Standing Up For Public Education
Members of the SSTUWA have been quick to stand up and be counted when it has come to defending the public education or children in Western Australia. Join us in the fight for a Quality Education for every West Australian student.
What are the benefits of SSTUWA Membership?
For over a hundred years teachers, school administrators and lecturers in WA government schools and TAFE colleges have joined together to look after their interests and to fight for improved conditions and salaries, to improve professional standards and to promote public education.
SSTUWA New Educators Support.
Beginning teaching is an exciting yet stressful time. The SSTUWA Provides training, support and resources for newly graduated teachers to support the transition into full time teaching. A case of teachers helping teachers, new educators can gain from the wealth of experience held by the union.
Educational Leaders need support.
In the ‘real world’ school administrators would command high respect and compensation - leading the equivalent of a medium to large business. School administrators take responsibility for hundreds of staff and students and are answerable to thousands of parents.
Occupational Safety and Health.
The SSTUWA is a major provider and supporter of OSH in the school and TAFE workplace. With a full time OSH Organiser and access to the leading OSH figures in the country, SSTUWA members can rely on their union to help fight for safe and healthy workplaces.
National Curriculum.
The Interim National Curriculum Board is responsible for the development of rigorous, world class national curriculum from Kindergarten to Year 12 by 2010, starting with the learning areas of English, mathematics, the sciences and history.All teachers and public are encouraged to contribute to the debate.
General Agreement Implementation Update 22 SALARY INCREASES 2008 GA Schedule B Transition Arrangements for salary Increments – [February 2010] pg 106 red book This has resulted in: A renaming of the salary levels e.g. old L1.6 is now L2.1 L 2.6 is a new increment inserted into the middle of the salary scale NOTE: teachers who were permanent employees when the Agreement was registered [16 December 2008] on the old scale at L1.7, L1.8 or L2.1 will be entitled to “jump over new L2.6 and straight to L2.7” NOTE: teachers who were temporary employees when the ... Read more Gen Agreement Implementation Updates | Tuesday, 9 February 2010 |
Federal Government Misleading on Funding The Education Minister Julia Gillard is trying to cover the flaws in the My School website by misrepresenting the union’s position on school funding, the Australian Education Union said today.AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos said the union had welcomed the $11 million in new funding for 110 schools announced yesterday.“The amount of funding announced yesterday, while welcome, is inadequate given Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd have said themselves that you need to spend $500,000 a year to make a difference in an average sized school,” Mr Gavrielatos said.“What we questioned ... Read more League Tables | Monday, 8 February 2010 |
An important message to parents from the Australian Education Union Nothing is more important to public school teachers than the quality of education students receive.It is the desire to see every child fulfill his or her full potential that motivates us.Rigorous assessment is an integral part of successful teaching and learning. As parents you have every right to information on your child’s progress and the effectiveness of your child’s school.But, teachers cannot support the publication of test results by the media in a way that will be damaging to students and school communities and the quality of education we deliver.That ... Read more League Tables | Thursday, 4 February 2010 |
Students Must Be Protected From League Tables The Australian Education Union said today it was happy to discuss improvements to the My School website with the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the need for a ban on league tables.AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos said teachers would engage in any consultative process around the improvement of the website.We would welcome a process that allows the profession to be consulted on the My School website. To date consultation with the profession has been totally inadequate,” Mr Gavrielatos said.Giving more information to parents and engaging them more in the education ... Read more League Tables | Sunday, 31 January 2010 |
Federal Aboriginal Education Officer Position Re-advertised Applications are hereby invited for the above position at the Federal Office of the Australian Education Union for a four year term commencing on 1 February 2010. An attractive salary and superannuation package applies. The position description, remuneration and other details about applying for the position can be found at www.aeufederal.org.au. Applications should be marked confidential and addressed to the Federal Secretary, Australian Education Union, Ground Floor, 120 Clarendon Street, Southbank, Vic, 3006 or to aeu@aeufederal.org.au and should be received no later than COB, Friday 12 February 2010. This position will ... Read more A&TSI News | Friday, 29 January 2010 |
