some students online and some in the classroom.
“Commencing this full-scale return to schooling from the beginning of term two has put (principals) on the back foot,’’ he said.
St Columba College principal Leanne Carr is one who has worked over the school holidays to prepare for the challenges of term two.
“Whether students stay home or come to school next week, St Columba College will be providing lessons in an online environment,’’ she said.