Teachers’ contracts

Press, 30 August 1989, Page 20

Teachers’ contracts

Sir, —Mr Lange legislated to change the way teachers’ conditions of employment are set. Not happy with the outcome, he now intends changing the rules again to introduce contracts for principals and senior teachers. I have two clear questions for Mr Lange: (a) If teachers are to be accountable, why choose the one method (i.e., contracts) which has been shown world-wide to be the most destructive to educational ideals? (b) Since accountability is so important, why did he break the election promise for a referendum on electoral reform, which would have made him and his fellow M.P.s more accountable?—Yours, etc., ' P. C. SUMPTER. July 24, 1989.

[The Minister of State Services, Mr Rodger, replies: “The first piece of legislation to which P. C. Sumpter refers, the State Sector Act 1988, reformed State sector industrial relations to put State employees as far as possible on the same industrial footing as all other workers. An exception to that basic principle is the statutory requirement that senior staff in the State sector be placed on individual contracts. Not all of the reforms were applied to the teaching service, since the review of education administration by the Picot Task Force had not yet been completed. Now that this has been completed and the ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’ reforms are almost in place, it is the intention of the Government to follow through with the remainder of the State reforms in the education service; the State Sector Act Amendment Bill which introduced individual contracts for senior staff in secondary schools does this. The reforms contained in that bill are also essential to the success of the decentralised model of ‘Tomorrow’s Schools.’ I accept that individual contracts for senior staff have not been introduced in the same way anywhere else in the world. Ours is a unique education system, in which contracts have a unique place. In

my view, the advantages in having senior staff on individual contracts rather than covered by a collectively bargained award for our education system are great. By clearly defining the duties and obligations of the parties,, clarifying the accountabilities of senior staff, removing the possibility of conflicts of interest, and increasing the flexibility to come to agreed employment terms that best suit the unique circumstances of the parties, individual contracts will enhance the administrative and managerial roles of senior staff. That will ultimately help schools provide a better level of education for our children.”]