Iemma govt fails Education 101

Dr Kaye said: “Threatening a pay cut at a time of looming teacher shortages is not only irrational.

“It also compromises the future of public education.

“Balancing the budget by reducing teachers' salaries might appeal to Treasurer Michael Costa but it will rob future students of the right to a quality education.

“Destroying the system-wide transfer system will leave hard-to-staff schools without qualified teachers in some subjects.

“The Director-General of the Department of Education and Training  Michael Coutts-Trotter is spending the morning talking up his
market-based competitive transfer system.

“No amount of spin can hide the devastating impact it will have on schools in disadvantaged and remote areas.

“NSW needs a full-time education minister who can rein in Mr Coutts-Trotter and stand up to Treasurer Costa.

“Teachers and students are demanding Premier Iemma concentrate on their schools for long enough to realise public education has been waiting for a minister of its own for eleven and a half weeks.

“The political problems confronting the government are largely of their own making. Mr Della Bosca's troubles should not be used as an excuse for ignoring the needs of schools.

“The Greens congratulate the teachers for taking this industrial action to protect  current and future students.

“The state's educators have been driven into closing schools for two hours this morning by a government that is ignoring the realities of public schools," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455