says our Prime Minister, John Howard. According to the Age article, PM criticises teachers stop work meeting in Victoria:
“They shouldn’t be gathering in Melbourne on Thursday, they should be at school on Thursday,” Mr Howard told federal parliament.
“it’s this kind of behaviour by teachers that gives government schools a bad name,” he said.
“If they want to demonstrate against our laws, do it in their own time.”
Like the PM, I’m also a product of the public education system, as well as a parent of two pre-school kids and a teacher in the public education system. My problem is, I don’t understand these comments by my PM.
In fact, I don’t understand the whole situation very well. Here’s my perspective (please help me learn and correct me where I’ve misunderstood):
- Schools will be open so that parents work commitments are not disrupted.
- IMHO Government schools don’t have a bad name because of teachers striking – but because of the gradual degradation of the public school system over the past 10 years as the private school system has flourished (not unrelated to government policy – I’m still trying to understand the public-private education debate)
- People striking on Thursday are doing so in their own time in terms of pay. They will either be docked and not paid for the time absent, or in some cases they will apply for leave to attend the strike.
So all I am left thinking that our Prime Minister wants teachers to receive bad publicity for the strike by blaming the apparent “bad name of government schools” on those naughty teachers who are jigging school for a fun day in the park with a free Jimmy Barnes concert (same Age article as above):
Instead of attending a “Jimmy Barnes concert” at the Melbourne Cricket Ground teachers should be in their classrooms, Mr Howard said.
It makes me sad that our current system relies on this type of rhetoric (and it comes from both sides) rather than a transparent and honest debate.
I’ll be at the stop-work meeting at 8:30am tomorrow morning (at Katoomba RSL)… even though I don’t agree with everything the union does (more on that later), even though I do believe that strikes have been abused in the past, but I want to be counted: I think the current IR laws are one-step-forward-two-steps-backward for our country.
That said, I’ll be crawling back to the classroom by 10am where I belong straight after the broadcast without my free Jimmy Barnes concert. I do think the demonstrations after the broadcast are important, but I’ve got students who have their last day of a 1-year Web Design course – and that’s important too.
What’s your perspective? Do you think teachers should stay at school tomorrow or join the protest?
Uncategorized 
I think that Howard is the worst thing to happen to this country policitally. He is slowly undoing all that is good about Australia and we will watch future generations suffer for it.
I think that Howard is the one who needs to go back to school to remember what it’s like to be in the public education system and I would definately like to see him working in a small business and be told to work for $5 an hour or be fired.
Howard is ruining our ideals and detroying the systems which people in previous generations worked so hard to get.
I support any action taken on Thursday and hope that one day politicians will listen and reverse these ridiculous laws.
Gee that was quick Aldona ;) It’s great to see your passion about Australia’s future…
Worth thinking about how you can engage people with what you’re saying – especially people who will disagree…
Aldona said:
I’d love to read more about this point… do you have a good link or an article etc. that talks about these ‘ideals’ and ’systems’ and shows (with references) how they’re being destroyed? Something that someone who’s convinced otherwise might read and engage with? Taa!
Do demonstrations actually ever achieve anything?
I guess I don’t know too much about workers reform as it hasn’t really affected me
Simmo said:
I’m guessing what they have achieved in the past is to demonstrate that a particular opinion is significant – and that the government should take notice. From Wikipedia article Demonstrations of people:
I’m guessing our country’s history is littered with demonstrations that have helped shape the way things are today, but I (probably like you Sim) never studied much history and so I’m a bit naive on the topic. Here’s some interesting info (from Wikipedia, but you can follow the reference to the primary source), Master and Servant act in Australia:
That was in 1902 – just over 100 years ago – hard to believe. I wonder if demonstrations were involved in changes those kind of laws Simm? Anyone?
I don’t think that students should be looked after at school while teachers are at the meeting. John probably doesn’t give tuppence about their education or their teacher’s conditions, but would care if enough angry parents are asking why there are no teachers available.
As far as the public schools vs. private comment, I’d like to hear him try to convince the populace that everyone should be paying $1000 a term for their children’s education
Does the AEU have an online campaign that teachers can support?
As far as staying in class or going to a meeting, I’m happy for teachers to do what they think is best. Unfortunately I also am confused about what the meetings actually do and what they are about. From my perspective they make it obvious that there are problems with the current system, so my awareness about the conflict is heightened. Its just that with the debate heard via the media (like comments from Johnny), its hard to tell what the actual situation is.
