Oh Dear

EDUCATION Minister Jane Lomax-Smith has been attacked by members of her own party over school funding cuts.

In an embarrassing event for Dr Lomax-Smith, her own party sub-branch passed a motion calling for the Government to "reverse the financial impositions to already struggling public schools".

One senior Labor source raised concerns, believing she should have been able to "sell" the policy to her closest party members.

"It is unprecedented but I don't find it surprising that Jane couldn't even convince her own sub-branch . . ." one long-term delegate said.

The motion criticised the Government's decision to cut small school programs, prevent schools from keeping interest payments on unspent funds, and for shifting the responsibility for WorkCover.

In June, the Government reneged on a decision to impose a 1 per cent levy on schools to help pay for a workers' compensation scheme following public pressure.

Public schools, however, still face cuts of $36 million over the next four years to meet efficiency dividends.

Labor sources said Dr Lomax-Smith attended the State Council meeting last Thursday, but left before the motion was debated.

It is understood Attorney-General Michael Atkinson had to defend the Government before the motion was defeated.

"She left it up to another senior minister to do her dirty work," a Labor source said.

In an emailed statement Dr Lomax-Smith yesterday said: "Plans for our reinvestment strategy . . . have been successfully resolved with the union and principal groups, with the union saying it's 'delighted' with the outcome".

Blah Blah Blah a Deer ..... More Happy News from the Department of Education and Music Services Politpburo

Note: This policy was developed without any input from Angry Parents and without respect to sensible public policy.

Press Release: Stop Press Stop Music Stop Everything

News: Trials before major changes to music service in schools


Hon JANE LOMAX-SMITH MP
Minister for Education & Children's Services
Minister for Tourism
Minister for the City of Adelaide
Contact details

August 14, 2007

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith has requested that the Education Department sit down with music groups to find common ground on measures to improve music education for South Australian school children.



Dr Lomax-Smith confirmed the department would not implement major changes to the delivery of South Australia’s $7.5 million instrumental music education program before trials of the proposed measures are completed next year.



The Minister welcomed a reported call in today’s Advertiser by the Music Council of Australia that changes should be trialled before modifying the existing instrumental music program. The government announced in June that proposed changes would first be trialled.



“A collaborative approach to working with music teachers and schools to trial these new approaches is exactly what we want to see happen,” Dr Lomax-Smith says.



The Minister today announced funding would be made available to support schools which volunteered to test elements of the proposed new measures.



The funds will mean:


*
Up to 20 primary and secondary schools to trial new approaches in Year 5 whole class instrumental teaching and group tuition of Year 6 to 10 students
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Research into creating better opportunities to involve children in Reception to Year 4 in music education
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Maintenance of the existing instrumental music program while the trials are carried out, with any new measures being gradually introduced over five year
*
An advisory group of music educators and departmental experts overseeing the trials and working with music education groups on improving the overall program


“Ensuring skilled young people achieve excellence in music, while more children also have the opportunity to discover music, is clearly what communities want.



“The instrumental music program has served many children well over 30 years, but clearly we can do better.



“Indeed, the proposals are in line with a National Review of School Music which showed that ‘music education in Australian schools is at a critical point where prompt action is needed to right the inequalities in school music’.



“I have asked the department to involve music education groups in a collaborative approach to working out how best we can achieve the shared aims of equity and excellence.”



Revamping the music education program was proposed by an independent review, to open the door to thousands more children learning instrumental music, while also enabling skilled students to excel through specialist music support at the State’s four Special Music Schools.



“As a government, we want to ensure there is a fairer access to music education for young people in our schools.



“At the same time, if more young people have access to instrumental music, it broadens the pool of talented young people who may choose to go on to excel in a particular field of music.



“However, there are clearly differing views, with some teachers opposed to any changes that may be proposed in this and the national agenda.


“We want schools to try out the new approaches. By working together, a common sense way forward can be found that ensures the program continues to foster excellence in instrumental music, while also ensuring greater equity of access for children.”

SA Labor Dipping into Parents Pockets Again

Well what a surprise. School Fee Increases. Thanks Mr Rann and Mr Foley.

PUBLIC schools want to raise fees paid by parents to compensate for State Government cuts to their budgets.

The increases could lift basic fees at top public secondary schools to $700 and charges for primary students to $400 - a rise of about $100 in some cases.

South Australian Secondary Principals Association president Jim Davies said schools were sensitive about charging parents but budget cuts would force them to push for more, saying: "To maintain the quality of what we do - the resources we put into classrooms - we will have to have a good, hard look at what level of increased materials and services charges are appropriate," he said.

"There remains high levels of uncertainty about the funding that will come from the department to schools." Schools still stand to lose $18 million in bank interest over three years from next year.

The Education Department is yet to reveal how it will achieve a $36 million "efficiency dividend" by 2010 and schools have been asked to cut energy costs by $4.3 million within three years. Principals and their governing councils will set new fees for 2008 as early as next term.

This year, the fee recommended by the Education Department was $244 for secondary schools and $182 for primary, although many charge more with parents' and departmental approval.

"There have been schools that have held material and service fees constant and they will probably have a significant jump that goes beyond that," Mr Davies said.

He said his own school - the Australian Science and Mathematics School at Flinders University - usually kept its fee increases in line with inflation.

"This school's fees are around the $650 mark. On the basis of 2.5 to 3 per cent CPI rate, we'd probably look at a $50 increase," he said. Glenunga International High School principal Bob Knight said the school was considering higher fees for optional courses including vocational subjects and the International Baccalaureate. "Anything above the standard we are going to have a look at," he said.

His school was still $100,000 short on last year's budget.

SA Association of State School Organisations executive director David Knuckey said all schools would either have to raise fees or cut services. The association is the peak SA body for governing councils, which individually set fees for their own schools.

"We still don't know at this stage exactly how much money they are going to lose - for many schools it will be tens of thousands of dollars," he said.

But it was not possible to increase fees enough to cover all the money lost from school budgets.

The Education Department sets a minimum fee for public schools to charge their students for "materials and services" - money that covers books and equipment for libraries, laboratories and special subjects.

To make a higher fee legally recoverable, school councils must gain the approval of parents and the Education Department, although they can introduce a "voluntary" charge. SA Primary Principals Association president Glyn O'Brien said many parents failed to pay their fees, regardless of how much they were. "There are lots of schools where it doesn't matter if you put the fees up or not - the parents wouldn't be able to afford them anyway," she said.

Australian Education Union SA branch president Andrew Gohl said fee increases were a "double tax" on parents for education, which the union believed should be free. "Schools have been charging fees for quite some time because, at a federal and state level, there is simply not enough money being put into public education," he said.

Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said it was up to the department to approve increases in fees. "They have to have all the forms and everything approved by the department - there's a process for it," she said.

Opposition Education spokesman Iain Evans said the minister has "got a problem".

"The only ways schools can recover the money they are losing in the cuts is either to cut staff or put up school fees," he said.

"It wouldn't surprise me at all that fees increase."