Kindergarten teachers call 'time out' on Labor
BY SUE BULL
GEELONG — Kindergarten teachers in Victoria are now paid 30% less than their primary and secondary school colleagues, making them the worst paid teachers in Australia, staff and parents heard at a public meeting at the Geelong West Town Hall on August 22.
The state's kindergarten system is facing critical teacher shortages and regular closures, especially in rural areas. Many kindergartens are kept afloat only by parents' voluntary labour, valued at $40 million per year.
Rosalie Kinson, vice-president of the Australian Education Union's early childhood section, told the AEU-organised meeting that the Coalition government's 1994 decision to cut funding to pre-schools by 20% has forced parents to find an average of $100 per term in fees. As a result, some 8000 children have not been able to attend kindergarten.
Class sizes now average 30, rather than 25, teaching time has increased by 10% and 68% of pre-school teachers have been put on part-time hours, she said.
"The Bracks Labor government has offered us $8 million", she explained, "but we need $22 million just to begin rebuilding the sector".
The AEU's early childhood section is seeking a new certified agreement which improves teachers' wages and conditions and measures to alleviate the crisis. A Melbourne rally on July 27 attracted more than 3000 teachers, parents and children and an August 18 march of 300 in West Geelong targeted local ALP MP Ian Tresize.
Danny Dupiex from the Geelong Kindergarten Association told the meeting that studies had shown that the most effective education expenditure was on the three to five age group. Primary school prep teacher Jacqueline Rippon said that children who had been to kindergarten performed better in their first few years of school. Parent Wayne Watson spoke of the dozens of hours of unpaid work he puts in as the treasurer of Bellevue Pre-School. "I think it's shocking, we're really exploited", he said angrily.
The meeting handed over 1000 signatures to Elaine Carbines, the state Labor MP for Geelong. Carbines said she could not guarantee that the ALP government would increase funding. One kindergarten teacher in the audience said bitterly, "Our high hopes have come to nothing under an ALP government".