Also, I work for a private school (as a cleaner) and they pay $32,000 a year.
100% behind the “man of steel,” Beazley can’t take this on. IR laws wipe out 100 years of democracy hard-won and this can never be rewon. Families will be wrecked (poverty, no weekends) and we will be insecure slaves forever. Weekend marches will be safer for employees (and not jeopardise students, etc.) as now even employers won’t pay for jury duty (SMH herald this week) and employees will get sacked for marching and going on jury duty-disgusting violation of democracy. One reason I moved to Australia from NZ a few years ago was because of the IR laws in NZ introduced about 10 years ago now but now I have recently obtained British/EU passport as I am disillusioned with Howard and his policies (IR laws and 15 nuclear power plants, even Al Gore said they were uneconomic, apart from environmentally damaging). Statistics in NZ show after IR laws salaries dropped 25% (quoted by Greg Combet). This decrease in wages will be exasperated by the introduction of skilled/unskilled migration as Howard desires and we will see wages fall. If not for Greg Combet the minimum wage would be $8 an hour as in NZ where there is no minimum wage and virtually no unions. $10 an hour is not uncommon pay in NZ. Therefore, it is important to march and back the unions as without the unions there is no “people power” and we will be trampled over. Anyone who needs articles to substantiate the implications of IR laws need only listen to Greg Combet or take a long hard look at NZ, a country with great social and egalitarian ideals but an economically ruined country with its dollar value still declining. Fortunately for Australia we still have unions whereas in NZ they got rid of the unions (shot union leaders down in cold blood in the Trade Hall in Wellington) first and there could never be any resistance to IR laws. Therefore, unions are paramount to the whole issue. Howard has to go! Unfortunately I can’t vote but at least I can speak for now. As Greg Combet said we can’t be China, we can’t compete with Chinese wages and why should we when things have gone along just fine as they were (i.e. Yes to penalty rates, Yes to holidays enshrined in law, Yes to overtime rates, etc.) and march, march, march. This is Australia’s biggest fight in 100 years.
I reckon take the students with you to the strike! School’s no place for kids (or adults) anyway. This strike could be a great ‘teachable’ moment – and the demonstrations would be even better.
Also, I moved from Australia to NZ to escape the political climate change happening there. Not knowing much at all about NZ politics gives me an ignorant bliss. But I have quickly come to see – not so much destroyed families and a ruined economy, as Kris describes – I think that sort of social realism is a touch too unreal – its more subtle and sinister. What I’m seeing most clearly though is a very gutted work force, where service and retail is at a shockingly poor quality. And why would we expect it any better? The highest paid in retail is NZ$12 per hour!! Builders go for NZ$25 etc… while the cost of living remains high by comparison. Renting a 3 bedroom is around $270 – $300 per week. So in short, the NZ economy offers low income (especially to blue collar workers) while the cost of living is high. Whether IR did this, I dunno.
Peter: rather than annoying parents and getting them offside, I reckon it’d be better to get their support (not forced)… it’s public support and awareness of what’s going on that’s sooo important.
Chris, the AEU has campaign page for workers rights, but it’s just a bunch of pdf’s and links (some broken). If we start blogging stuff that is accurate and that people will read (summaries links to newspaper articles etc), and maybe tagging a pool of resources in del.icio.us we can help each other learn… hey, what-do-you-know, del.icio.us already has the following tags: workersrights, and one bookmark with irreforms. I know what I’ll be reading today :)
Like Addye said, listening to the media (from both sides) it’s hard to know what the actual situation is (for me anyway). So the bottom line for me is, I need to find out myself. Thanks for some pointers Kris… I’ll look for those articles in the SMH and tag them with irreforms, as well as try to evaluate more of what Greg Combet!
Leigh, LOL, it’d be great to take the kids along if the parents were supportive. I reckon we need to be writing and saying stuff that engages people in thinking about the issues – not stuff that lets people often falsely put you in a box of “leftie” or “unionist” etc. I get so turned off when I read something from either side of the argument that makes general statements without linking to references that I can followup… and I’m sure I’m not alone.
Gee, from what you’ve written Leigh, the situation in NZ (low wages, high cost of living) sounds like a great way to stop those without much from building more for themselves…