Too many education workers employed by the Department for Education have no job security, says the President of the SA Branch of the Australian Education Union, Howard Spreadbury.
"The rates of permanency amongst teachers and other education workers in SA schools and Preschools are lower than we have ever seen, dropping to only 59% in 2017", Mr Spreadbury said. "This means that 41% of the public education workforce doesn’t have a job that they can count on. They cannot confidently plan for their future. This isn’t acceptable and the AEU and its members will be fighting to change the rules so that permanent and secure jobs are again the norm in our schools"
Lynne Asquith, who currently teaches Year 4/5 at a Primary School in the Adelaide Hills, has been employed as contract teacher for over 20 years. "I left a permanent job teaching in Sydney to move to South Australia in 1997 and have worked continuously as a contract teacher since then, except for when my children were born."
"It’s not just the continued uncertainty you face but being denied permanency makes you feel like you’re not valued, not respected by the Department", Ms Asquith said.
Primary teacher Richanda Mott has been working for the Department for Education on various contracts for seven years. "I love teaching but every year I worry about whether I will have a job the following year. Job insecurity means forming new relationships each year and it impacts on my financial security", Ms Mott said.
"Students are also affected when relationships with teachers are formed and then there is no certainty that those teachers will be at their school the following year", Mr Spreadbury said.
"It’s not just School and Preschool teachers, with over 80% of all preschool Early Childhood Workers and more than half of all School Service Officers on contract. There are no good operational reasons for this lack of job security and it’s inconsistent with the Department’s own policies and targets", Mr Spreadbury said.
"We need to make working in public education attractive if we are going to stop the exodus of Beginning Teachers from the profession. Up to 50% of teachers leave in the first 5 years and we know one of the reasons is the lack of job security."
The AEU will be calling on the State Government to significantly increase the levels of permanency for all Education Workers in Government Schools and Preschools during Enterprise Bargaining to replace the current Agreement which will expire on 30 June 2018. ---
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