Jobs Policy 'a Success'

Newcastle Herald

Tuesday September 2, 2008

By ALISON BRANLEY

THE NSW Education Department has defended its new teacher staffing policy and said it had been a success in Hunter schools since its introduction this year.

Public schoolteachers in the Hunter were expected to join a two-hour statewide stopwork meeting this morning to protest against changes to the system, along with other issues.

The teachers said the department was dismantling its teacher transfer system, which helps staff from remote schools.

Teachers are also engaged in a pay dispute with the Government.

The Education Department said that since the new system was introduced in term two, four schools in the Hunter-Central Coast region had filled five positions through open advertisements instead of transfers.

One primary school received more than 50 applications for one position.

Hunter Central Coast director John Mather said that of those jobs, four science teaching positions at three high schools attracted almost 30 applications.

Mr Mather said Hunter schools were using a combination of open advertisements and the teacher transfer system.

Four schools have asked the department to appoint a teacher from a waiting list of teachers looking for a permanent position in a government school.

"School communities and principals are clearly finding that the new staffing arrangements are working for them," Mr Mather said.

In NSW, of the 149 teaching jobs available in term two, half the schools used open advertisements and half selected teachers using the transfer system.

The State Government said the data showed the transfer system continued to be used and gave schools the opportunity to get a mix of experienced teachers and recent graduates.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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