Schools Planning to reduce workload in schools

  • By Erin Aulich
  • This article was published more than 4 years ago.
  • 10 Oct 2019

In schools this semester we’ll be working closely with sub-branches to reduce workload for education support staff, teachers and principals. As you know workload is complex and there are many different aspects to the work you do that contribute to it, face-to-face being one, class size and non-teaching work also.

We’ll be addressing workload by making sure the new clauses in the VGSA2017 are being properly implemented, with a particular focus on professional practice days (PPD’s), the 30+8 model and work dimensions provisions. Our organisers will be assisting sub-branches to build on strategies to resolve workload issues at a local level.

These strategies include:

• PPDs: implementing PPDs in schools where they are not occurring or not occurring as described by the agreement.
• 30+8: working closely with target secondary and primary schools.
• Commencing work dimensions campaign to ensure work is appropriate to classifications and dimensions of work, with a particular focus on education support staff.

By winning improvements in a number of schools using the PPDs and 30+8 model, we will motivate and empower change across a much larger group of schools and allow the AEU to demonstrate how we can impact positively on the lives of teachers.

“We’ll also be focussing on training, building the capacity of our reps, and building growth in our target sub-branches.”

This will create a feedback loop resulting in an increase in recruitment and a boost in our power to effect change. Participating in the ES working party will enable us to prepare in advance any EBA campaign on matters where there might be a gap between our needs and the interests of the government.

An internal campaign committee has recently been set up to address workload, particularly addressing how the 30+8 model and PPDs are being implemented across primary, special and secondary schools. Elected schools leadership will be leading the work in this campaign and will be able to give more detailed reports at regional meetings and council meetings.

There has also been work underway on the development of resources to assist you in having conversations at the local level around workload reduction. These resources will roll out across this term. We’ll also be focussing on training, building the capacity of our reps, and building growth in our target sub-branches.

The work mentioned above is critical for us to get right over the next 18 months to ensure schools are implementing the existing clauses in the agreement. This will enable us to then build on how we achieve workload reduction in future negotiations.

When it comes to future agreements, I’m sure reduction in face-to-face time will again form part of our log of claims. As always, we’ll be watching other states and territories to see how they are progressing with their agreements prior to our negotiations. We’ll be sure to keep you updated via reps bulletins, regional meetings and through your organiser.

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