GA Implementation Update 20 - Jan 2010In this Implementation Update, the first for 2010, topics include the upcoming Salary Increases, New Educator Entitlements, Genetal Agreement Implementaion and also advise relating to Interim or Inter-Semester Reports. SALARY INCREASES (a) Conversion of Advanced Skills Teacher to Senior Teacher [ GA Schedule A] – as of the 1st full pay period in February 2010 AST teachers will move to the Senior Teacher 2 salary increment. Each AST employee should have received a letter from DET re this transition. (b) Structural Adjustment [GA Schedule B] – as of the pay period ending ... Read more Gen Agreement Implementation Updates | Thursday, 28 January 2010 |
Executive Passes Two Critical Resolutions The new Executive of State School Teachers Union of WA met for the first time for 2010 today and passed two critical resolutions. 1. Given our ethical and professional responsibility to our students and broader school communities, the union resolves that: The profession cannot and will not cooperate in the implementation of NAPLAN unless satisfactory measures are introduced to stop the further creation and publication of league tables. The SSTUWA will allocate its full resources to mobilise and organise the profession in support of this campaign, and provide the necessary information ... Read more Union News | Friday, 22 January 2010 |
The Education and Training Centre at the SSTUWA is already open for business! On Tuesday, New Educators (NE) attended the first TOPS training session of the year. It was a great opportunity to chat with some of the NEs met at last week’s Welcome (see: internet story and January Western Teacher), and to find out if they had acquired a position yet. It was also great to get to know some new faces and hear about the variety of backgrounds. Ashlee Mustard- Braeside PS When we met Ashlee last week, she was concerned at not yet having been offered a post, so it was great ... Read more ETC News | Thursday, 21 January 2010 |
Teachers Resolve to Act on League TablesThe Australian Education Union’s Annual Federal Conference has resolved that teachers will not take part in national testing this year unless the Federal Government moves to stop damaging school league tables.AEU Federal President Angelo Gavrielatos said delegates voted unanimously not to cooperate in the implementation of the Government’s national (NAPLAN) tests, scheduled for May, if there was no action by the Federal Government.“If the Federal Government refuses to protect students and school communities from the damaging effects of league tables, teachers will take action to protect them,” Mr Gavrielatos said.“Teachers, ... Read more League Tables | Tuesday, 19 January 2010 |
Flawed Schools Funding System Must Be Scrapped Despite a record injection of funds into public schools by the Federal Government private schools will still receive billions more in federal funding by 2013, new research to be released today has found.The research by senior academic, Dr Jim McMorrow said the funding imbalance was due to an “unfair and dysfunctional” funding system put in place by the Howard Government that should be scrapped.The McMorrow report reveals: By the end of the current schools funding agreement in 2012/13, private schools will have received $47 billion and public schools $35 billion ... Read more AEU Releases | Monday, 18 January 2010 |
Perth Zoo - Just another classroom! It’s lunchtime on another hot Perth Day: you are wondering how you can get through the rest of the week while keeping your students involved, interested (and awake)......and it’s only Term1, Day 1.It’s time to for an excursion! Perth Zoo is the perfect Outdoor Classroom with which to plan a lesson.2010 is the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity, which seeks to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity and ... Read more Members At Work | Monday, 25 January 2010 |
Teacher Profile: Katrina Merrells, Hampton PS THE IMPORTANCE OF ROLE-MODELS…AND BECOMING ONE YOURSELF Katrina Merrells is an Early Childhood Teacher and Aboriginal Coordinator at Hampton PS. She was an active member of the Aboriginal Advisory Council, a Follow the Dream Committee and assisted PSPI (Parent School Partnerships Initiative) schools. She is also a PALS Grant Coordinator and Secretary of the Primary Teachers’ Association of WA. These are just a few of her current and pasts leadership roles. As ... Read more Members At Work | Monday, 18 January 2010 |
Baldivis PS Children Save Forest Out at Baldivis is a thriving forest, called the “Children’s Forest.” It wasn’t always thriving in fact, before it became the flourishing and award winning centre that it is today, the Tuart woodland was threatened by urban development. However, in 2000 students decided they wanted to save the endangered forest, which is how the “Baldivis Children’s Forest Project” evolved. Based at Baldivis PS, the Children’s Forest Project is now an environmental study centre, ... Read more Members At Work | Friday, 8 January 2010 |
