Teachers’ union flexes muscle over independent public schools
THE State Opposition has seized on what it calls another example of union influence over the Labor Government, this time involving independent public schools.
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THE Queensland Teachers’ Union placed pressure on the State Labor Government to axe the independent public schools program, just three months before Education Minister Grace Grace called a review into the scheme.
In what the State Opposition has slammed as yet another example of the union’s strong grip over Labor, a Right to Information request has revealed that QTU general secretary Graham Moloney wrote to Ms Grace on January 29.
“That the IPS program in schools cease in 2018 and that IPS practices with a particular focus on HR be wound back immediately to ensure that education in Queensland remain systems focused and is able to meet the challenges of the pending teaching shortage,” QTU’s request said.
The Government contracted independent consultant PotentialPlus Solutions to undertake the review in April.
It comes after the Federal Government pulled its funding last year, with the Queensland Government covering the entire $12.5 million cost for 2018-19.
Opposition education spokesman Jarrod Bleijie said Labor was putting unions ahead of Queensland students again.
However Ms Grace said any suggestion the review would lead to the end of IPS in Queensland was nonsense.
“When I first became the education minister I met with all relevant stakeholders, including the Queensland Teachers Union, to talk about a range of issues,” she said.
“At that time, the QTU shared with me their longstanding, highly publicised views about the IPS program.”
Ms Grace said her department had received the final report from PotentialPlus Solutions.
“I understand this is a comprehensive report and the department is currently working through it in detail,” she said.
“Over the coming days, I will thoroughly review the report, in preparation for a full briefing with my department early next week.
“I want to know what opportunities the IPS program has presented to the 250 IPS schools and share those learning across all state schools for the benefit of Queensland students.”
After The Courier-Mail revealed the review in April, industry experts said the program provided autonomy, giving schools greater control.
Under the program, schools also receive $50,000 per year.
Mr Bleijie said Ms Grace had kept communication with QTU hidden from Queenslanders for more than four months.
“Labor needs to come clean with Queenslanders about any secret union deals to scrap or significantly change the Independent Public Schools program,” he said.
“If Labor goes through with its plan to scrap Independent Public Schools it’s clear that they are owned lock, stock and barrel by the unions.”
QTU president Kevin Bates said when the program’s framework was developed, it was agreed that a review would be called by the end of 2017.
“Clearly that didn’t happen because of the state election called and the caretaker mode and so on,” he said.
“We opposed it consistently right throughout its entire life span.
“All of the research points to the fact that this is a massive waste of time, it’s a massive waste of money.
“It’s not leading to any improved student outcomes which it was targeted at doing.
“For us it’s about re-establishing the wholeness of our education system.”
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