Class consciousness grows among education workers

Vanguard February 2013
Louisa L



(Above: NSW teacjhers embark on 24 hour strike in 2012)

Australian public education faces immense challenges. In NSW a united front to defend the statewide school system continues to build. Workers shifted the debate from the the multinationals' divide and conquer agenda and brought parents and the wider community onside.

In advertising, emotions rather than facts shift people's thinking, but in the Teachers Federation campaign involving mass mobilisations, expanded committees in every school, local events and a sophisticated media strategy, truth coincides with emotion.

 But the ruling class, far from down and out, batters other sectors of the public education workforce.

 Put students first: unite against sackings!

Decades of incremental restructuring and cuts laid the groundwork for O'Farrell's onslaught on TAFE. He first cut TAFE adrift from schools and put teachers under 'Fair' Work Australia. In recent award negotiations, TAFE was offered a raft of unacceptable cuts, including low-paid paraprofessional positions, aimed at replacing teachers. O'Farrell's negotiators pushed for a ballot of members before Christmas, knowing that 70 per cent of TAFE teachers are casuals, often not directly affected by the cuts. Yet TAFE teachers, mobilised by the union, voted strongly against the proposal, but - unlike school teachers - have yet to win a pay rise.
 

But even worse is the ratcheted-up privatisation of TAFE, slashing of courses, increases in fees and sackings of even permanent teachers. Some teachers have been pulled off class and told they no longer have jobs. Thousands of  'part-time casual' teachers, many of whom have been working full-time for years without permanency, will also lose their positions. 800 permanent teaching and support positions are planned to go in four years.

 Who's next?

 Schools have been shielded from direct sackings, but have lost regional and state support, with the abolition of positions in ESL, multicultural, community information, low socio-economic, country area, Aboriginal, curriculum, sports, reading recovery and administration.

Fifteen schools with high Aboriginal enrolments were hit when the government's 'Connected Communities' spun onto our TV screens in May. Promising big, but with nothing funded beyond  some capital works and the bigger salary of new 'super principals', the inevitable happened. Thirteen principals were forced to transfer. Nine schools have relieving principals, as no suitable 'super' principals were found. The school and communities are in turmoil, the worst of all possible outcomes.

Worldwide, Murdoch and venture philanthropists like Bill Gates directly try to smash unions and gain control. Schools and TAFEs are potential money spinners of vast proportions. With this ideological battleground of high stakes testing and narrowing  curriculum, comes increasing ruling class control of what is taught and how.

'Winning' schools gain students, 'losers' gain all the students no one else wants. Parents are desperate not to make the wrong 'choice' for their kids. In reality the advantaged, mainly private, schools make the choice. Our precious young people are treated shamefully, and disadvantage is concentrated.

What's to be done?

The key is building working class consciousness of itself as a class opposing centi-billionaires who exploit us and rob our kids. A united front must build the fighting spirit and capacity of its leading force. Facing a growing industrial armoury including possible deregistration, we have to be able defend each other.  Education workers are a canny lot, who aren't convinced elections and targeted seats campaigns are decisive, but will support them as part of a wider campaign. For fighting unions to survive, permanent jobs must be defended. It's time to unite against sackings. Small victories at points where we concentrate our forces to break through strengthen us immeasurably.  Opportunities for mobilisations with other unions are growing. And we need to defend and reclaim what we teach.

The groundwork for progress has been laid in the heightened awareness of education workers and their allies. There are grave difficulties, but the multinationals aren't getting it all their own way.