❓ Hon Giz Watson questions the progress of enterprise bargaining with the State School Teachers Union, focusing on teacher attraction, workload, salary parity with NSW, and the fairness of the negotiation process. The Minister responds by highlighting improvements since her past criticisms and ongoing efforts.
AnsweredQoN 3393Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) What progress has been made in concluding a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement with the State School Teachers Union of Western Australia, negotiating on behalf of teachers and administrators in government schools?
(2) What is the Department of Education and Training doing, through the enterprise bargaining process, to make the teaching profession more attractive to new and experienced teachers in government schools?
(3) What is the Department of Education and Training doing, through the enterprise bargaining process, to address the growing workload pressures on teachers and administrators in government schools?
(4) What is the Department of Education and Training doing, through the enterprise bargaining process, to reduce the gap between the salaries of teachers and administrators in government schools in Western Australia and those in New South Wales?
(5) How does the Director General’s decision to bypass the State School Teachers Union of Western Australia and put an offer for a new enterprise bargaining agreement directly to teachers and administrators in government schools constitute bargaining in good faith?
(6) Now that the Minister is in a position to do so, what action will she be taking to address the concerns that she raised in a letter to the editor of the
Western Teacher
, the journal of the State Teachers Union of Western Australia, published on 15 June 1988, in which she asserted, amongst other things -
(a) ‘New incentives are essential if the Ministry (of Education) is to retain good teachers in education’;
(b) ‘For too long now, teachers have been asked to do more for less and have complied in the vain hope that their lot will improve’;
(c) ‘For too long now (teachers) have been burdened with additional responsibilities that have little to do with the task of teaching’;
(d) ‘If (teachers and school administrators) are expected to keep abreast of changing expectations, then the incentives to do so must be forthcoming’; and
(e) ‘The Ministry (of Education) has for too long … relied on teacher loyalty and their professionalism to meet the increasing workloads and given little in return’?
(2) What is the Department of Education and Training doing, through the enterprise bargaining process, to make the teaching profession more attractive to new and experienced teachers in government schools?
(3) What is the Department of Education and Training doing, through the enterprise bargaining process, to address the growing workload pressures on teachers and administrators in government schools?
(4) What is the Department of Education and Training doing, through the enterprise bargaining process, to reduce the gap between the salaries of teachers and administrators in government schools in Western Australia and those in New South Wales?
(5) How does the Director General’s decision to bypass the State School Teachers Union of Western Australia and put an offer for a new enterprise bargaining agreement directly to teachers and administrators in government schools constitute bargaining in good faith?
(6) Now that the Minister is in a position to do so, what action will she be taking to address the concerns that she raised in a letter to the editor of the
Western Teacher
, the journal of the State Teachers Union of Western Australia, published on 15 June 1988, in which she asserted, amongst other things -
(a) ‘New incentives are essential if the Ministry (of Education) is to retain good teachers in education’;
(b) ‘For too long now, teachers have been asked to do more for less and have complied in the vain hope that their lot will improve’;
(c) ‘For too long now (teachers) have been burdened with additional responsibilities that have little to do with the task of teaching’;
(d) ‘If (teachers and school administrators) are expected to keep abreast of changing expectations, then the incentives to do so must be forthcoming’; and
(e) ‘The Ministry (of Education) has for too long … relied on teacher loyalty and their professionalism to meet the increasing workloads and given little in return’?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
22 June 2006
Responded by
Minister for Education and Training
Response time
72 days
(b) ‘For too long now, teachers have been asked to do more for less and have complied in the vain hope that their lot will improve’; (c) ‘For too long now (teachers) have been burdened with additional responsibilities that have little to do with the task of teaching’; (d) ‘If (teachers and school administrators) are expected to keep abreast of changing expectations, then the incentives to do so must be forthcoming’; and (e) ‘The Ministry (of Education) has for too long … relied on teacher loyalty and their professionalism to meet the increasing workloads and given little in return’?
(c) ‘For too long now (teachers) have been burdened with additional responsibilities that have little to do with the task of teaching’; (d) ‘If (teachers and school administrators) are expected to keep abreast of changing expectations, then the incentives to do so must be forthcoming’; and (e) ‘The Ministry (of Education) has for too long … relied on teacher loyalty and their professionalism to meet the increasing workloads and given little in return’?
(d) ‘If (teachers and school administrators) are expected to keep abreast of changing expectations, then the incentives to do so must be forthcoming’; and (e) ‘The Ministry (of Education) has for too long … relied on teacher loyalty and their professionalism to meet the increasing workloads and given little in return’?
(e) ‘The Ministry (of Education) has for too long … relied on teacher loyalty and their professionalism to meet the increasing workloads and given little in return’?
