Allegations of cash for classes

A Sydney public school teacher has told a corruption inquiry the parents of a student handed her envelopes containing wads of cash in the hope it would secure their son a place in a selective high school.

The New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is hearing allegations the parents of a Year Five student at Westmead public school gave money to teacher Jodie-Lee Pearce on two separate occasions.

Ms Pearce told the Commission the boy's mother met with her after school in August and upon leaving handed her an envelope containing $2000 in $50 notes.

The envelope also had a letter asking for help with English in the lead-up to the selective school exam.

Ms Pearce says she was shocked when she saw the money and ran into another classroom to show a colleague.

She has also told the inquiry the boy's father also visited her at the school in October with another envelope containing $500 and a letter asking for favourable consideration.

It is alleged the parents were trying to get their son into Baulkham Hills Selective High School in Sydney's north-west.

In his opening address, the counsel-assisting the Commission, Don McKenzie, has told the inquiry parents are eager, sometimes even desperate to get their children into selective schools.

Wage dispute: NSW teachers continue fight

Thousands of state school and TAFE teachers across New South Wales have walked off the job for two hours to protest against the State Government's latest pay offer.

The teachers will stop work for two hours from 9:00am (AEDT).

The action is part of the NSW Teachers Federation's seven-month campaign to improve the State Government's pay offer.

The federation's acting president, Bob Lipscombe, says he understands the frustration of parents over the disruption.

"Teachers are very reluctant to take industrial action. We'd hoped to avoid industrial action around these matters," he said.

Mr Lipscombe says there may be more industrial action in future.

"We're hopeful that when the Government sees the feelings of teachers in such an obvious way, as they will this morning, that they'll commence negotiations in good faith that will lead to a settlement around these issues," he said.

"But unfortunately if the Government is not prepared to reach some accommodation around these matters, then certainly consideration will need to be given to that in the future."

The Education Department says 90 per cent of schools will remain open, but parents should check directly with their children's school if unsure.

The department's director-general, Michael Coutts-Trotter, says he is disappointed teachers are pushing ahead with the action.

Thousands of teachers walk off the job

Teachers will stop work for two hours from 9am (AEST), in a dispute over staff transfers and the Government's 2.5 per cent pay rise ceiling.

The NSW Teachers Federation has urged 2240 principals to close their schools and has refused to authorise minimal supervision for 750,000 students.

However, Education Department director-general Michael Coutts-Trotter said 88 per cent of schools would remain open during the strike period.

About 250 schools will have no supervision for students, he said.

"Parents have been advised of alternative arrangements by school newsletter or a note home and some schools have placed advice on their websites," he said.

The Government is planning to end the current transfer system, which gives priority for sought-after positions to teachers who have spent time at hard-to-staff schools.

Teachers Federation president Maree O'Halloran said the backlash from today's industrial action was worthwhile if it secured higher pay, retention of the transfer system and proper funding of public schools.

"When you take industrial action you could get the community offside," she said.

"But when you're dealing with the type of government we've got, it seems that nothing other than a crisis makes them listen.

"For these two hours they (the students) won't have lessons.

"But if the State Government doesn't start funding schools and TAFE colleges properly, doesn't start paying teachers properly and doesn't put the transfer system back in place there will be lots of schools who don't have enough teachers."

Ms O'Halloran would not comment on the possibility of future industrial action, saying the federation had successfully negotiated with the department in the past.

Rolling strikes hit SA schools

Nearly 150 northern suburbs schools in Adelaide are closing for half a day as teachers start another round of a prolonged campaign for higher pay and a different school funding model.

State schools will be hit by rolling strikes throughout the week and there are threats to maintain the rage until the state election.

Teachers last held a strike in June, but the South Australian Government refused to budge on demands for a 21 per cent pay rise, offering less than half that, over three years.

It also refuses to withdraw a school funding model the union rejects.

SA Industrial Relations Minister Paul Caica is in the protesters' sights.

"They'll be at my office this week and I look forward to having my staff greet them with a cup of tea," he said.

There are 148 schools and pre-schools closed in the northern suburbs until the afternoon.

Opposition education spokesman David Pisoni says it will be a wasted learning day.

"My guess is many of the students won't be there for the afternoon and what impact will that have on their attendance records?" he said.

Adelaide western suburbs schools will have stoppages on Tuesday, the eastern suburbs and Mitcham area on Wednesday and the southern suburbs on Thursday.

More action possible

Australian Education Union official Correna Haythorpe says it could be an issue until the next state poll.

"We would hope to see a resolution to the dispute sooner rather than later but if we need to take this matter right up to the next state election then that's what will happen," she said.

Mr Caica doubts that will happen.

"I don't believe that there will be industrial action right up until the next election and we will resolve these issues and the best way of doing that is ensuring that we continue to negotiate and we continue to talk and we do so in good faith," he said.