TEACHER OF THE YEAR- Julie Boston John Curtin College of the Arts’ science teacher and Academic Excellence Coordinator, Julie Boston, was named the 2009 Teacher of the Year. After just 6 years of teaching, union member Julie’s passion and enthusiasm has made a big impact on her school and on public education. Recently appointed as a Level 3 classroom teacher, Julie believes that the key to her success is “...being open to learning new ideas and always willing ... Read more Members At Work | Friday, 8 January 2010 |
CAROLYN COOK- PRINCIPAL of the YEAR At the recent WA EDUCATION AWARDS, union members scooped the key awards: WA Principal of the Year was Carolyn Cook from Hedland SHS Premier’s Teacher of the Year was Julie Boston from John Curtin College of the Arts The SSTUWA is pleased to profile both of these standout professionals. Below, Carolyn writes about her history, her wins and her motivations:“I studied a Bachelor of Arts, English at UWA, followed by a Diploma ... Read more Members At Work | Tuesday, 15 December 2009 |
North Woodvale PS’s Sea Shepherd Adventure The CampaignOn the 7th December, the conservation group Sea Shepherd’s flagship, ‘the Steve Irwin,’ left Fremantle to confront Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean. ‘Operation waltzing Matilda,’ is its 6th Whale Defense Campaign. It really is a long, treacherous voyage, that will see the crew defend whales from an archaic, commercially unviable, unpopular and unneeded tradition (having lived in Japan, studied and written about the subject, I feel confident is using ... Read more Members At Work | Wednesday, 9 December 2009 |
Teacher Profile: A TAFE Trailblazer Terri Lambert, Lecturer- Carpenter & Joinery. Swan TAFE Balga Terri Lambert is a mother and a wife. She is also unique: Terri is a carpenter and the lone female lecturer in Trades, in WA. She started in Sydney at age 16 and had the support of her parents all through her uncommon choice of work; this support, she believes, enabled her to follow her career dreams as a female in the trades. ... Read more Members At Work | Wednesday, 25 November 2009 |
Thornlie SHS - Rugby Programme Rugby Programme Breaks the Mould...And Sets an Example... Thornlie SHS’s Specialist Rugby Programme assisted their rugby teams in recent state wins, and in breaking the mould of Private School ‘domination’ in the sport. What makes this sports programme as impressive as it is unique in the Public Education system, is its self-subscribed “Code of Conduct” and “Tribal Constitution & Protocol.” These 2 documents were compiled by the students, with guidance of the ... Read more Members At Work | Thursday, 12 November 2009 |
Art as an Educational Tool - when art is not just art Recently, Gladys Newton School showed some of its students’ artwork at the Balga Avenue Youth Art Exhibition. Some of this was in turn on display at the SSTUWA’s 31st State Council.Julie Ann Duffin,(The Arts Co-ordinator), admits that Gladys Newton is an unique school and explained how it works, and the place and importance that Art has: Gladys Newton School caters for students with disabilities aged from 4 to 18 years ... Read more Members At Work | Tuesday, 10 November 2009 |
Happy Birthday North Perth Primary - 110 Years While some schools are closing, or under threat of closure, a lovely unpresumptuous school in North Perth is celebrating 110 years, and going stronger than ever. As part of its celebrations an assembly was held last Friday, followed by a magnificent afternoon-tea. MCed by Year 1 students Mackenzie and Liam, there were guests from the DET, P&C, ex-students and of course parents and the current young students. One ... Read more Members At Work | Wednesday, 28 October 2009 |
Facts About NAPLAN, My School Website & League TablesWhat are the NAPLAN national tests? National tests in literacy and numeracy (NAPLAN) were introduced in 2008 for students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9. They are not based on a national curriculum as one does not yet exist. The NAPLAN tests are short (around 40 questions), multiple-choice, machine-marked tests which provide a one point in time snapshot of student performance. The NAPLAN tests were designed as a diagnostic tool. The ... Read more League Tables and Naplan | Thursday, 4 February 2010 |
The Caterpillar & The Butterfly by Ambelin Kwaymullina Reviewed by Jacqui Macliver- SSTUWA ECE Organiser; 25 years teaching at Maylands Peninsular PS; has also done some Administrator work. History This is the 3rd book by emerging Indigenous storyteller and illustrator, Ambelin Kwaymullina. Ambelin was shortlisted for the 2008 CBC Crichton Award for Best New Illustrator for Crow and the Waterhole, and won the Early Childhood Association’s Best Picture Book in 2007. The other book in the series is ... Read more Book & Resource Reviews | Thursday, 4 February 2010 |
My School Comparisons Expose Hypocrisy of PM and Gillard The Save Our Schools public education advocacy group today accused the Prime Minister and the Federal Education Minister of hypocrisy and duplicity about reporting school results. SOS national convenor, Trevor Cobbold, said they have broken each of their three key promises about publishing school results.“The Prime Minister and the Federal Education Minister gave assurances that schools would not be unfairly compared; schools would not be “named and shamed”; and that ... Read more League Tables and Naplan | Friday, 29 January 2010 |
