Half-Cohort

[Martin Toohey]

I am staggered enough by the lack of response to this issue that I feel compelled to repeat my input onto the union website onto this site.  

While the potential redeployment of permanent teachers due to this issue is rightly seen as a first-order issue, the plight of temporary teachers should not be overlooked. Due to the HYC and the current economic conditions unemployment for a temporary secondary teacher at the end of this year is likely to become a long-term issue. Only permanent staff are being offered 'retraining' as primary teachers (yes I know that in itself is not a desirable option for all sorts of reasons) and only permanent staff have been guaranteed employment in 2010. Of course the argument will be that temporary teachers are never guaranteed employment the next year but it is also true that reasonable teachers, who are prepared to work in a variety of locations, and do relief work wherever it is available have in the past been a good chance of picking up work over the course of the year. The 500? teachers who will lose their job next year will be temporary teachers and their chances of survival in the profession look grim. Obviously it does not serve our interests to be divided over this issue and I am certainly not trying to create a permanent/temporary or primary/secondary division but surely the loss of these fellow union members' jobs is as critical an issue as any that can confront a union.  I  really find it difficult to comprehend how this issue can seem to be on the path to being 'lost'.  Do people not know, not care, or feel nothing can be done?

[peter george]

The union has seen this coming for eight years and have paid lip service to it. Obviously DET are rubbing their hands . Any time there is a major issue - and this is certainly that - our esteemed union leaders sit on their hands and hope these tough issues go away. They should be insisting that every thing possible is done to ensure that the disruption to schools and their staff is minimal. New grads should wait their turn, new schools set up with people redeployed from existing high scools , class numbers should be lower and permancy offered to more teachers. There are ways around these issues. Our union is pathetic when the going gets tough . DET wins every single time.  best of luck Martin. keep hammering this issue, talk to the union and ask for help. And if worse comes to worse you can do relief at my school - Bicton. I am not being flippant, put your name down.
I am really tired of being kicked by my employer who is interested only in saving a quid. People mean more. Anyone at DET who is reading this I hope you feel ashamed at your continual lack of empathy for your employees.

[PrimAL]

And why has it only become a major issue as they go through to high school?

[Martin Toohey]

PrimAL,

I wasn't teaching when this group entered primary school so I don't know what the reaction was at the time - but the simple answer is, it should have been an issue to all primary and high school teachers!  I would think that the major impact at your level would have been in the first couple of years when the half-cohort came into primary schools?