Page 2326 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
and that it protects all teachers and supervisors in situations where forms have been submitted but not processed.
Constructive feedback continues to be received on the absence record. I can advise that the directorate will continue to work with schools and the AEU to develop the most effective and efficient mechanism to ensure leave compliance. As Mr Doszpot alluded, in the next 12 months this will include the electronic submission of leave forms from staff in schools.
I need to be very clear about this. Regardless of political pressure from Mr Doszpot, the core question here is about individual accountability and about saving money for the ACT taxpayer. And if that means that the AEU are inconvenienced, tough luck.
I move the amendment circulated in my name:
Omit subparagraphs (1)(a) to (d), substitute:
“(a) that the Internal Audit Committee of the Education and Training Directorate in 2009-2010 expressed serious concerns about the failure of supervisors to manage leave and strongly recommended that appropriate corrective action be taken;
(b) during the 2007-2008 financial year, 1600 officers (one-third of the Directorate’s workforce) had discrepancies between leave taken and leave processed, at an approximate cost to the Government of $2.4 million;
(c) the ACT Government recognises the importance of having an effective and accountable leave record system for ACT teaching staff;
(d) that the Education and Training Directorate has introduced new arrangements for recording teacher attendance, within the public school system; and
(e) that the Australian Education Union has lodged a petition in the Assembly critical of these new arrangements, suggesting they deflect effort by teachers away from their core responsibilities of preparing and delivering quality education in the ACT public school system by imposing more paperwork; and”.
MS HUNTER (Ginninderra—Parliamentary Convenor, ACT Greens) (6.07): We listen to Mr Barr in this place and he is often very convincing on just how much the government is doing to improve education across the territory, enhance the careers of teachers and being committed to high quality outcomes and principles of best practice. So I guess it is concerning when we do hear from front-line teachers who feel that they are currently being unnecessarily burdened with ineffective paperwork.
The Greens support a well-resourced, high quality public education system that empowers front-line teachers in their role as educators, and we do hope that Mr Barr will be able to assist in achieving a successful resolution to this human resource process in the Education and Training Directorate that teachers say they are finding burdensome.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video