[Greens-Media] Sen. KERRY NETTLE: Bishop should get more funding to public schools to boost pay

[Edwards, Jon (Sen K. Nettle)]

Bishop should get more funding to public schools to boost pay

09.08.06

Greens Education Spokesperson Senator Kerry Nettle today asked Education
Minister Julie Bishop to commit to significant funding increases to
State schools to support her desire to increase pay to teachers.

"Minister Bishop wants to pay some teachers bonuses for good work but
this populist policy has no dollars attached to it and ignores the much
more urgent need to reward all teachers and make teaching a much more
attractive career option.

"The Greens have called for an annual increase of $3.13 billion to
public schools in order to bring Australia's commitment to public
schooling into the top ten best spenders of the OECD countries.

"Public school teacher salaries have been going backwards relative to
average weekly earnings for decades and the profession is suffering as a
result.

"Research by the Australian Education Union has shown that Australia is
heading for a teacher shortage of as many as 30,000 by the end of this
decade if the intake is not increased.

"The average age of science teachers in NSW is over 50 and of all
teachers in public schools it is 49. Much more needs to be done to
attract new teachers into the system.

"The Greens want significant investment to increase teachers' salaries
but also a detailed strategy to improve conditions, resources and
promote public schools and the teaching profession more generally.

"Societies are measured by the quality of their public schooling.
Australia is doing well but must act now to preserve and improve its
public system."


Contact - Jon Edwards 0428 213 146