Schools shake-up a smokescreen, says union
THE NSW government has earned the ire of the Teachers Federation over its move to link pay rises with professional standards.
THE NSW government has earned the ire of the Teachers Federation over its move to link pay rises with professional standards and to give school principals more autonomy.
Under the Coalition government's overhaul of the sector announced yesterday principals will take charge of 70 per cent of their school's budget -- up from the existing 10 per cent -- and will have the right to determine the number of temporary and permanent staff they hire.
The changes, to be rolled out from next month, will mean teachers will be paid by ability rather than the years-of-experience method.
The changes, to be fully implemented by 2015, were described by Premier Barry O'Farrell as the most significant shift in public education in more than a century.
Education Minister Adrian Piccoli said the shake-up would reduce costs and red tape.
"We're setting them free, we're unshackling them from the bureaucracy," he said.
The NSW Teachers Federation slammed the plan, saying it was a smokescreen to hide the fact that the O'Farrell government was planning to plunder the education budget.
"We already have leaked Treasury documents that this is about cutting between $500 million and $700m of recurrent funding out of the NSW Department of Education's budget," the union's Maurie Mulheron said.
"This is a program designed to actually have the government abrogate their responsibility to staff and resource schools, putting it on to the shoulders of the local principal, who is already working extremely hard."
However, Mr Piccoli maintained there would be more money, not less, under the changes to the way schools are managed.
"The education budget is not going to be reduced," he said.
Mr Piccoli said school principals would be given two buckets of money -- one for staffing and one for "other", which would include capital works. But principals would not be allowed to take money from staffing to spend on school amenities.
Claire Downey, who teaches at Plumpton High School in Sydney's west, said allowing principals and teachers more autonomy would ultimately reward students.
"I believe these reforms will allow teachers and principals the time and autonomy to get back to doing what they do best -- providing a positive and rewarding learning environment for students," she said. "With more flexibility and freedom over our classes, we can utilise resources more effectively and provide lesson plans that suit the students."
Ms Downey, 29, said while the government's plan to link teacher pay with performance was likely to attract more people to the profession, teachers were already required to meet certain standards in order to be rewarded with extra pay.