McGowan under chalkfire

by Simon Johnson

April 9, 2008

EDUCATION minister Mark McGowan was booed from the podium by angry teachers at a rally outside parliament house on April 8.

An estimated 1300 members of the state school teachers’ union shouted anti-government chants in their latest attempt to secure better pay and working conditions. Speaking at the rally, was union president Anne Gisborne.

“Public education in our state is in crisis,” she railed.

The rally followed a February 28 stop-work meeting which saw 5000 teachers protest in Perth’s Langley Park. This was in open defiance of an Industrial Relations Commission ruling demanding them not to take part.

At parliament house, a 2000-signature petition demanding improved pay and conditions was tabled. The presentation was overshadowed, however, by a short speech by Mr McGowan, drowned out by cat-calls and boos from the fiery audience.

Ms Gisborne said teachers’ concerns were real, and could lead to greater teacher shortages as educators leave the profession to seek better conditions elsewhere.

“There is a superficial plugging of the dyke wall ...,” she said. “The pressures on the dyke wall are real and are growing.”

She said that recalling teachers from the Education Department central office to classrooms, and using non-subject specialist teachers, were not long-term solutions.

Union organiser Ken Davis agreed, saying widespread concerns existed over salary, teacher recruitment, class sizes and behaviour management.

“The government appears to be saying that the second pay offer was a fantastic offer, seems to think the teacher shortage is gone when it hasn’t, and is not following its own party platform for reducing class sizes” Mr Davis said.

The latest WA Labor education platform says the party will drop classroom sizes to 20 students and work to improve teacher quality.

Mr McGowan played down differences of opinion between his government and the union, saying both parties agreed WA teachers “should be among the best paid in Australia”. The Minister said the main hurdle to resolving the long-running dispute was the union’s stance.

“We have been negotiating in good faith with the union,” he said, but negotiations are a two-way street.”