❓ A member of parliament questions the Minister for Education about the removal of the permanency and tenure clause from the teachers' enterprise bargaining agreement, its impact on teacher shortages, and potential reductions to the country teaching program allowance. The Minister responds that the clause is being moved to a memorandum of understanding, not removed.
AnsweredQoN 521Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TEACHERS — ENTERPRISE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
I refer to the ongoing negotiations with the State School Teachers’ Union of Western Australia regarding the teachers’ enterprise bargaining agreement. (1) Why is the minister insisting on the removal of the permanency and tenure clause from the School Education Act employee’s general agreement? (2) How will removal of this clause address future teacher shortages and the ongoing issues of attraction and retention, particularly in regional schools such as those in my electorate? (3) Can the minister confirm that the government is seeking to reduce the number of regional schools that currently receive the country teaching program allowance? Dr E. CONSTABLE
I refer to the ongoing negotiations with the State School Teachers’ Union of Western Australia regarding the teachers’ enterprise bargaining agreement. (1) Why is the minister insisting on the removal of the permanency and tenure clause from the School Education Act employee’s general agreement? (2) How will removal of this clause address future teacher shortages and the ongoing issues of attraction and retention, particularly in regional schools such as those in my electorate? (3) Can the minister confirm that the government is seeking to reduce the number of regional schools that currently receive the country teaching program allowance? Dr E. CONSTABLE
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) The enterprise bargaining agreement is currently being negotiated with the union. I understand that a number of clauses currently in the agreement are being placed into a memorandum of understanding that will be attached to that agreement. I think that is what the member is referring to by “removal”. It is actually not being removed; it will still be part of the package, but it will not be in the EBA itself, but as an MOU, and there are a number of those issues — Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
(1) Why is the minister insisting on the removal of the permanency and tenure clause from the School Education Act employee’s general agreement? (2) How will removal of this clause address future teacher shortages and the ongoing issues of attraction and retention, particularly in regional schools such as those in my electorate? (3) Can the minister confirm that the government is seeking to reduce the number of regional schools that currently receive the country teaching program allowance? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) The enterprise bargaining agreement is currently being negotiated with the union. I understand that a number of clauses currently in the agreement are being placed into a memorandum of understanding that will be attached to that agreement. I think that is what the member is referring to by “removal”. It is actually not being removed; it will still be part of the package, but it will not be in the EBA itself, but as an MOU, and there are a number of those issues — Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
(2) How will removal of this clause address future teacher shortages and the ongoing issues of attraction and retention, particularly in regional schools such as those in my electorate? (3) Can the minister confirm that the government is seeking to reduce the number of regional schools that currently receive the country teaching program allowance? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) The enterprise bargaining agreement is currently being negotiated with the union. I understand that a number of clauses currently in the agreement are being placed into a memorandum of understanding that will be attached to that agreement. I think that is what the member is referring to by “removal”. It is actually not being removed; it will still be part of the package, but it will not be in the EBA itself, but as an MOU, and there are a number of those issues — Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
(3) Can the minister confirm that the government is seeking to reduce the number of regional schools that currently receive the country teaching program allowance? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) The enterprise bargaining agreement is currently being negotiated with the union. I understand that a number of clauses currently in the agreement are being placed into a memorandum of understanding that will be attached to that agreement. I think that is what the member is referring to by “removal”. It is actually not being removed; it will still be part of the package, but it will not be in the EBA itself, but as an MOU, and there are a number of those issues — Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) The enterprise bargaining agreement is currently being negotiated with the union. I understand that a number of clauses currently in the agreement are being placed into a memorandum of understanding that will be attached to that agreement. I think that is what the member is referring to by “removal”. It is actually not being removed; it will still be part of the package, but it will not be in the EBA itself, but as an MOU, and there are a number of those issues — Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
(1)–(3) The enterprise bargaining agreement is currently being negotiated with the union. I understand that a number of clauses currently in the agreement are being placed into a memorandum of understanding that will be attached to that agreement. I think that is what the member is referring to by “removal”. It is actually not being removed; it will still be part of the package, but it will not be in the EBA itself, but as an MOU, and there are a number of those issues — Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
(1) Why is the minister insisting on the removal of the permanency and tenure clause from the School Education Act employee’s general agreement? (2) How will removal of this clause address future teacher shortages and the ongoing issues of attraction and retention, particularly in regional schools such as those in my electorate? (3) Can the minister confirm that the government is seeking to reduce the number of regional schools that currently receive the country teaching program allowance? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) The enterprise bargaining agreement is currently being negotiated with the union. I understand that a number of clauses currently in the agreement are being placed into a memorandum of understanding that will be attached to that agreement. I think that is what the member is referring to by “removal”. It is actually not being removed; it will still be part of the package, but it will not be in the EBA itself, but as an MOU, and there are a number of those issues — Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
(2) How will removal of this clause address future teacher shortages and the ongoing issues of attraction and retention, particularly in regional schools such as those in my electorate? (3) Can the minister confirm that the government is seeking to reduce the number of regional schools that currently receive the country teaching program allowance? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) The enterprise bargaining agreement is currently being negotiated with the union. I understand that a number of clauses currently in the agreement are being placed into a memorandum of understanding that will be attached to that agreement. I think that is what the member is referring to by “removal”. It is actually not being removed; it will still be part of the package, but it will not be in the EBA itself, but as an MOU, and there are a number of those issues — Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
(3) Can the minister confirm that the government is seeking to reduce the number of regional schools that currently receive the country teaching program allowance? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) The enterprise bargaining agreement is currently being negotiated with the union. I understand that a number of clauses currently in the agreement are being placed into a memorandum of understanding that will be attached to that agreement. I think that is what the member is referring to by “removal”. It is actually not being removed; it will still be part of the package, but it will not be in the EBA itself, but as an MOU, and there are a number of those issues — Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) The enterprise bargaining agreement is currently being negotiated with the union. I understand that a number of clauses currently in the agreement are being placed into a memorandum of understanding that will be attached to that agreement. I think that is what the member is referring to by “removal”. It is actually not being removed; it will still be part of the package, but it will not be in the EBA itself, but as an MOU, and there are a number of those issues — Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
(1)–(3) The enterprise bargaining agreement is currently being negotiated with the union. I understand that a number of clauses currently in the agreement are being placed into a memorandum of understanding that will be attached to that agreement. I think that is what the member is referring to by “removal”. It is actually not being removed; it will still be part of the package, but it will not be in the EBA itself, but as an MOU, and there are a number of those issues — Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Why is that, minister? Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : There are a number of issues to do with policy rather than with the EBA itself, and they are part of the MOU. Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : I assume it has less legal standing—is that correct? Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
Dr E. CONSTABLE : I do not know that it has a lesser legal standing, but those issues to do with policy making and policies of the department are separate to the actual EBA and the industrial aspects of the EBA.
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