(2) - (4) The enterprise bargaining process provides further opportunity for the parties to explore a range of matters including: * Salaries; * Workload; * Career path opportunities for both new and more experienced employees; and * Attraction and retention. The Department has identified key areas it wishes to address as part of its preparation for the negotiation process. The Union has similarly identified issues through its log of claims. The outcomes of this process will deliver a balanced approach to meeting the objectives of both parties and ensuring responsible utilisation of Government resources. (5) The offer made by the Department was only made to the Union. The Department then provided a copy of the offer to the Union via its Intranet to all teaching staff to keep them informed of the negotiation progress. A collective agreement such as this applies to all employees and not all of the Department's employees are Union members. (6)(a) - (e) The education system in Western Australia has improved significantly since I wrote that letter 18 years ago. The Carpenter Government has made education and training its number one priority and it now commands 26 per cent of the State Government's budget.
The Department has identified key areas it wishes to address as part of its preparation for the negotiation process. The Union has similarly identified issues through its log of claims. The outcomes of this process will deliver a balanced approach to meeting the objectives of both parties and ensuring responsible utilisation of Government resources. (5) The offer made by the Department was only made to the Union. The Department then provided a copy of the offer to the Union via its Intranet to all teaching staff to keep them informed of the negotiation progress. A collective agreement such as this applies to all employees and not all of the Department's employees are Union members. (6)(a) - (e) The education system in Western Australia has improved significantly since I wrote that letter 18 years ago. The Carpenter Government has made education and training its number one priority and it now commands 26 per cent of the State Government's budget.
(5) The offer made by the Department was only made to the Union. The Department then provided a copy of the offer to the Union via its Intranet to all teaching staff to keep them informed of the negotiation progress. A collective agreement such as this applies to all employees and not all of the Department's employees are Union members. (6)(a) - (e) The education system in Western Australia has improved significantly since I wrote that letter 18 years ago. The Carpenter Government has made education and training its number one priority and it now commands 26 per cent of the State Government's budget.
(6)(a) - (e) The education system in Western Australia has improved significantly since I wrote that letter 18 years ago. The Carpenter Government has made education and training its number one priority and it now commands 26 per cent of the State Government's budget.
The Carpenter Government has made education and training its number one priority and it now commands 26 per cent of the State Government's budget.
(c) ‘For too long now (teachers) have been burdened with additional responsibilities that have little to do with the task of teaching’; (d) ‘If (teachers and school administrators) are expected to keep abreast of changing expectations, then the incentives to do so must be forthcoming’; and (e) ‘The Ministry (of Education) has for too long … relied on teacher loyalty and their professionalism to meet the increasing workloads and given little in return’?
(d) ‘If (teachers and school administrators) are expected to keep abreast of changing expectations, then the incentives to do so must be forthcoming’; and (e) ‘The Ministry (of Education) has for too long … relied on teacher loyalty and their professionalism to meet the increasing workloads and given little in return’?
(e) ‘The Ministry (of Education) has for too long … relied on teacher loyalty and their professionalism to meet the increasing workloads and given little in return’?
(2) - (4) The enterprise bargaining process provides further opportunity for the parties to explore a range of matters including: * Salaries; * Workload; * Career path opportunities for both new and more experienced employees; and * Attraction and retention. The Department has identified key areas it wishes to address as part of its preparation for the negotiation process. The Union has similarly identified issues through its log of claims. The outcomes of this process will deliver a balanced approach to meeting the objectives of both parties and ensuring responsible utilisation of Government resources. (5) The offer made by the Department was only made to the Union. The Department then provided a copy of the offer to the Union via its Intranet to all teaching staff to keep them informed of the negotiation progress. A collective agreement such as this applies to all employees and not all of the Department's employees are Union members. (6)(a) - (e) The education system in Western Australia has improved significantly since I wrote that letter 18 years ago. The Carpenter Government has made education and training its number one priority and it now commands 26 per cent of the State Government's budget.
The Department has identified key areas it wishes to address as part of its preparation for the negotiation process. The Union has similarly identified issues through its log of claims. The outcomes of this process will deliver a balanced approach to meeting the objectives of both parties and ensuring responsible utilisation of Government resources. (5) The offer made by the Department was only made to the Union. The Department then provided a copy of the offer to the Union via its Intranet to all teaching staff to keep them informed of the negotiation progress. A collective agreement such as this applies to all employees and not all of the Department's employees are Union members. (6)(a) - (e) The education system in Western Australia has improved significantly since I wrote that letter 18 years ago. The Carpenter Government has made education and training its number one priority and it now commands 26 per cent of the State Government's budget.
(5) The offer made by the Department was only made to the Union. The Department then provided a copy of the offer to the Union via its Intranet to all teaching staff to keep them informed of the negotiation progress. A collective agreement such as this applies to all employees and not all of the Department's employees are Union members. (6)(a) - (e) The education system in Western Australia has improved significantly since I wrote that letter 18 years ago. The Carpenter Government has made education and training its number one priority and it now commands 26 per cent of the State Government's budget.
(6)(a) - (e) The education system in Western Australia has improved significantly since I wrote that letter 18 years ago. The Carpenter Government has made education and training its number one priority and it now commands 26 per cent of the State Government's budget.
The Carpenter Government has made education and training its number one priority and it now commands 26 per cent of the State Government's budget.
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