The union warns there could be further strikes this school term, including full-day or two-day strikes.

Parents are advised to contact their children's schools for more information about closures.

Teachers walk out

Teachers will stage a 24-hour strike today following the NSW government's refusal to negotiate over new staffing arrangements.

The strike, which the union has flagged as the beginning of a wider industrial campaign, is expected to disrupt classes at all public schools in NSW.

Education Minister John Della Bosca said while some schools would be forced to close, the majority would provide supervision for students.

Teachers from 2,200 public schools and 400 TAFE colleges will rally in Sydney as part of the strike over the changes, in particular a phase-out of the service transfer scheme.

The scheme gives priority in appointments to teachers who accumulate points for years of service in remote areas or other regions where it is difficult to attract staff.

The government wants school principals to have the power to directly employ staff, and not necessarily take them from the transfer list.

NSW Teachers Federation vice-president Gary Zadkovich said yesterday schools would struggle to retain teachers without the scheme.

"This industrial campaign will continue. There will be further disruption to student's education. Parents will be inconvenienced," Mr Zadkovich said.

"No one wants this. We appeal to the minister, to the director-general, (to) return to the negotiation table. We can work this out."

But Mr Della Bosca said the government would not back down, saying the changes give teachers better employment options.

"We can't budge on this position because it's good for public education ... to make sure that schools have a say in the teachers that come to their schools," he said.

Mr Della Bosca said the federation's threat of more strikes was regrettable.

"It's something that shouldn't happen," he said.

Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell lambasted the government's failure to reach a deal.

"It's never acceptable to use the public as a bargaining chip in a dispute between the government and any union," Mr O'Farrell said.

Parents also have urged teachers and the government to reach a compromise, saying students were the ones who would ultimately suffer.

"Parents care greatly about the future of the teaching profession, but its discussions and actions should not impact the teaching and learning that occurs in the classroom," NSW P&C president Dianne Giblin said.

Updated: 2:00pm (AEST)

Teachers to continue strikes

NSW teachers will continue rolling industrial action next month until the government changes its plans.

Thousands of teachers have turned out for a rally in Sydney today outside the state government and education department offices at Farrer Place.

Waving colourful banners and signs lampooning Education Minister John Della Bosca, the rallying teachers chanted "quality teachers here we are, Della Bosca's gone too far".

NSW Teachers Federation president Maree O'Halloran said industrial action was set to continue next month.

On June 14, teachers would vote on another statewide strike to be held early in term three, which begins on July 28, she said.

"For 15 years, teachers have been able to negotiate with both Labor and coalition governments a mixed staffing system which contains local choice and transfers," Ms O'Halloran said in a statement.

"With 16,000 teachers eligible to retire by 2012, it is clearly possible to allow transfers to occur and accommodate more local choice.

"However, finding a solution does require both parties to be willing to negotiate.

"Teachers stand ready to do so in the interests of public education."

Union calls for $2.9b to fund education shortfall

The Education Union is calling on the Federal Government to provide an extra $2.9 billion in funding for public schools.

Education Ministers will meet in Melbourne today.

Education Union president Angelo Gavrielatos says the Federal Government's promised education revolution can only be achieved by covering the shortfall in funding.

"The minsters own research, which they commissioned a few years ago, shows Government schools are underfunded to the tune of $2.9 billion a year," he said.

"It is time to stop the talking and get on with the action. The research is there, it is time commit the dollars."

School students 'forced to give fingerprints'

The New South Wales Government is under fire over reports a Sydney high school scanned its students' fingerprints without parental consent.

Ku-ring-gai High School, in north Sydney, reportedly scanned all of its students' fingerprints for a new attendance monitoring scheme, even after some parents asked for their children to be exempt.

A newspaper reports parents who complained were told the data would only be deleted if there were still objections later.

State Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell says the NSW Government has mismanaged the program since the beginning.

"[Premier] Morris Iemma needs to explain why this controversial scheme has never been publicly announced by his Government," he said.

"Very little happens in schools that the Department of Education doesn't oversight.

"The Department of Education claims that if parents don't want their children to participate in this high school fingerprinting scheme, those students can opt out.

"Here we have claims again that students are being forced to participate."

'Benefit of the doubt'

State Education Minister John Della Bosca says he will be speaking to the school involved before making any judgement about its actions.

Mr Della Bosca says departmental guidelines clearly state that parents must give consent before their children's fingerprints are scanned.

"Today, we'll be speaking with the school, unlike Mr O'Farrell, who's scoring cheap political points against his local school," he said.

"I think the school deserves the opportunity to explain and the parents and citizens deserve the benefit of the doubt."

He says fingerprint scanning can be a useful tool for schools to keep track of attendance if it is done properly.

"You have to understand that education for people of compulsory schooling age is compulsory and schools do have an obligation to keep an accurate roll of attendance," he said.

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