Teaching profession rejects reports

Over 11,000 teachers reject new report requirements

Public schools across NSW are engaged in rolling meetings to discuss the federal and state governments' mandatory school report proposal. Over 11,000 teachers so far have rejected new student report requirements that the federal and state governments are trying to foist on school communities.

Ms Maree O'Halloran, President of the NSW Teachers Federation said today:

"The teaching profession has overwhelmingly rejected student reporting requirements imposed by the federal and state governments.

"Public schools across NSW are engaged in rolling meetings to discuss the federal and state governments' mandatory school report proposal. Over 11,000 teachers so far have rejected new student report requirements that the federal and state governments are trying to foist on school communities.

"They have advised the State Minister, Carmel Tebbutt, that they expect changes to be negotiated before the reports can be implemented. Just under 200 teachers have indicated their support for the governments' proposal.

"The federal and state governments, without any consultation, want to impose A to E grades in every subject for every child from six years of age. Local parents and the local school community will have no choice in this "one size fits all children" reporting regime.

Teachers will be sending an open letter to parents, which reads:

'Teachers are very concerned about the new student reports being pushed onto public school communities by federal and state governments.

The politicians have decided, with no consultation, that every child from Year 1 must receive an A to E grade for every subject studied. Both secondary and primary school teachers recognise that putting students through a competitive grading process from the age of six, in every subject, may damage some children's educational opportunities.

The A to E requirement does not recognise that children progress at different rates, have varied interests and face different challenges as they learn.

Some secondary schools already use A to E grades or something equivalent. Primary schools do not, although some use a performance scale. What is important is that the local school community gets a choice about what is best for their students and children. The governments' proposal does not allow that choice.

Across NSW, teachers, parents, principals and the Department of Education and Training had been working for more than a year to prepare report guidelines for primary schools to help schools make reports clear and concise. This work was hijacked when the federal and state governments decided that "one size fits all children" and imposed the A to E grades.

Student reports are one of the most important pieces of communication between school and home. Teachers work hard to give clear, concise and honest reports to parents. Teachers right across Australia oppose the new reporting requirements. Teachers in NSW have been advised by the Teachers Federation to continue to use the existing reporting systems in 2006.

Teachers in public education in NSW want guidelines for all schools. Within these guidelines, schools should have choices. The school staff would be able to report on student progress taking into consideration:

• each syllabus

• the view of parents in the school

• the age and developmental stage of each child

• the background of students such as those with learning difficulties English as a second language or disabilities

• the privacy of students, especially in smaller classes.

The politicians have also decided that the new reports must be introduced by the end of 2006. We believe that any new reports should not come in until 2007. This will give school communities time to get the process right when negotiations on the guidelines are complete.'

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Last Modified: 03 Jun 2006