Mr HENDERSON - 2000-08-17
Territory parents are concerned about the high turnover of teachers in Territory classrooms. A year ago, the Chief Minister had this to say about urban Territory schools on Fred McCue’s Morning Show:
I can tell you, Fred, that I’m not all that happy about some of the outcomes in our urban schools for non-Aboriginal students. I’ve got a 10-year-old kid who has had about 12 relief teachers this year and I’m his father and this isn’t an isolated example.
Are 12 teachers for a 10-year-old child acceptable? Does the minister agree with his Chief Minister? Has his boss, the concerned parent, taken this matter up with him? What has he done to reduce teacher turnover and improve the teacher retention rates in our schools?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the problem of teacher turnover, and teacher vacancies, for that matter, has been raised a couple of times by the member’s mate Laird, and he is telling lies as well.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker!
Mr SPEAKER: The minister cannot imply that the member has told a lie.
Mr DUNHAM: Speaking to the point of order, Mr Speaker …
Mr SPEAKER: You may speak to the point of order if you wish, but I have ruled on it. The member might find other language to use rather than that.
Mr LUGG: I will withdraw it.
The issue came up earlier in the year and it was around allegations of no teachers in front of classes, teacher vacancies. I answered that question by saying we do have some temporary teachers in place and that is not the ideal situation. We are trying to recruit full-time teachers.
In terms of teacher turnover, one of the biggest furphies in the information they are using arises from the fact that a number of our teachers are on a contract year and at the end of every year those contracts cease. They are on annual contracts. So in the raw data - it is a bit like what their boss does with the economic data - these people are seen as turning over. What they do is renew their contract over the Christmas period and start again. They show up in the raw data as teachers turning over.
However, the issue of relief teachers is a continuing problem. I do agree with the Chief Minister - we could do better with that. We are trying to recruit relief teachers. We just cannot get them, cannot get enough. All the schools are issued with funding to pay for relief teachers. Particularly out of Darwin there is a problem, I acknowledge that. We are trying to do something about it but there is a shortage of relief teachers. Most of the relief teachers we have do other things with their time. Many are university students. They work in town. It is inconvenient for a lot of them to travel down the Track even a short way. So we do have a problem.
But I do say this: there is no class without a teacher in front of it. The schools make do. They have to make administrative rearrangements but there is a teacher in front of every class at all times.
It is not the ideal situation, but it is no different from any other jurisdiction around this country. They are all short of teachers - short of relief teachers particularly. We are recruiting nationally and we are even recruiting internationally. This will give an example of what we do. You know those people who arrive with hand luggage, loosely known as backpackers? We even recruit some of them who have a teaching qualification - particularly, for instance, in special language areas. Now this was denigrated by the opposition and denigrated by the Teachers Union’. But it is interesting to note that the leader of the Teachers’ Union, when he arrived in the Territory, guess what piece of luggage he had? A backpack.
I can tell you, Fred, that I’m not all that happy about some of the outcomes in our urban schools for non-Aboriginal students. I’ve got a 10-year-old kid who has had about 12 relief teachers this year and I’m his father and this isn’t an isolated example.
Are 12 teachers for a 10-year-old child acceptable? Does the minister agree with his Chief Minister? Has his boss, the concerned parent, taken this matter up with him? What has he done to reduce teacher turnover and improve the teacher retention rates in our schools?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, the problem of teacher turnover, and teacher vacancies, for that matter, has been raised a couple of times by the member’s mate Laird, and he is telling lies as well.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker!
Mr SPEAKER: The minister cannot imply that the member has told a lie.
Mr DUNHAM: Speaking to the point of order, Mr Speaker …
Mr SPEAKER: You may speak to the point of order if you wish, but I have ruled on it. The member might find other language to use rather than that.
Mr LUGG: I will withdraw it.
The issue came up earlier in the year and it was around allegations of no teachers in front of classes, teacher vacancies. I answered that question by saying we do have some temporary teachers in place and that is not the ideal situation. We are trying to recruit full-time teachers.
In terms of teacher turnover, one of the biggest furphies in the information they are using arises from the fact that a number of our teachers are on a contract year and at the end of every year those contracts cease. They are on annual contracts. So in the raw data - it is a bit like what their boss does with the economic data - these people are seen as turning over. What they do is renew their contract over the Christmas period and start again. They show up in the raw data as teachers turning over.
However, the issue of relief teachers is a continuing problem. I do agree with the Chief Minister - we could do better with that. We are trying to recruit relief teachers. We just cannot get them, cannot get enough. All the schools are issued with funding to pay for relief teachers. Particularly out of Darwin there is a problem, I acknowledge that. We are trying to do something about it but there is a shortage of relief teachers. Most of the relief teachers we have do other things with their time. Many are university students. They work in town. It is inconvenient for a lot of them to travel down the Track even a short way. So we do have a problem.
But I do say this: there is no class without a teacher in front of it. The schools make do. They have to make administrative rearrangements but there is a teacher in front of every class at all times.
It is not the ideal situation, but it is no different from any other jurisdiction around this country. They are all short of teachers - short of relief teachers particularly. We are recruiting nationally and we are even recruiting internationally. This will give an example of what we do. You know those people who arrive with hand luggage, loosely known as backpackers? We even recruit some of them who have a teaching qualification - particularly, for instance, in special language areas. Now this was denigrated by the opposition and denigrated by the Teachers Union’. But it is interesting to note that the leader of the Teachers’ Union, when he arrived in the Territory, guess what piece of luggage he had? A backpack.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016