“We are yet to see any rationale or evidence for how this will improve educational outcomes for students,” said NSW Teachers Federation Henry Rajendra (fifth from the right). “That’s because there is none.” Photo: Facebook.
Over 200 positions in teaching and within the insurer iCare are set to be slashed, with a dispute being lodged with the Industrial Relations Commission regarding the education roles.
Along with strikes from unions representing the nurses and doctors of NSW, the State Government is now expected to negotiate with the Public Service Association (PSA) over cuts to the Department of Education (DoE).
Last week the PSA lodged a dispute with the Industrial Relations Commission with regards to its plans for organisational change – first announced in the 2024 State Budget. The union is alleging the DoE “failed to engage in genuine consultation” with public servants on slashing administrative support and non-teaching functions.
“We are seeking the assistance of the commission to conciliate between the parties, with the aim of developing an agreed set of expectations, processes, and agency change management practices, including respectful and timely communications with staff and the union,” read a PSA statement to members.
Plans to cut as many as 236 positions from workers compensation agency, iCare, have met far less scrutiny.
However it pales in comparison with the DoE’s plans, which have already seen 600 contractors and 276 teaching positions from the non-school based teaching service let go.
President of the NSW Teachers Federation, Henry Rajendra, called on the DoE to reverse its decision amid what he labelled “the worst teacher shortage in living memory”.
“To make matters worse, the department is allowing only two weeks for consultation on this significant proposed change,” he said.
Mr Rajendra said non-school based teachers performed critical work in areas such as professional learning to support the implementation of the curriculum. But “now this work will fall back to schools, which simply do not have the necessary resources or time.
“This is a time when every effort must be made to rebuild the NSW public school system after years of damage caused by the previous government’s failed Local Schools, Local Decisions devolutionary policy.
“Cutting positions will only hinder this necessary rebuild.”
An ‘Embedded Services Review’ (ESR) has also been commissioned by the DoE, to be led by its executive director of workplace reform Peter Riordan.
His mandate was spelt out in a message to departmental staff from DoE Secretary Murat Diszdar, put out shortly after the budget. She wrote that falling enrolments in public schools meant the state had to “refocus” its spending, but “record funding will be maintained across our system”.
“To right-size our budget for the organisation as it currently exists, and to ensure we are acting on our long-standing staffing challenges, the department will reduce the School Budget Allocation Report (SBAR) by 1.25 per cent for this calendar year, excluding small schools, schools for specific purposes (SSPs) and Intensive English Centres (IECs).”
NSW workers’ compensation insurer, iCare, is undergoing a root-and-branch restructure that is expected to save around $23 million annually.
The agency aims to reduce its headcount by 7 per cent – 25 per cent of group executive positions and 20 per cent of senior leadership roles will be removed.
This includes removing as many as 236 roles and creating 104 new roles according to the PSA, the latter of which are expected to be filled by “over 50 per cent of affected people”.
Union members were also told that many staff would have to either reapply for their jobs or apply for those being created.
