Claims of job cuts ahead of Murwillumbah super school opening

The teachers union say the Department of Education have broken an agreement before the mega-campus is built.

Almost two full-time equivalent jobs have been cut from the Murwillumbah High School due to reduced student numbers which the New South Wales Teachers Federation said breaches an agreement.

The move comes after the state government announced a $100m Murwillumbah Education Campus which would bring together students from Murwillumbah Public School, Murwillumbah East Public School, Murwillumbah High School and Wollumbin High School at a redeveloped Murwillumbah High School site.

The four-year plan to rollout a K-12 mega-campus was announced in October last year and met with much protest from the local community.

Deputy president Henry Rajendra said the union was advised by the Education Department it would honour a staffing maintenance commitment for schools nominated for a rebuild or major refurbishment.

The agreement between the two parties states: “schools nominated for a rebuild or major refurbishment should be afforded, at the point of announcement, a maintenance of their existing staffing entitlement as a minimum.”

However, staffing cuts have now been imposed on Murwillumbah High School with the department axing almost two full time equivalent positions.

Murwillumbah Teachers Association President Sonia Bertram, Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry, NSW Teachers Federation Deputy President Henry Rajendra and Tweed Deputy Mayor Reece Byrnes.

“The NSW Government has not wasted any time in inflicting these staffing cuts having only announced the Murwillumbah project last October. But the worst is yet to come,” Mr Rajendra said.

“An examination of the staffing impact on amalgamating the schools on current enrolments reveals that primary school provision will, as a minimum, lose a classroom teacher, up to two assistant principal positions and a principal position and a reduction in teacher-librarian staffing

“The situation is far worse for high school staffing. On current enrolments, it is predicted that at least 16 positions, 20 per cent of the teacher staffing entitlement, will be cut including classroom, head teacher, teacher-librarian, careers adviser and principal positions.

“Ultimately, this will narrow the curriculum, leave students with fewer subjects to consider, increase class sizes and the workload of teachers.”

An Education Department spokesman said the Minister had “made it clear that no permanent staff will lose their jobs ahead of or under the new Murwillumbah Education Campus model.”

“There has been no reduction in the staffing that Murwillumbah High School is entitled to.”