❓ Hon John Fischer raises concerns about teacher conditions and retention at Schools of the Air, particularly Meekatharra. The Minister acknowledges the issue and outlines existing incentives but doesn't commit to specific enterprise agreements, opting to monitor the impact of current programs.
AnsweredQoN 1128Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Given the very difficult nature of the duties demanded of teachers employed by the Schools of the Air, will the Minister for Education and Training consider the drawing up of enterprise agreements which are specifically for teachers employed at the Schools of the Air and which more accurately reflect the duties that are expected of those teachers? (2) Meekatharra School of the Air has a 60 per cent turnover of staff every two years and, prior to the current principal’s arrival, had eight principals in six years. Does the minister have any proposal to overcome the issue of attracting and retaining suitably experienced and qualified teachers at difficult to staff schools, such as Meekatharra School of the Air? (3) Will the Minister for Education and Training consider trialling any changes to enterprise bargaining agreements or working conditions with teachers at Meekatharra School of the Air? It is not only the oldest school of the air but also the only outback school of the air; all the other schools of the air are either coastal or located in a major regional centre. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The answer was provided to me in the following terms - (1) The Department of Education and Training does not agree that the nature of the duties undertaken by teachers employed by Schools of the Air is significantly different from the duties undertaken by other teachers employed by the department. Notwithstanding that, it is available to the department and the union to include within the next industrial agreement specific provisions for teaching staff employed by Schools of the Air in the same way that the current industrial agreement contains specific provisions applicable to teaching staff employed in institutions providing post-compulsory education, the remote teaching service and the country and metropolitan teaching programs. (2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
(2) Meekatharra School of the Air has a 60 per cent turnover of staff every two years and, prior to the current principal’s arrival, had eight principals in six years. Does the minister have any proposal to overcome the issue of attracting and retaining suitably experienced and qualified teachers at difficult to staff schools, such as Meekatharra School of the Air? (3) Will the Minister for Education and Training consider trialling any changes to enterprise bargaining agreements or working conditions with teachers at Meekatharra School of the Air? It is not only the oldest school of the air but also the only outback school of the air; all the other schools of the air are either coastal or located in a major regional centre. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The answer was provided to me in the following terms - (1) The Department of Education and Training does not agree that the nature of the duties undertaken by teachers employed by Schools of the Air is significantly different from the duties undertaken by other teachers employed by the department. Notwithstanding that, it is available to the department and the union to include within the next industrial agreement specific provisions for teaching staff employed by Schools of the Air in the same way that the current industrial agreement contains specific provisions applicable to teaching staff employed in institutions providing post-compulsory education, the remote teaching service and the country and metropolitan teaching programs. (2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
(3) Will the Minister for Education and Training consider trialling any changes to enterprise bargaining agreements or working conditions with teachers at Meekatharra School of the Air? It is not only the oldest school of the air but also the only outback school of the air; all the other schools of the air are either coastal or located in a major regional centre. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The answer was provided to me in the following terms - (1) The Department of Education and Training does not agree that the nature of the duties undertaken by teachers employed by Schools of the Air is significantly different from the duties undertaken by other teachers employed by the department. Notwithstanding that, it is available to the department and the union to include within the next industrial agreement specific provisions for teaching staff employed by Schools of the Air in the same way that the current industrial agreement contains specific provisions applicable to teaching staff employed in institutions providing post-compulsory education, the remote teaching service and the country and metropolitan teaching programs. (2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The answer was provided to me in the following terms - (1) The Department of Education and Training does not agree that the nature of the duties undertaken by teachers employed by Schools of the Air is significantly different from the duties undertaken by other teachers employed by the department. Notwithstanding that, it is available to the department and the union to include within the next industrial agreement specific provisions for teaching staff employed by Schools of the Air in the same way that the current industrial agreement contains specific provisions applicable to teaching staff employed in institutions providing post-compulsory education, the remote teaching service and the country and metropolitan teaching programs. (2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The answer was provided to me in the following terms - (1) The Department of Education and Training does not agree that the nature of the duties undertaken by teachers employed by Schools of the Air is significantly different from the duties undertaken by other teachers employed by the department. Notwithstanding that, it is available to the department and the union to include within the next industrial agreement specific provisions for teaching staff employed by Schools of the Air in the same way that the current industrial agreement contains specific provisions applicable to teaching staff employed in institutions providing post-compulsory education, the remote teaching service and the country and metropolitan teaching programs. (2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
