[Greens-Media] NSW govt playing politics with future teacher supply

[John Kaye]

NSW govt playing politics with future teacher supply

Media release: 30 November 2008

While it might bolster the NSW government's case for a lower pay rise for teachers, understating the difficulty of staffing the state's public schools over the next decade could result in classrooms without qualified educators, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

Commenting on a story on page 25 of today's Sun Herald ('Now we have too many teachers: education chief'), Dr Kaye said: "The Director-General's confidence in his projections of teacher supply and demand is not shared by the state's Auditor-General.

"The February 2008 Audit report clearly identified the need for improved information on retirement intentions, localised risk and medium term projections in critical areas.

"This is clearly not a clean bill of health to the Department's management of the replacement of an ageing teacher workforce. 

"Mr Coutts-Trotter is obviously trying to undermine the case for a pay increase for teachers despite the mounting evidence of a looming shortage, at least in crucial disciplines like science and maths and in many areas of the state. 

"The Director-General's often-quoted 24,500 strong list of teachers waiting for permanent positions is not all that it is made out to be.

"Many names on the list have been there for more than a decade and have long since abandoned any interest in education as a profession.

"By hiding behind an outdated waiting list the NSW government is putting the future of quality public education at risk.

"The Greens are asking NSW Education and Training Minister Verity Firth to put the waiting list data on the table. This will create more transparency and enable us to test many of the Department's assertions.

"Ensuring a supply of beginning teachers across all disciplines and in all parts of the state is essential to the future health of public education," Dr Kaye said.
 

For more information:	John Kaye 0407 195 455