From the Australian Education Union

Australian Education Union

South Australian Primary Principal’s Association

South Australian Secondary Principal’s Association

South Australian Area Schools Association

South Australian Small Schools Association

South Australian Preschool Director’s Association

South Australian Special Schools Association

South Australian State Schools Organisation

South Australian Association of School Parents Clubs

DECS/State Government Budget Cuts Facts

Background

The State Government and DECS are proposing that preschool and school are subject to the following cuts. Sites will be forced to implement these cuts at a local level, directly impact upon student learning and support programmes.

In summary DECS and the State Labor Government are robbing from children to fill state government coffers.

Why the cuts?

Every State Government agency is being required to find “efficiencies”.

Why now?

DECS has just finished presenting these proposals to stakeholders, even though some items are from the 2006/07 state budget.

Workcover - $17m cut over three years

* All sites are levied 1% of total salary starting costs, with a monthly deduction from the site’s budget.
* Costs will be met by the site in which the injury occurs.
* Sites to pay the first $100 of any medical treatment.
* Sites to pay the first 4 weeks of lost time from any new Workcover claim; e.g. Temporary Relief Teachers (TRT) cover
* A 60% rebate will be provided to sites that make no claims



Staffing - $17m cut over 3 years

* DECS strategy focuses upon Temporarily Placed Teachers (TPTs)
* Costs of all surplus teachers and SSOs transferred to sites
* Introduction of a cost to sites for surplus ancillary staff
* 30 TRT days will be cut each term per 1.0 surplus teaching staff



SA School Investment Accounts- $7m over 3 years

* A percentage of sites’ funds will be creamed and returned to state coffers and applies to all funds in SASIF accounts
* DECS examining 5 options for based upon school type, enrolments, and RES.



Small Programmes/grants - $16m over 4 years

* Programmes and projects that currently support students in preschools and schools will be cut over time.
* DECS has not disclosed what student programme and projects are at risk.



State Government Efficiency Dividend - $36m over 4 years

* 0.25% per annum to state government coffers away from improving student learning outcomes.



DECS District and State Office Efficiencies – 17m over 4 years

* District offices provide a range of support services to school sand students.
* These include speech pathologists and hearing specialists
* The State office provides HR support to schools and preschools as well as development of curriculum support materials
* DECS not specific on the how these ‘efficiencies will be made’

Bullying OK at Department of Education

So bullying is OK in Public Schools? As long as it is teachers and principals being bullied by Department of Education Supervisors.

From Adelaide Now

School principals who have spoken out against education budget cuts are being "chastised" by their superiors, effectively gagging them from making public statements.

The Advertiser yesterday telephoned 10 principals across the state about the budget cuts. Only two were willing to comment.

Seven principals did not wish to comment while one in the Mid North referred The Advertiser to the Education Department's regional district office.

SA Primary Principals Association president Glyn O'Brien said the State Government had pushed "very strongly" for principals not to comment in public on the issue.

"The people who have made comments have been somewhat chastised and been reminded in no uncertain terms that they are public servants," she said.

Ms O'Brien said there was an element of "fear" among principals about speaking out.

It was revealed this week nurses had been gagged from speaking to the media about their dispute with the State Government over pay and conditions.

Black Forest Primary School principal Phil Greaves said he had not officially been told to avoid speaking to the media about the Budget cuts but was aware some principals would be reluctant.

"I think you'll find a lot of principals would be outspoken about this topic because of the enormity of the issue," he said.

"In our budget, we'll have to make provisions for about $50,000 less, which translates to about $80 per child meaning we'll have to make cuts in key areas."

Dover Gardens Primary School principal John Grant said the "savings initiatives" listed by the Government in the 2006-07 State Budget were "going to have a significant effect".

"We're a small school with close to 80 students and if they take 1 per cent of our salaries for the WorkCover levy along with the other changes, it's going to have a big impact," he said.

Treasurer Kevin Foley defended the changes as the result of devolution policy instigated by the former Liberal government.

A spokeswoman for Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said "no directive about speaking to the media has been given by the Minister or her office to any principal or staff member."

Personally I think what Foley is saying is bollocks. Although there was some devolution of power in theory, in reality, the Department of Education is involved in every last decision at the school. Fine to devolve power, but you also need to give schools adequate resources to run schools effectively. This is just a ruse for a cut.

As for Mrs Lomax Smith, again bollocks and polly speak. The directives seem to be coming from operational people. Our principal has been very careful about what he has said and done. Obviously a culture of fear and bullying in place at DECS.