After recently relocating to Queensland, these events have some importance to me.
I quote from the press report posted by Parent:
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the Government was committed to a fair pay deal.
"I understand that our teachers are keen to get a good pay outcome, but I think taxpayers also want to see the Government get an outcome that's fair for teachers and fair for taxpayers in the current environment," she said.
While this line was completely predictable - what a disgraceful thing to say. Who is she to say what is fair for teachers? Who is she to say what tax payers want? What about the long series of crap pay rises when times were good Anna?
Colleagues here, who have worked in education for nearly 40 years and endured the deep, dark Bjelke Peterson years don't hold out much hope for a reasonable outcome. They tell me stories that are hard to believe, stories about community surveillance of teachers, corrupt and nasty bureaucrats, teacher bashing and chronic, ongoing underfunding of public schools.
My HOD can remember not so long ago when the school I work in had no ceiling fans (we are about 20 degrees south) and even no lights! All after 1970.
It was firmly established back then that teaching, teachers a book learnin' is no match for quick thinking entrepreneurial skills, conservative alliances and good ol' hard toil. This place is full of self made millionaires who all left school before year 11. If you don't have bruises on your hands from working the land, you don't know true work.
This kind of thinking still pervades large parts of Queensland, especially rural communities. Unlike WA, Queensland still has a big rural community.
When it comes to public schooling, Queensland is quite unlike WA. It doesn't auger well for public school teachers and their plight.
Smithers
