Ministerial Statement

EDUCATION DISPUTE

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development) (14:06): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: On Friday 25 June 2010—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Can we hear the minister in quiet, please.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: On Friday 25 June 2010, the Industrial Relations Commission delivered its stage 2 decision in the long-running dispute between the government and the Australian Education Union. The decision leaves a little work for the parties to do over the next few months but, essentially, brings the dispute to an end and so is welcome. The outcome is a good outcome for schools, our students and our teachers.

Madam Speaker, you will recall that, at the heart of this dispute, was the government's desire to move away from the existing rigid schools funding formula. This formula dictates how funding provided for staffing to schools is to be used and so works as a straitjacket on principals' capacity to tailor funding to their circumstances. It is not a formula which works in the best interests of students. We sought to replace this rigid formula with what we called the student centred funding model. Under this model, we will fund schools a particular amount per student and give schools the discretion about precisely how that funding will be allocated to meet school needs and priorities.

It is a significant part of this government's move to devolve greater decision-making powers to schools because, if we are to seek greater accountability from schools and principals for results, we need to give them the tools to enable them to get the best results. Obviously, the old rigid formula had protections for staff numbers and workloads built into it and, therefore, necessarily, as we sought to move to a new system which does not have those inbuilt protections, there needed to be different protections for individual staff members around workload.

Our great concern in the dispute with the AEU and in the arbitration was that these protections not be so prescriptive as to unduly fetter principals' flexibility and to impose a massive burden on taxpayers. So, we are pleased that the decision does not go down that path. It appears to provide a good balance between the flexibility that schools and their students really need and protection for teachers and school staff.

There are a number of aspects of the decision to which I should refer. Perhaps in recognition of the good work the government has done in this area over recent years, the Industrial Relations Commission adopts essentially the status quo in relation to class sizes.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Perhaps the opposition did not hear that, Madam Speaker. Perhaps in recognition of the good work the government has done in this area in recent years, the Industrial Relations Commission adopts essentially the status quo in relation to class sizes. The Industrial Relations Commission also, for the first time, formally recognised that teachers' work includes not just class time and preparation for class time but a range of other duties. This removes any doubt that teachers' roles in schools are legitimately broader than classroom roles.

The IRC has ensured that teachers have sufficient preparation time which, in this time of increasing attention to teacher quality, will be good for the quality of education for our children. The Industrial Relations Commission has also made provision for increasing conversion of temporary staff to permanent employment. The government agrees that this is an important matter to address. Last year it made more than 400 school service staff permanent.

Madam Speaker, you may recall that only a few weeks ago I announced that the government was already reviewing selection and recruitment processes with a view to making more of our temporary teachers permanent. So, we welcome the recommendation that a working group be set up to look at these issues. Overall, the decision opens up the real possibility of further reform of the way in which our schools and staffing arrangements are configured so that we can provide a better education and school experience for our students, as well as a better experience for our teachers.