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- 27 June 2007
Teacher Support
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Page: 1971
Mrs SHELLEY HANCOCK (South Coast) [5.50 p.m.]: In its recent budget the Government announced funding for the mentoring of new teachers employed by the Department of Education and Training. Whilst I acknowledge that announcement I wish to refer to two teachers who have been let down by the system and who are examples of how the Department of Education and Training and the Government do not support beginning or experienced teachers. The first example relates to a highly experienced teacher at Ulladulla High School, a respected mathematics teacher for more than 25 years who is teaching at the highest levels of this subject.
It is alleged that at 10.00 a.m. on 18 October 2006 during a mathematics lesson Michael Cvetkovic was neglectful in his duty of care to students when he allegedly failed to take reasonable action to address disruptive student behaviour which resulted in a physical assault in the classroom by one student on another. Since that incident the teacher has been removed from the classroom and placed on alternative duties, which essentially meant doing nothing while waiting for the outcome of an employee performance and conduct investigation. It was not until this year that the teacher was given an opportunity to respond to the allegations.
I have written to the Minister regarding the time taken to investigate this incident, and I have asked a question on notice in this place. Eight months have passed since the alleged incident and still there is no outcome to the investigation. The teacher is suffering considerable stress and humiliation as a result of the process and there is a lack of support for him by the Department of Education and Training. The class in which this incident occurred has been a cause for concern in the past due to students' extremely disruptive behaviour towards other teachers, one of whom was allegedly assaulted by a student in the class and, as a result, was on leave for some time. Mr Cvetkovic has been abused by students in this class and has referred the behaviour of the class to the principal and the head teacher.
I am of the opinion that this teacher has not been supported. It appears as though he has been victimised as a result of speaking out about the behaviour of this class, and the system, including its leadership and the school executive, has been unable to support him. I have asked for him to be reinstated, and I note the widespread support in the media today for him from former students and teachers alike. It should also be noted that whilst the teacher remains on alternative duties, more than 50 per cent of current mathematics staff at Ulladulla High School are not trained to teach mathematics. Michael Cvetkovic is tutoring and mentoring these teachers in his own time since they are struggling to cope with a syllabus for which they are not trained.
The second issue relates to the annulment of a beginning teacher of Aboriginal descent after only 18 months of teaching. This beginning teacher received two degrees from Wollongong University and is qualified to teach infants and primary school. Marion Worthy, the young teacher in question, was appointed to Moss Vale Public School in 2005 and, rather than being allocated a class as was the usual practice, was given the responsibility of teaching art to a number of classes, apparently due to her aboriginality. It appears that while at Moss Vale Public School this young teacher was given limited mentoring as a beginning teacher, was then transferred to East Nowra Public School and was allocated to the preschool for which she was not trained. Again, apparently this step was taken due to her Aboriginality and the fact that the preschool class comprised mostly Aboriginal students. In my opinion the young teacher was not provided with appropriate mentoring and was not assisted with issues of assault against her in the classroom. This young teacher said:
I was disadvantaged from the commencement of my employment at Moss Vale as I was not allocated a teaching position but given relief from face to face teaching load, teaching art to 12 separate Year 1 to Year 4 classes, teaching more than 350 students.
I do not believe that DET guidelines for beginning teachers of the Institute of Teachers requirements, were properly followed.
I was not provided with adequate support at p2 at Wayeela Cooinda Preschool. During my time there I was assaulted 19 times being kicked, spat in the face and scratched until my forehead and leg bled.
Apparently, after reporting these incidents she was told that this sort of thing happened all the time. That was the extent of her mentoring and assistance. I request that the process involving Miss Marion Worthy be re-examined in light of her lengthy response to the allegations against her, and that in future beginning teachers are afforded appropriate and relevant assistance and mentoring in challenging situations, which is what Ms Worthy faced at both the schools at which she began.
I also request the Minister immediately to reinstate Mr Michael Cvetkovic to his former position at Ulladulla High School due to his expertise in the past, and the overwhelming response he received in the press today and from the local community, especially past students who are now in positions of leadership throughout the country. They have written and expressed concern about how he has been treated by the Department of Education and Training and also within the school. I request that he be reinstated. This lengthy process, which has already taken eight months to resolve, is shameful and disgraceful. This teacher, who supposedly is on alternative duties, has been sitting in a classroom with no equipment and is doing nothing. As a result he has suffered extreme stress and humiliation.
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