TEACHER RECRUITMENT

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (14:32): My question is to the Minister for Education.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mrs GERAGHTY: Can the minister update the house on the response to the draft teacher recruitment policy released for consultation last week?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Education, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:32): I do work very closely with the member for Torrens and enjoy doing that very much. In August of last year the government issued a discussion paper where we said we would reform our recruitment policy to do a number of key things: one, to give our principals greater say in choosing the teachers that suit their school; the other was an opportunity for temporary teachers to gain permanent employment; the other was to remove the requirement of the 10-year rule for people to be moved on regardless of performance; and finally, to create more opportunities for graduates and early career teachers to gain permanent positions.

So last week we published our draft recruitment policy which, together with the teacher renewal program announced a month ago, promises to deliver on each of these elements. At one and the same time we can give greater say to principals, we can end the 10-year rule, we can provide more permanent jobs for those teachers who have been stuck on contract or relief work all those years. The draft policy is now up for consultation. There will, of course, be discussion; that is the purpose of releasing the draft for consultation.

To give you some flavour of the responses, Mr Jim Davies, the President of the Secondary Schools Association, has indicated that he wants to find ways to keep central placement of teachers to a minimum. We have already started discussions of those matters with him, but he has made it very clear that what we have proposed is a giant leap forward and, from his perspective, that is very welcome. The AEU has welcomed the debate. It is true to say that they have some concerns about the draft policy but also see its benefits, and we will continue to discuss the matter with them. But there has been other feedback which has been mixed, as you would expect, but here is a bit of a sample:

...principals should have the ability to hire teachers as long as they're qualified. They don't need to be in the system, they shouldn't be restricted to be hiring teachers that are already employed by the Department of Education.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: I pause to say here that that is exactly what happens now and will continue. The other point is—and this has been described as a backdown to unions:

The unions have wanted to see less flexibility for principals, less flexibility for school communities by having more permanent teachers...

That was another piece of feedback. On the other hand, there was also some feedback which says there is a concern that we are not doing enough for permanency. So, first were backing down to teachers on permanency and then we are not doing enough for permanency. It continues, 'I cannot see how this policy will make more positions permanent.' Then there was another piece of feedback on a different aspect of policy:

Nowhere yet have we heard how these changes will make it easier for principals to hire teachers for the specific needs of their schools.

This, of course, is the whole point of the policy. There is nothing unusual about a series of conflicting and contradictory policy positions, it is just that they all came from the same person.

The Hon. J.D. Hill: Who's that?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: The member for Unley. So, the member for Unley has—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —cunningly adopted every position in this debate. It is a clever tactic for those—

Ms Chapman: Debate!

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: It means that he's got all of the bases covered just in case there is some movement in the position. Of course, it does not speak for the integrity of his position, but, nevertheless, he has always been a comfortable man having his integrity questioned. Can I say—

The SPEAKER: Order! Point of order, member for Finniss.

Mr PENGILLY: Point of order 127: I ask the minister to withdraw those remarks.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: He's not comfortable either, Madam Speaker—

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.D. Hill: He looks comfortable.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: He looks very comfortable to me.

The SPEAKER: Order! I am not sure what you have just said. Have you withdrawn your remarks, minister?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Yes, I am withdrawing if somebody has taken offence to that. There is good news: consultation is still open and there is a website at www.decs.sa.gov.au/teacherrecruitment for feedback. When the opposition has sorted out which of its competing views it is going to adopt, we would be very pleased to hear from them.

Ms Chapman: Are parents allowed to say something?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Parents, of course, are very welcome to have a say, and we would be very pleased to hear what they would like to say. On a more serious note, I am advised that more than 300 responses have been received on the website since last Wednesday, and I would like to leave you with just one, Madam Speaker, because I think it sums up why we are doing what we are doing, and that is this:

I love the idea that we would have some job security. It is so hard to provide continuity in your program when you don't know if you have a job from one year to the next. The Christmas holidays are wasted because you feel unable to plan and prepare, and then if you get placed back in your current school you feel as though you are trying to catch up for all of first term. I love...that Principals—

Ms Chapman: Signed by Michael Wright.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: It continues:

I love that Principals can choose staff that suit their site. Teachers have different things to offer, and different schools need different skills and personalities. This will enable Principals to build a stable environment for their students. Students in disadvantaged schools, with different home lives need some stability in their lives and now hopefully, Principals will be able to provide this within their schools. How wonderful would that be for these children and their families?