Everywhere we look and read it is a giant sucking sound as money is robbed from current needs by SA Labor, to feed the insatiable budget requirements of the new Marge Mahal.Public schools are facing a further $73 million of budgeted education cuts over the next three years, despite the State Government scrapping its controversial workers' compensation levy.
The proposals, outlined in last year's State Budget and which "remain on the table", equate to each of the state's 600 preschools, primary and secondary schools potentially being more than $120,000 out of pocket until 2009-10.
As predicted in The Advertiser yesterday, the State Government removed the 1 per cent levy on schools to help pay for the Education Department's workers' compensation scheme, which would have reaped it $17 million over three years.
However, the education fraternity remained concerned about the impact of other department "savings" listed in the 2006-07 Budget.
Of most concern to schools are "efficiency dividends" paid to the department, which purport to raise $32.5 million over the next three years, $18 million for losing the benefit of earning interest on unspent funds, and a surplus teacher levy of $17 million.
The Government has also budgeted to save a further $6 million from energy and water-saving efficiencies.
The Australian Education Union has postponed today's planned one-hour teachers' strike. However, industrial action was "not off the table".
AEU state branch president Andrew Gohl said the union would meet with the Education Department in the coming weeks to discuss its remaining concerns and would report to its members on August 17 to determine if further strikes were required.
Premier Mike Rann, who admitted the Government "got it wrong" by introducing the workers' compensation levy, said services or programs in the Education Department would not be cut as a result of its removal.
Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith, in Budget estimates committees yesterday, could not answer what the Government's new savings target was after the decision to drop the levy, saying only that the Government would strive to reduce WorkCover claims.
She maintained reform of how WorkCover applied to schools had to occur, but it was yet to be proven if savings could be made in that area.
June 27, 2007 02:20pm
TOMORROW'S teachers' strike has been called off after the State Government ditched plans for a workers' compensation levy, admitting "we got it wrong".
Australian Education Union (AEU) state president Andrew Gohl said today the Government's about-face was "a massive victory for the AEU."
"This is not, however, the end of the matter," he said.
"While the government has pledged to abandon its entire WorkCover strategy and promised not to seek to recoup the costs through other avenues, there remain significant budget measures that will impact on schools.
"We are seeking immediate negotiations and have set a deadline to have these issues resolved by August 17 or we will reserve our right to reinstate industrial action."
The one per cent levy would have cost schools on average about $50,000 a year for four years.
Teachers from 600 preschools, primary and secondary schools were planning to strike for one hour at the end of the school day tomorrow to protest against the cuts, which were announced in the 2006-2007 State Budget.
Premier Mike Rann announced this morning the levy had been part of Government plans to improve school resources, but after listening to the concerns of teachers and parents, the Government had decided against it.
"It is still our belief that the way in which workers' compensation is run in our schools needs urgent reform, but we admit that our attempt at a solution would unreasonably impact on school communities," Mr Rann said.
“"We made a mistake on this and we are reversing it so no school will have to feel the pain of this WorkCover levy, we have killed it stone dead. We've listened."
“We’re saying we got it wrong, we got it wrong.
""We make mistakes, we are just the same as you (journalists) ... sometimes people in their lives make mistakes."
Opposition leader Martin Hamilton-Smith said Mr Rann had again overruled Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith, showing it was time she was dumped from Cabinet.
Ms Lomax-Smith told parliament just last week that the decision to impose a WorkCover levy on schools was a “savings target” that would be “re-directed into education,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.
“She also claimed the levy was part of a massive reform agenda in education,” he said.
“Poor old Jane – she’s out their defending her way of running education and then the Premier jumps over her and says they got it wrong.
“It’s time for the Minister to shuffle off to the backbench.”
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."
Public schools will soon forcibly cut funding for major resources - ultimately disadvantaging students - in response to new taxes outlined in the 2006-07 State Budget.
Principals have warned the new taxes, which include a 1 per cent WorkCover levy on total staff salaries, mean they have the tough choice of either slashing funds for learning resources or increasing school fees.
The warning came as Premier Mike Rann denied Labor MPs were concerned about losing their seats because of the cuts.
One school has detailed to The Advertiser the direct impact of the cuts on their resources, which they estimate would total $50,000 from discretionary funds out of their annual budget.
The resource cuts - five lots of $10,000 in this school's case - would hit:
IT which would result in its network and hardware becoming outdated over time.
SPECIAL Education support program, disadvantaging those most in need.
STAFF training, reducing the knowledge and skills of its staff.
LIBRARY resourcing - which is most of its budget - resulting in out of date resources "very quickly" and $10,000 more, which "gives them nowhere else to cut from without impacting on staffing and class sizes".
The school's principal said: "We can either charge parents an extra $100 per child . . . or we can reduce resourcing."
SA Primary Principals Association president Glyn O'Brien said the cuts were "something Treasurer Kevin Foley doesn't understand".
"We want the opportunity to sit down and put in front of him the facts and figures but we've had no response at all to our pleas or letters asking for that," she said.
Mr Rann told Parliament yesterday that no Labor backbenchers, including former teacher Chloe Fox, had indicated to him they held concerns about their jobs.
His denial was met with howls of protest from the Liberals after speculation Ms Fox raised the issue in Caucus. Ms Fox yesterday refused to comment.
Next Thursday, teachers are expected to strike for one-hour to protest against the new taxes.
A spokeswoman for the Education Department said "all savings measures announced in last year's Budget will be redirected back into public education".
Louise Quinn, who has two children attending Reynella Primary School, is concerned about the impact of the new taxes.
"It will impact severely on an already limited school budget and there will be the financial impact on parents if the extra costs are passed on," she said.
Thousands of parents and teachers will rally across the state today in protest at cuts to public education funding.
They say the cuts from next year "will impact on every classroom in South Australia". Rallies will take place from 4.30pm on the steps of Parliament House in the city and in Mount Gambier, Berri, Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln and Whyalla.
They are responding to "savings initiatives" listed in the 2006-07 State Budget for the Department of Education and Children's Services. In total, an estimated $84 million in savings over four years will be borne by schools. That equates to nearly $500 for each of the state's 171,200 public education students.
Schools say the cost-shifting will result in them not being able to afford school support officers, computer upgrades and replacement, library books, special programs and key classroom resources.
Schools could be up to $100,000 out of pocket each year. A key concern is the proposal for schools to pay 1 per cent of their total staff salaries towards a WorkCover levy.
SA Primary Principals Association president Glyn O'Brien said the rally was an "unprecedented" move by schools to campaign against Budget cuts.
"When you talk about a figure such as $25 million it doesn't mean much to parents but when you narrow it down to what impact that is going to have on the school their children attend, it really hits home," she said. "We have only really found out in the past two months how these initiatives will be carried out and we were never consulted by the department. It was just a briefing with their options."
Secondary Principals Association Jim Daves said the Budget cuts would "impact on every classroom in the state".
"It will put the profession of teaching in a very difficult position over the forthcoming years," he said.
"Next year we'll survive with the computers we've got, the following year some will break down and we're not going to have the money to replace them.
"Our existing text books will survive another year, the year after we'll put sticky tape on them but there comes a time where we need to replace them with new ones. An Education Department spokeswoman said: "We want to assure families and staff that all efficiencies, as outlined in the 2006-07 State Budget, will be redirected back into public education in SA to deliver quality education for children".
