Within the context of the current funding debate, the IEU has spoken with many principal members in Catholic systemic and independent schools who are deeply concerned about the threat to their school’s resourcing and ultimately to their enrolments.
This is a particular issue for Catholic systemic primary schools in the ACT but other principals have also raised their concerns with the IEU.
One Catholic independent school principal told the IEU that his school is projected to lose $8.5 million over the next 10 years.
The Union has especially condemned the Federal Government’s lack of consultation with the education sector, including the IEU and the AEU. There are also concerns about new funding conditions that will be imposed by government on the way principals, teachers and support staff perform their work. More political interference in schools!
In the Catholic sector, many principals have recently attended the Association of Catholic School Principals Conference in the Hunter Valley and the IEU has provided information to principals participating in the conference. Special appreciation is expressed to IEU Principals Sub Branch President Sidonie Coffey and other IEU principal members for their engagement with their colleagues at the ACSP conference.
As discussed at the Term 2 IEU Principals Sub Branch meeting and highlighted in Headlines, principals have a vital role to play in advising and supporting their teaching staff in regard to the NESA accreditation of pre 2004 teachers. NESA is currently working with all NSW education employers to capture all pre 2004 teachers into the system for their accreditation ‘licence to teach’ in 2018.
Further advice and support is available from the IEU in relation to accreditation for principals and their staff.
Further IEU Principals’ Sub Branch meetings are scheduled for 5 August and 4 November. The IEU looks forward to breakfast meetings with Sydney Southern Region principals on 15 June, Maitland-Newcastle Diocese principals on 23 June and also welcomes the opportunity to meet with principals at regional, diocesan or other occasions.