Union, Firth begin staffing scheme talks
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The New South Wales Teachers Federation has started negotiations with the new Education Minister, Verity Firth, about changes to the school staffing system.
The union's Wayne Webber says the Government is phasing out transfer system incentives which will make it harder for some schools to attract teachers.
Teachers at Frederickton Public School stopped work over the issue yesterday, similar meetings are planned at Woolgoolga High today and at Melville High tomorrow.
Mr Webber says talks have begun with the Minister.
"Well certainly we had a meeting with the new Education Minister, we put forward a peace plan to the new Education Minister, we hope that she will run with that and settle this matter quickly in the interests of everyone in public education," he said.
Mr Webber says teachers have valid concerns about new staffing system.
"The Department of Education has imposed a change in the way they staff schools which will effectively phase out teacher transfers, we're afraid that eventually that will lead to larger class sizes and untrained teachers in classes in our schools and offload the department's responsibility to principals to find teachers to fill vacancies," he said.
