103 Schools Sign Up

Monday, September 14, 2009

The Independent Schools Program option has been enthusiastically embraced by forward thinking schools with 103 WA Schools signing up to be amongst the 30 pilot schools.

The WA School Teacher's Union lost their application to the WA Industrial Relations Commission in relation to their interim application for Orders re: lack of consultation, on Friday 4th September, 2009.

My belief is that the WASSTU had no right to interfere in this process by contacting Parent & Citizen Associations. The union represents TEACHERS, and should have no influence with parent organisations. The tactics employed were typical union scare-mongering, with non facts and inuendo calculated to frighten parents who may not be sure about the decision they had to make.

If we were to take the community's yes votes for the chance to take up the option to become a pilot school for the Independent Schools Programme, the School Council vote would have been a 'yes'. However, I feel that the last minute spiel sent out to P & C's by the TEACHER'S union, altered the perception of people, thereby losing the vote and, ultimately, our chance to show what Nyabing Primary School could be.