Victorian teachers discuss campaign

Bronwyn Jennings, Melbourne

One hundred delegates and council members attended the Australian Education Union's Victorian state conference on July 16.

Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Brian Boyd condemned Howard's planned industrial "reforms" as "arch conservative" and urged delegates to campaign against the changes. He announced that the next national week of protest would coincide with the introduction of the bill to the Senate, probably in late October.

Boyd argued that the campaign against the "reforms" would not be won with one-off, big rallies and should focus on convincing individual employers not to implement the laws. He explained that the AEU, as an affiliate of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, would be participating in a marginal seats campaign to put pressure on Coalition MPs.

Proposals from the rank-and-file Teachers Alliance to distribute information to all members and encourage greater participation in mass delegates' meetings were incorporated into resolutions about the campaign.

For the second year running, the conference vigorously debated the registration process imposed on graduate teachers by the Victorian Institute of Teaching. Trisha Reimers, a member of the Teachers Alliance, argued against the AEU's support for the process, which involves the creation of a detailed portfolio used to judge whether graduate teachers should be allowed full registration.

Reimers and others argued that the portfolio is an unnecessary addition to first-year teachers' heavy workload. However, the conference delegates, who were largely serving councillors, voted narrowly against a motion to withdraw AEU support for the process.

To contact the Teachers Alliance, email <teachers_alliance@yahoo.com.au>.

From Green Left Weekly, July 27, 2005.

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From GLW issue 635