The Rudd Government’s funding commitments for schools: What lies beneath? The Rudd Government continues to be haunted by the schools funding policies of its predecessor.This is despite its record investment in schools, including public schools, as revealed by the Mid Year Economic Forecast (MYEFO) update of the federal budget released late last year.Commonwealth funding of schools is projected to total $82 billion over the funding period 2007-08 to 2012-13: $35 billion for the two-thirds of the nation’s students in government ... Read more Education Issues | Friday, 22 January 2010 |
Annual Ritual Naming and Shaming of Schools is Gillard’s Future for Australia The future for Australia was on show this week as England went through its annual ritual hunt for the worst performing schools in the country. Following publication of primary school test results on the UK Department of Education website, league tables of the best and worst schools in England were published by all the major newspapers. Naming and shaming the worst schools was a feature of the reporting, as it ... Read more League Tables and Naplan | Friday, 11 December 2009 |
Bad path in school tables Education Minister Julia Gillard has on many occasions acknowledged the damaging impact of school league tables. Opening a public education forum in Canberra in March, she said, ''I understand that league tables based on raw test scores can create a misleading picture and make the job of principals and teachers that much harder.'' That view accords with those of parents, principals and teachers.There is clear evidence in Australia and overseas ... Read more League Tables and Naplan | Thursday, 10 December 2009 |
Symphony Of Sunflowers Brightening the lives of children with disabilities December the 3rd was the International Day of People with Disability. Therapy Focus chose this day to launch the Symphony of Sunflowers, in the gorgeous gardens of Perth’s Government HouseTherapy Focus is West Australia's leading provider of therapy and support services to children with a disability or learning disadvantage. Therapy Focus was incorporated in 1998 as a not-for-profit, community service organisation.Since then, Therapy Focus ... Read more Education Issues | Friday, 4 December 2009 |
Kids and their mentors Within Australia one child in every 160 will have a diagnosis of autism. Most schools in Western Australia will have a student with autism attending and in some schools there are students with autism in every classroom. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are life-long neuro-developmental disabilities with the onset of symptoms generally before the age of three. It is characterised by widespread abnormalities of social interactions and communication, as well as severely ... Read more Education Issues | Thursday, 19 November 2009 |
Fremantle Festival Focus: PALS Awards Over the weekend, Fremantle held its annual Festival. This included the Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Festival on the Saturday and the Parade through the city on the Sunday. Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Festival This well attended, colourful and fun afternoon was highlighted by the PALS (Partnership Acceptance Learning Sharing) Program annual award ceremony, which opened the festival, with Director General Patrick Walker and PALS Ambassador Troy Cook presenting most awards. Students, teachers and parents from ... Read more Education Issues | Tuesday, 17 November 2009 |
All things bright and beautiful (Or: handy hints for harried teachers!) The RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is probably one of the most well-known ‘charitable’ organisations in Australia. What is the RSPCAThe RSPCA is a community based charity that works to prevent cruelty to animals by actively promoting their care and protection.‘RSPCA Australia’ is a Federation of eight independent State and Territory RSPCA bodies, called Member Societies. The WA branch started way back in 1892.It is ... Read more Education Issues | Tuesday, 3 November 2009 |
Teachers gear up to help Haiti The Global Union Federation of education workers, Education International, and its affiliates are beginning to collect information and funds in preparation for an international solidarity effort to assist members and their families in earthquake-stricken Haiti.“Teachers everywhere are concerned to express their solidarity with colleagues suffering this terrible disaster. Obviously we are following media reports closely and seeking additional information through our Caribbean regional office,” said EI's General Secretary Fred van ... Read more ACTU Releases | Friday, 22 January 2010 |
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA Haiti Appeal On Tuesday 12th January, the small Caribbean nation of Haiti was hit by a magnitude 7 earthquake. The capital of Port-au-Prince, a city of 3 million people, lies in ruins, and the Red Cross estimates that 50,000 people could lie dead in the ruins, although other estimates puts the dead at four times that number.With almost all infrastructure, government and civil society destroyed, search and rescue efforts for missing victims ... Read more International Issues | Thursday, 21 January 2010 |
