SAS Staff (School) News - August 2005

School Enrolment Forms

The Association wrote the following letter to the General Manager, Industrial Relations and Employment Services:

School Administrative Staff have had increasing problems with the distribution of and data entry from the new school enrolment forms. The PSA has made every effort to ensure that the new requirements for Years 3, 5 and 7 will be met. To that end, we collated information on the problems encountered and proposed amendments to the form which would alleviate but not totally resolve the difficulties. Dr Looveer amended the form accordingly.

A DET memorandum was sent to schools in mid July saying that all the forms would have to be completed and the data entered by the end of August. The PSA intervened and the Department recognised that this was clearly impossible, particularly as the new forms were not available from the printers until nearly the end of July. The due date for the forms was extended to October 24. The PSA also raised the matter at the Schools JCC, saying that temporary assistance should be granted where necessary.

Since the agreement School Administrative Staff have found that for many schools the forms are still not available, because of the limited first print run. Additionally, the Teachers Federation placed a ban on the forms because of (inter alia), workload issues.

The Association's members have become increasingly concerned about the situation and the pressure on them to achieve an unrealistic goal and deadline. The PSA Schools Departmental Committee passed the following resolution:

"That a ban be imposed on the processing of student enrolment forms until:

1. The PSA and DET have a meeting to discuss problems with the form; and
2. DET agrees to allocated additional staff resources to update all student records on the OASIS system."

Establishment of School Support Officer Positions

In May of this year the Association put the following proposal to the Department:

1. Every school and centre to be allocated a School Support Officer position

   except that:
   

2. Schools or centres which have a part time School Administrative Manager should have the additional hours at the Level 1 School Administrative Manager classification and rate.
3. Positions should be internally advertised in the first instance and open to all DET staff.
4. Any unfilled positions then to be advertised externally.
5. Full merit selection to apply in 3 and 4.
6. School Support Officer positions are to be included for the purpose of determining the level of the School Administrative Manager.
7. School Support Officer positions are additional to the school's Administrative Officer formula entitlement.

The Department responded with an unacceptable offer to allocate the funds to Regions who would distribute them to the schools on a "needs" basis. PSA representatives rejected this offer on the grounds that this would not create permanent positions and that workload problems had been identified across all schools.

A second proposal from the Department contained three key points:

• In view of the fact that allocation to all schools means that each school would only have less than 3 hours per week, the hours should be School Administrative Officer hours, rather than creating a new classification; and
• That only schools in which a SAS staff member does First Aid duties will get the positions.
• Hours which are not made permanent will be kept as casual hours.

The PSA Schools Steering Committee considered the Department's second proposal and rejected it. The following response has been sent to the Department:

• The PSA totally rejects the new positions being allocated on the proviso that a SAS Staff member undertakes first aid duties in the school. The problems encountered by SAS Staff doing first aid were not the workload issues canvassed in the review and negotiations leading up to the Department's proposals. The PSA also rejects the use of staff allocations to pressure SAS Staff into first aid duties.
• The PSA reiterates that the positions should be permanent Grade 1 hours, allocated centrally. The management of the different duties has already been worked through. The positions were designed to assist Administrative Officers and Managers with the more routine aspects of their work.
• The $8 million allocation must be increased to reflect the 4% plus 4% increase in the SAS Staff Award.

The matter was also raised with the Minister who has recommended a further meeting which the PSA has sought.

Internal Advertisement of SAS Staff Vacancies

The third round of vacancies was advertised in week one of this term. The major difficulties encountered were last minute withdrawals of positions because of applications for transfer into the positions. Concerns about unadvertised vacancies have been raised with the Department. A further meeting about unresolved issues will take place next week.

Expressions of Interest in Acting School Administrative Manager Positions

The register which was established in 1999 to provide relieving opportunities for School Administrative Officer no longer operated after the DET restructure. PSA representatives considered that this deprived a lot of members of professional development opportunities.