(1) The Department of Education and Training does not agree that the nature of the duties undertaken by teachers employed by Schools of the Air is significantly different from the duties undertaken by other teachers employed by the department. Notwithstanding that, it is available to the department and the union to include within the next industrial agreement specific provisions for teaching staff employed by Schools of the Air in the same way that the current industrial agreement contains specific provisions applicable to teaching staff employed in institutions providing post-compulsory education, the remote teaching service and the country and metropolitan teaching programs. (2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
(2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
(3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
(2) Meekatharra School of the Air has a 60 per cent turnover of staff every two years and, prior to the current principal’s arrival, had eight principals in six years. Does the minister have any proposal to overcome the issue of attracting and retaining suitably experienced and qualified teachers at difficult to staff schools, such as Meekatharra School of the Air? (3) Will the Minister for Education and Training consider trialling any changes to enterprise bargaining agreements or working conditions with teachers at Meekatharra School of the Air? It is not only the oldest school of the air but also the only outback school of the air; all the other schools of the air are either coastal or located in a major regional centre. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The answer was provided to me in the following terms - (1) The Department of Education and Training does not agree that the nature of the duties undertaken by teachers employed by Schools of the Air is significantly different from the duties undertaken by other teachers employed by the department. Notwithstanding that, it is available to the department and the union to include within the next industrial agreement specific provisions for teaching staff employed by Schools of the Air in the same way that the current industrial agreement contains specific provisions applicable to teaching staff employed in institutions providing post-compulsory education, the remote teaching service and the country and metropolitan teaching programs. (2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
(3) Will the Minister for Education and Training consider trialling any changes to enterprise bargaining agreements or working conditions with teachers at Meekatharra School of the Air? It is not only the oldest school of the air but also the only outback school of the air; all the other schools of the air are either coastal or located in a major regional centre. Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The answer was provided to me in the following terms - (1) The Department of Education and Training does not agree that the nature of the duties undertaken by teachers employed by Schools of the Air is significantly different from the duties undertaken by other teachers employed by the department. Notwithstanding that, it is available to the department and the union to include within the next industrial agreement specific provisions for teaching staff employed by Schools of the Air in the same way that the current industrial agreement contains specific provisions applicable to teaching staff employed in institutions providing post-compulsory education, the remote teaching service and the country and metropolitan teaching programs. (2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
Hon GRAHAM GIFFARD replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The answer was provided to me in the following terms - (1) The Department of Education and Training does not agree that the nature of the duties undertaken by teachers employed by Schools of the Air is significantly different from the duties undertaken by other teachers employed by the department. Notwithstanding that, it is available to the department and the union to include within the next industrial agreement specific provisions for teaching staff employed by Schools of the Air in the same way that the current industrial agreement contains specific provisions applicable to teaching staff employed in institutions providing post-compulsory education, the remote teaching service and the country and metropolitan teaching programs. (2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. The answer was provided to me in the following terms - (1) The Department of Education and Training does not agree that the nature of the duties undertaken by teachers employed by Schools of the Air is significantly different from the duties undertaken by other teachers employed by the department. Notwithstanding that, it is available to the department and the union to include within the next industrial agreement specific provisions for teaching staff employed by Schools of the Air in the same way that the current industrial agreement contains specific provisions applicable to teaching staff employed in institutions providing post-compulsory education, the remote teaching service and the country and metropolitan teaching programs. (2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
(1) The Department of Education and Training does not agree that the nature of the duties undertaken by teachers employed by Schools of the Air is significantly different from the duties undertaken by other teachers employed by the department. Notwithstanding that, it is available to the department and the union to include within the next industrial agreement specific provisions for teaching staff employed by Schools of the Air in the same way that the current industrial agreement contains specific provisions applicable to teaching staff employed in institutions providing post-compulsory education, the remote teaching service and the country and metropolitan teaching programs. (2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
(2) Yes. There has been a change to the incentives program for difficult to staff schools. In the Government School Teachers’ and School Administrators’ Certified Agreement 2004, Meekatharra School of the Air has been included in band 1 of the country incentives program, providing teachers with an $18 500 financial incentive over a three-year period. (3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
(3) The incentive will be monitored for its impact and, depending upon the outcome, further changes may be made.
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