‘Don’t vote Liberal’ teacher gets a caning and faces investigation

The Commissioner for Public Sector Employment is investigating a school teacher who vowed to ensure her students “don’t vote Liberal’’.

Teacher Regina Wilson from Woodville High School in South Australia.

The Commissioner for Public Sector Employment is investigating a public school teacher who vowed to “ensure that the next generation of voters in my classroom don’t vote Liberal” in a Facebook post she thought would be private.

Erma Ranieri, a statutory officer who sets professional standards across the public sector as commissioner, said she was seeking a “full account” of the actions of South Australian teacher and union delegate Regina Wilson.

Ms Wilson’s post on the Australian Education Union’s Facebook page, revealed in The Australian on Wednesday, has reignited a national debate about political interference in the classroom by union-affiliated teachers.

Ms Ranieri, who earlier this year was acting chief of the ­Department of Premier and Cabinet, said the codes of ethics and conduct for the SA public sector set out what was expected of employees. “The code of ethics is clear about impartiality and professional conduct standards,” Ms Ranieri told The Australian.

“While it’s not appropriate to comment on individual employment matters, I will be seeking a full account from the chief executive. I will continue to work with chief executives to increase employee awareness of their responsibilities under the code of ethics and public sector values.”

Ms Wilson, 58, is a former Fair Work inspector who since 2010 has been employed by the 1000-student Woodville High, located in safe Labor-held federal and state electorates in Adelaide.

She is the school’s international student program manager and teaches classes in Years 8, 9 and 11.

Her pledge to ensure her students “don’t vote Liberal” when they left school has been widely condemned, with state Treasurer Rob Lucas and Education Minister John Gardner saying the “grossly inappropriate” behaviour appeared to breach Education ­Department and public sector values and ethics.

Federal Labor deputy leader and education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek last night said: “Schools need to teach kids how to think not what to think.”

This came a day after federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said parents should be concerned their children were “being indoctrinated with the political ideologies of teachers”.

However, SA Labor has refused to condemn Ms Wilson’s post.

Deputy Opposition Leader Susan Close, a former education minister, hoped an enterprise bargaining dispute could be resolved before a proposed teachers’ strike next week.

AEU state president Howard Spreadbury did not return calls yesterday but has said Ms Wilson’s “intent needs to be investigated”.

Ms Wilson denies carrying through on her pledge, claiming she was being targeted as a woman, and insists her now-deleted post was meant to be private.

Secondary Principals Association state president Peter Mader expected a “justifiable response” from the SA public sector.

“Obviously you can’t be partisan in a classroom — she would know that,” he said.

An Education Department spokesman said there was an “expectation” its employees “uphold the public sector code of ethics and remain impartial in their work”.