More budget cuts for schools

More budget cuts for schools

By Melanie Sjoberg

ADELAIDE — South Australia's specialised adult re-entry schools are facing cuts of $1 million each year for the next three years. Adult re-entry schools cater for people returning to study, as well as migrants consolidating their English skills.

The Australian Education Union (AEU) and the Public Service Association (PSA) were not been consulted. Staff in schools received the news as an announcement from principals, who identified ways in which the cuts could be imposed.

This is in breach of the current enterprise agreement for education which states that schools will operate within the 1996 staffing formula for the life of the agreement. The agreement expires in December 1998.

It also flies in the face of negotiations for the next enterprise agreement, in which the AEU is demanding more staff in schools.

The proposed cuts include: one or two coordinators from each school, 15 hours of security time and between 10 and 37.5 hours of support time. Adult re-entry schools are having to cope with more administration tasks resulting from the introduction of the Common Youth Allowance.

The AEU and PSA have endorsed motions of non-cooperation and will campaign in the communities affected. The unions are meeting with relevant government ministers to challenge the cuts.

From GLW issue 330