The New Bench Mark

2. The New Bench Mark • The SA Government Offer of 3.25% is inadequate. • The most common Australian teacher’s salary will be $75,000. • The WA settlement proposal – it is yet to be voted on – provides an immediate increase of 4.5% with another 4.5% in June next year. • SA teachers need to secure an immediate increase to keep pace with interstate salaries movements and inflation.

3. Salary Comparison

4. The Unfair Funding Model. • The AEU has called for the funding model to be withdrawn. • It is the biggest obstacle to gaining an agreement. • We cannot let the EB process be used to cut funding to schools and make them ready for closure or merger.

5. The AEU’s Principles Include: • Improved opportunities for student learning with guaranteed access to a broad and comprehensive curriculum. • Class size limits to ensure that students have access to a safe and caring learning environment. • Access and equity for all students, with additional, guaranteed funding for those with special needs. • Protection of industrial rights of all employees, including workload provisions and SSO and AEW time. • Transparent, collaborative decision making processes and financial accountability.

6. Their Model Is Flawed! • SSO entitlements. There will be no designated funding for SSO hours which will be completely deregulated. • Leadership time. Reduced provision for most Deputy Principals from 0.5 to 0.38. Any topping up of this allocation will be dependent on whether the site budget can afford it and may result in increased class sizes. • There is no reference to class size limits, other than a much reduced provision for secondary practical classes. Class size is and must remain an essential, prescribed and protected feature. • Increased face to face teaching time for Student Counsellors and Teacher Librarians. • Preschools at combined sites and special schools have not been considered by DECS in developing the funding model. • 1 in 3 schools face significant funding cuts.

7. Workload Protections? • Nothing binding- outside a binding agreement • Secondary Counsellors will have more than 16 hours contact time. • Primary Counsellors will not have any specific time allocation. • Secondary Deputies will have their teaching load increased by 0.12 • Librarians will have a full face to face teaching load. • Primary teachers will have 22 hours 30 minutes contact time • Secondary teachers will have 21 hours contact time • Non teaching staff and preschool teachers have been completely ignored and deregulated. No hourly entitlement.

8. Concerns • Working conditions are under attack as industrial protections are removed from the agreement. • The DECS position is that class size will not be protected and in many schools will have to increase. Chief Executive says class size is not important • The PAC role will be reduced. • The funding model is inadequate with short falls in funding for many schools. • Funding is determined 4 times per year punishing schools with transient populations. • 2008 budget papers set savings targets of $15.1m in the same year that the new funding model is to be introduced.

9. Finally • Key items of importance to members contained in the AEU claim have not been addressed. • The proposed funding model is unworkable, has been rejected by the AEU and must be removed from the Government Offer. • Interstate salary offers have provided a new bench mark.