The register is to be re-established through the DET/PSA Central Reference Group which made the following submission:

The Public Service Association (PSA) through the DET/PSA Central Reference Group has requested that SAS Staff & Management Development Unit develop guidelines and procedures for permanent SAOs to relieve in the position of SAM.

In a number of instances principals are choosing to promote a long term/short term casual into a vacant SAM position rather than provide opportunity for a permanent SAS Staff to act in the position.

The opportunity for permanent school administrative and support staff to relieve in the position of school administrative manager can provide a valuable opportunity for career and skills development whilst addressing temporary school administrative and support staff staffing needs of schools.

In order to resolve this issue guidelines have been designed so that all regional directors, principals and SAS Staff are aware of the procedures to be followed whenever an opportunity arises within the school for a SAO to relieve in the position of a SAM.

These guidelines complement the existing procedures outlined in Memorandum to Principals (99/363) entitled School Administrative and Support Staff: Relieving Opportunities released in September 1999.

Permanent school administrative and support staff interested in relieving as a school administrative manager (SAM) other than in their own school may lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) on an annual basis indicating the regions in which they wish to be considered for relieving opportunities.

EOIs supported by the principal are forwarded to the Manager SAS Staff & Management Development Unit, Professional Learning and Leadership Development Directorate, Box 33 GPO, Sydney NSW 2001.

EOI information will be:

provided only to principals seeking to fill a vacant position and for no other purposes.

Joint Statement on Role Boundaries in the Provision of Support at School for Students Requiring Health Care Procedures

The new joint statement has been signed by all parties and will be distributed to schools by DET with an accompanying memorandum. This statement sets out the health care procedures that Teachers Aides Specials may volunteer to undertake and the conditions that must be met before TAs undertake these duties.

Special Education Steering Committee for Teachers Aide Special

Our two campaigns this year have been security of employment for long term temporary employees and OH&S.

These campaigns have resulted in significant achievements and better conditions of employment for TAs. These include:

Teachers Aide (Special) Register

The trial is due to begin in term four in the South Coast Illawarra Region. This register will ensure that when TAs lose their hours at one school due to a drop in funding, they are able to access other hours of work at a different school in their region. The register will be managed by the Regional office who will send out a memorandum or advertisement to all TAs who work in the area. All TAs who have worked for at least four terms are eligible.

Permanency for Teachers Aide Ethnic

Due to a strong campaign led by our TA Ethnic members the Department have agreed to make these employees permanent. We are still in negotiations with the Department but believe that the process to make these members permanent will begin in term four.

Professional Learning Module Supporting Teachers Aides Special

The steering committee has worked on a new training module designed by the Department. This training module is aimed at new Teachers Aides Special who work in the areas of ED, BD and Autism and focuses on the role of the TAs and their particular OH&S needs. We are of the view that this type of training module needs to be provided to all TAs and will work towards this outcome.

Learning Module "Take Care" Health Care Procedures in Schools

The new Joint statement on Role Boundaries in the Provision of Support at School for Students Requiring Health Care procedures has been finalised. However, we are continuing to work on the training package which is mandatory for all TAs who undertake these procedures. This training package includes the video "Take Care". The Steering Committee are of the view that the current training is outdated and that it does not refect the Joint Statement and will negotiate with the Department to ensure that the training is updated.

General Assistants

Late last year the PSA put out a survey on the duties performed by General Assistants. As a result of the issues raised by these surveys a meeting was held with the Department to discuss GAs statement of duties. Our position was that many GA's were undertaking duties that did not fall within their statement and also that the current duty statement was outdated and referred to tasks that no longer exist. The Department undertook to modernise these duties in consultation with the PSA. We have been advised that the first draft of this duty statement is almost ready for comment and we will advise all members of our progress as soon as possible.

Members are reminded that they should not use their own car for school business whether it be transporting students, shopping for Home Economics or for any other purpose. Shopping can be more easily done over the internet, with delivery to the school.

Authorised by John Cahill, General Secretary, Public Service Association of NSW, 160 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Contact Details
Fran Collins, Principal Industrial Officer
Ph:  9220 0976
fcollins@psa.asn.au

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