Australia Post management is putting job security, workplace safety and pay at risk Australia Post executives are causing disruption of Christmas postal services by stubbornly refusing to negotiate with employees over job security, workplace safety and pay, say unions.ACTU President Sharan Burrow said Australia Post was unnecessarily escalating the dispute by using casual staff to circumvent protected and legal industrial action.She said the dispute had worsened because of Australia Post management’s refusal to sit down and negotiate with the Communications Electrical and Plumbing ... Read more ACTU Releases | Wednesday, 23 December 2009 |
Urgent actions from around the world South Africa: Update on Sun International dispute : SACCAWU: "The international campaign of solidarity with striking workers at Sun International has substantially boosted the morale and determination of workers and we have witnessed an increase in numbers of striking workers on the picket-line and other activities." So reports Mike Abrahams of the South African union SACCAWU today - read his full report here.You've sent off over 2,700 messages in the ... Read more International Issues | Thursday, 17 December 2009 |
Liliany Obando and All Colombian Political Prisoners On this Human Rights Day, the International Network in Solidarity with the Colombian Political Prisoners (INSPP) calls attention to the violation of the human rights of Colombia's political opposition and its supporters. The Colombian government is waging a campaign to criminalize critical thinking-a campaign that paves the way for transnational access to Colombia's resources, underwritten with more than (US) $7 billion in the US funded Plan Colombia. Of special concern is ... Read more International Issues | Monday, 14 December 2009 |
EI launches Declaration on Schools as Safe Sanctuaries The Declaration voices the collective demand by teachers and their unions worldwide that education should be protected in times of conflict, and schools should be respected as zones of peace where children, youth and adults can build healthy communities."In most countries of the world, teachers and students do not have to worry about whether they are going to be shot on their way to school or clown up when they ... Read more International Issues | Friday, 11 December 2009 |
No WorkChoices WA: Joint Union Meeitng More than 200 public sector union delegates will meet on 15 December to discuss the Barnett Government’s assault on public sector workers and how best to respond. Agenda items will include the State Government’s planned changes to the State’s industrial relations laws, the effects of Troy Buswell’s 3 per cent cuts on services, the State Government’s wages policy, its economic audit review, its review of the Public Sector Management Act, ... Read more Unions WA Releases | Monday, 7 December 2009 |
Labour Photo of the Year 2009 - and the winner is ... Nearly twice as many photos were submitted this year as last year (189 vs 118) and 3,203 of you voted to choose a winner from a shortlist of five great photos. Here is the photo you selected by a wide margin to be the Labour Photo of the Year: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kmasad/3951175816/ Please feel free to congratulate the winner. You can use the comment feature on Flickr to do so (but you ... Read more International Issues | Tuesday, 3 November 2009 |
Say No to WorkChoices in WA Troy Buswell and the State Government have appointed a former Howard Government industrial relations advocate to review Western Australian workplace laws and will soon announce changes that could affect up to 300,000 Western Australian workers.The last State Liberal Government introduced individual contracts and cut minimum standards for Western Australian workers and the Howard Government abolished the award safety net with its unfair WorkChoices laws.Troy Buswell is on record as saying ... Read more Unions WA Releases | Tuesday, 20 October 2009 |
“Encounter Point” a fundraiser for Windows for Peace The One World Centre and Curtin University Centre for Human Rights Education invites you to a fundraiser for Windows for Peace: A movie about reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. Encounter Point is a feature documentary film that follows a former Israeli settler, a Palestinian ex-prisoner, a bereaved Israeli mother and a wounded Palestinian bereaved brother who risk their lives and public standing to promote a nonviolent end to the conflict. ... Read more International Issues | Tuesday, 20 October 2009 |
Troy Buswell and the State Government have appointed a former Howard Government industrial relations advocate to review Western Australian workplace laws and will soon announce changes that could affect up to 300,000 Western Australian workers.
Public schools are a foundation stone of our society. They are places of learning, of inspiration and opportunity where every Australian child can get the education they deserve. It's the key to a strong economy, a skilled workforce and a socially cohesive society.
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Public education should be free and open to all to ensure non-selective and non-discriminatory access to education. Every child has a right to be educated, to develop as a human being. This capability should not be denied to anyone, either by design or neglect.
