Teachers Get $130m In Election Sweetener

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday January 16, 1993

By JULIE LEWIS

MELBOURNE: Teachers have scored an extra $130 million to upgrade their skills and improve curriculums in the Federal Government's first preelection hand-out.

The Prime Minister put education squarely on the election agenda yesterday when he unveiled the package, signalling that the Government was picking up the pace of its drive towards the ballot box.

He attacked the Opposition's education policies under both versions of Fightback, accusing the Coalition of promoting an unjust education system.

"The only area of school which would receive any significant increase in support under a Hewson government would be wealthy private education," Mr Keating said.

"At the same time, Federal grants to States, and by implication to State schools, would be cut. This is a blatant shift of Federal resources from State to private schools."

Mr Keating didn't miss an opportunity to remind his audience of the upheaval in Victorian schools after the election of the Liberal Premier, Mr Kennett.

However, the Minister for Education, Mr Beazley, denied that the election had influenced the timing of the announcement. "We've been working on these materials for months now," he said. "It's just absolutely essential to the implementation of the (Government's) agenda."

The Opposition spokesman on education, Dr David Kemp, was not convinced. He dismissed the Prime Minister's initiative, saying it was too late. "Time has run out for the Government," he said. "At the very end of its 10 years it discovers there is a need for teachers to have this opportunity."

He maintained that the Coalition's policy would increase parents' choices and would not disadvantage State schools or less-wealthy private schools. He also accused union leaders of presenting misleading information in a report on the policy.

The Government's initiative is likely to shore up the support of the Australian Teachers' Federation for the Federal Government in the forthcoming election.

The Federal president of the union, Ms Sharan Burrow, welcomed the policy and said that the union would decide today what role to take in the election.

Mr Keating released the policy at the annual Australian Teachers' Union conference. He said teachers needed extra support to cope with the demands of increased class sizes and the challenge of industry reform.

"The typical teacher today was trained 20 years ago when only about 30 per cent of students completed secondary school," he said. "Support and training are required to meet the needs of the extra 40 per cent of students who now complete it."

Under the package, the Government will provide up to $105 million over three years for the professional development of the country's 180,000 teachers.

This includes $60 million for a National Teachers' Development Program to refresh and increase teachers' knowledge of their subject by extending pilot programs already operating in teacher-training facilities.

Another $45 million will go towards a pool of money for teacher development- the professional development fund.

Another $20 million will be used to develop new curriculums based on areas such as solving problems using technology and communicating ideas.