The Education Department and the AEU officials refer to school amalgamations and some school closures as “Educational Provisions”. This is merely a euphemism for school closures.
Generally Teachers Alliance is opposed to school amalgamations. Why?
· Local communities are entitled to a local school.
· Research as to why school enrolments have dropped has not been carried out. Such research would be useful to determine if amalgamations are the only way forward.
· Forecasting amalgamations may actually increase the drop in enrolments as often students do not like change.
· Large schools are NOT educationally positive environments or healthy work environments.
· Career pathways for teachers are often curtailed by amalgamations.
· Current ‘consultation’ meetings of the teaching and support staff often occur in an atmosphere of intimidation or hopelessness about alternative solutions. Meetings should occur without principals, regional directors or other ‘heavies’ present so that teachers and SSO’s can openly and fearlessly discuss and debate their school’s concerns.
· In most cases the AEU leadership has intervened after the horse has bolted.
· All schools to be resourced adequately and infrastructure improved so that schools can maintain their enrolments.
· Small schools to be resourced so that they are not disadvantaged due to their size.
Where a school’s enrolments have fallen so low as to make it unviable.
· Intervention by the AEU from the moment an amalgamation is suggested in cases
· All rights for students and teachers to be firmly set in concrete before the AEU agrees to any amalgamation.
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