20 May 2010

Responsibility comes to Canberra's public schools

| johnboy
Join the conversation
9

Andrew Barr has announced his response to the Allen Consulting Review of School Based Management in the ACT.

As part of the Government’s response principals will get more say over who teaches in their school. Principals will take greater responsibility for the performance of their staff who will in turn take greater responsibility for the performance of their students.

To ensure we stay at the forefront of education in Australia I am determined to continue to improve the way we run schools. That means ensuring principals have the power to deliver great careers for great teachers in our schools.

The new system will begin at both the new Gungahlin College and the Kambah school in Tuggeranong next year.

Over the next 2 years we’ll operate the system in our 2 new schools and a number of existing schools on an opt-in basis. We intend to take a measured approach to rolling-out the new system in all schools over time.

It’s going to be a hell of a shock to a number of Canberra’s educators. But it has the potential to deliver some great outcomes IMHO.

Join the conversation

9
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Special G said :

the parents don’t care the teachers are pushing shit up hill to get a positive result.

…or giving up on them, having hit their heads against the parental brick wall too many times… without support from DET et al.

What frightens me, and nothing really does, is that BAD principals will abuse this and sack good teachers.

I know of one south Canberra school where staff, who refuse to follow the negative ‘culture’, have been forced to leave due to illness or harassment.

Giving that place the power to hire and fire will destroy those good staff who are still there trying to do their jobs whilst being stabbed in the back on a daily basis.

PLEASE DON’T give this management to the schools.

There is an ever increasing call for Teachers to be held responsible for students. I say make parents more responsible for their kids. Things like discipline, homework, showing an interest, making sure they attend school – id the parents don’t care the teachers are pushing shit up hill to get a positive result.

miz said :

“…SBM is widely supported as an appropriate system for managing the operational functions of ACT government schools.”

Especially by the finance and accounting people!!! Why does SBM work? Because ACTGOV can largely shut their eyes and ignore all the facilities problems in each and every school.

Anyone who thinks SBM works – it is time to go down to your local public school and have a good look around at the facilities and talk to the staff.

Of course, the current Govt. found the most awesome answer; let things get SO bad, you have to physically rip the building down and start from scratch – and then you can announce how awesome you are for spending a HUGE amount on Education this budget (with sweeping statements like more than ever before)… Lots of dollars and no sense…

Great move if it means that DET can’t steal good teachers from some schools to prop up other (underperforming according to NAPLAN) schools.

+1 on the SBM system – Kate or Rosemary brought it in to cut costs, and everyone hated it then. They still hate it now.

Clown Killer said :

Now all the Governmnet has to do is find the balls to put in some principals who are happy to walk into the staff room and weild the meat-axe…

There would only be a small handful of staff in the system who would be “under-performing” enough to require dismissal. But that measure would be widely supported (with suitable measures in place for review by DET/ACT Govt.).

The mind boggles at what they mean by teachers taking greater responsibility for the performance of their students? Can we fire the under-performing children? please?

This report is crap. Para 2 states “This review has highlighted that SBM is widely supported as an appropriate system for managing the operational functions of ACT government schools.” I can assure you (having two family members teaching in the ACT) that teachers HATE school based management, as, put simply, it provides inconsistency on every level and teachers have to spend time they would rather spend on students WRITING CURRICULUM. Daft.

Clown Killer4:30 pm 20 May 10

Yeah and this has absolutely nothing to do with making NAPLAN results freely available … There’s no good to come out of transparency and being able to see where the under-performing dead wood is in the system.

Now all the Governmnet has to do is find the balls to put in some principals who are happy to walk into the staff room and weild the meat-axe…

grunge_hippy3:57 pm 20 May 10

finally! I have worked with too many crappy teachers, finally principals have the power to get rid of them.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.