By Norrian Rundle
MELBOURNE — In Premier Jeff Kennett's April 6 mini-budget, state education funding was cut by a further $244 million (6.4%). This follows an $86 million cut, closure of 55 schools and sacking of all school cleaners, after last years's Victorian elections.
The details of the latest cuts were not included in the mini-budget statement, but it is clear that between 100 and 200 more schools will be closed and 3000-5000 more jobs lost.
The Ministry of School Education has employed a firm of business consultants to reduce the out of school staff of the ministry from 2000 to 600. These jobs include psychologists, speech therapists and curriculum consultants.
Temporary teachers are most at risk due to their different employment status under the Teaching Service Act. While all teachers can apply for permanency after one year of teaching, some have not. Others have had their applications withheld by incompetent principals or as an unofficial disciplinary measure. Many temporary teachers have up to 20 years' experience and teach Victorian Certificate of Education classes.
The teachers' union response to these latest attacks has been disappointing. A rally was held on April 7, and teachers in some schools took up to half a day of industrial action. However, the rally was poorly attended by about 2000 teachers, parents and supporters.
Former Labor premier Joan Kirner was well received when she addressed the rally. However, she did little more than express outrage at the cuts and urge the election of a Labor government in 1996. Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary John Halfpenny and teachers' union president Brian Henderson echoed this line.
Since November, when Kennett's first cuts were announced, a number of bans have been in effect. Excursions and camps are not being run, and teachers are confining all work to a strict 38-hour week. Branches are also working to conditions specified in an industrial agreement made with the previous Labor government but disavowed by the Kennett government.
A 24-hour teachers' stop-work has been called for May 5 to coincide with a mass rally against Kennett's job cuts and attacks on public sector workers' superannuation entitlements. It is proposed that there also be two more rolling half-day stoppages over the next two terms, with 24-hour stoppages at the end of each term.
Union officials are relying on their members being moved into a federal award. However, this will not stop the school closures or the sackings.