UPDATE, November 15, 2013, 8.41am: Allocations released to schools yesterday. See separate post.
By KIERAN FINNANE
All primary schools in Alice Springs will be at least marginally better off in 2014 compared to 2013 in so far as their teacher allocation is concerned. This is revealed in a departmental document obtained by the Alice Springs News Online. It shows the Teacher Staffing Allocation Model for 2014 School Year.
This is in contrast to the situation for Centralian Middle School and Centralian Senior Secondary College. The middle school will lose 0.85 of its teaching positions, adding to a loss of 6.25 in 2013. The senior college will lose, as has been widely publicised, five teachers, adding to losses of four in 2013, 3.48 in 2012, and 2.47 in 2011.
The contrast in staff numbers for the Centralian senior college between 2010 and 2014 is stark. In 2010 their allocation was 41.26 teachers; in 2013 it is 26.31. Their enrolment numbers may be declining, though not dramatically. MySchool shows they had 534 students enrolled in 2010, down to 465 in 2012 (the most recent year reported).
The allocation for the middle school has actually increased between 2010 (21.42) and 2014, when it will be 25.63. This comes off a high of 32.73 in 2012. Its enrolments have been growing, though again, not dramatically. MySchool shows there were 361 students in 2010, compared to 392 in 2012.
Turning to the local state primary schools:
Acacia Hill lost 2.32 in 2013, but won’t lose any more in 2014, when their allocation is 14.94 teachers, off a high of 17.26 in 2012.
Bradshaw Primary is set to gain 2.71 teachers in 2014, taking its complement to 20.32, significantly higher than its 2010 allocation of 14.79.
Braitling’s gain is almost negligible at 0.10. It is allocated 11.87 teachers, compared to 11.77 in 2013, down from 16.15 in 2010.
At Gillen there is a small gain of .96, with 14.92 teachers allocated in 2014, off a high of 15.37 in 2012.
Larapinta will gain 1.87 teachers, reversing the loss of 1.25 in 2013. It will have 16.13 teachers allocated in 2014, compared to 16.52 in 2010, its highest allocation in the five year period.
Ross Park will gain 0.26, taking it to 25.10 in 2014, compared to 24.84 in 2013, up from 21.61 in 2010.
Sadadeen outdoes the rest with a gain of 3.16, reversing its loss of 3.80 the year before. That gives it an allocation of 10.67 teachers next year, much the same allocation as in 2010, but down from its high of 11.31 in 2012.
MySchool reports Sadadeen as having 23.7 FTE teachers in 2012 for a school population of 123 students, 79% of whom were Indigenous. The News understands that this was due to top up funding received from the Commonwealth for Sadadeen as a “focus school”.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
The freedom of the press still furnishes that check upon government which no constitution has ever been able to provide – Chicago Tribune.
I suspect that these figures are somewhat ‘fudged’ given that Centralian Senior College was told at the start of the year that it would stand to lose five teachers.
At least four have already volunteered to go, at which point the Govt came up with a new figure that five teaching staff would yet need to go by the end of 2013.
We are left in turmoil and frustration at not understanding the maths! This equates to more than 30% of our total teaching staff.
The point is, that Centralian Senior College has always been able to maintain its rich choices for all students. Our Higher Maths, Physics and Chemistry teacher will not be replaced and there are other marginal subjects that traditionally attract small but passionate numbers of students such as Psychology, Legal Studies and Philosophy which may or may not run.
This is not just a case of numbers, it is a case of which students will be deprived of a fully comprehensive education. One might also raise the issue that with four weeks to go, there are highly professional specialist teachers just sitting around waiting for the axe to fall. Every working day we wonder whether it is going to be a colleague or ‘me’.
Many of us have spent our working lives in the NT having helped hundreds and hundreds of students get to university and out into the world. Many of us are now asking what it was all for.
Getting rid of teachers just because numbers may be dwindling does not solve the problem of which subjects you HAVE to offer students. It is their right to study highly academic subjects with skilled teachers.
This Govt has decided that senior classes of less than 18 are unviable. This will directly disadvantage our future NT kids who would have been destined for academia.
Penny Whiley
Centralian Senior College
AEU Rep.
I agree, where is the logic. Don’t our kids matter any more. I am glad my kids are leaving here soon.
They are bright intelligent kids who are being deprived. Already they were disadvantaged by being children who lost their father at a young age and their mum was left to bring them up with very little help and illness to boot.
My kids worked hard, helped me out financially but will now be disadvantaged further by lack of choice in their education.
Shame on the Territory politicians for allowing this to happen. Like I said shame on the NT – it used to be a great place with fantastic advantages but has gone down hill fast.