FIRST REPORT MAY 2002 INQUIRY INTO THE PROVISION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN NSW ISBN 1875699 35 X SPONSORED BY: NSW TEACHERS FEDERATION & FEDERATION OF P&C ASSOCIATIONS OF NSW 1 INQUIRY PANELLISTS Kathy Esson - Senior Inquiry Officer Ken Johnston - Senior Inquiry Officer Tony Vinson - Chairperson INQUIRY PERSONNEL Joan Brown - Inquiry Officer Greg Eliovson - Inquiry Officer (part-time) Trudy Wiedeman - Secretary RESEARCH ASSOCIATES Neville Hatton - University of Sydney Alan Watson - University of New South Wales 2 PAGE P R E V I E W BACKGROUND i ASSETS OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS iii ACCEPTANCE OF THE FULL RANGE OF STUDENTS iii STUDENTS’ ATTAINMENTS iv EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS iv QUALITY OF LEADERSHIP IN THE SCHOOLS iv ADAPTATION TO A MORE DIVERSE POST-COMPULSORY STUDENT POPULATION v PARTICIPATION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN MAINSTREAM EDUCATION v COMPUTERS IN SCHOOLS vi SOME INNOVATIONS IN PEDAGOGY vi PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS HAVENS FROM RACISM vi TEACHERS’ COMMITMENT vii CONCERNS IDENTIFIED via HEARINGS AND SUBMISSIONS, AND IN THE COURSE OF SCHOOL VISITS TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM viii TEACHING AND LEARNING ix - The purposes of public education: what students should learn ix - The primary focus of schools: Learning x - Career-long development of teachers xi - Replacement teachers xii - Physical limitations on optimal teaching and learning xii - Learning resources xiii - Information technology xiii - Curriculum xiv - Teacher librarians xv - Pedagogy: strategic directions xv PHYSICAL FACILITIES AND AMENITIES xvi STUDENT WELFARE AND DISCIPLINE xvii STRUCTURE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION xix SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY xxi SOCIAL DISADVANTAGE xxii CHILDREN WITH IDENTIFIED DISABILITIES AND/OR LEARNING DIFFICULTIES xxiii INCLUSIVENESS xxiv ADMINISTRATION AND GOVERNANCE xxv TAFE AND PUBLIC EDUCATION xxvii SCHOOLS IN RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS xxviii PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDING xxix 3 PAGE CHAPTER 1 THE ISSUE OF TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM 1 RESPONSIBLE PROFESSIONALISM 2 - Professional issues raised with the Inquiry 2 - Local research into sources of teacher satisfaction and dissatisfaction 7 - International perspectives 9 STEPS NEEDED TO RESTORE PROFESSIONALISM 11 - Planned coverage of professional issues 11 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 12 SALARIES 18 COMPLAINTS AGAINST TEACHERS 21 - Developments in New South Wales 22 A TEACHER PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SCHEME 24 - The ‘universal’ scheme 26 - The ‘remedial’ scheme 27 TEACHER REGISTRATION 28 - Background 28 - The role of teachers 30 - An Institute of Teachers 31 ATTACHMENT 35 CHAPTER 2 CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY 37 CHANGED STUDENT POPULATION 39 RESPONSIVE SCHOOLS 40 LOCAL EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS 41 - Teaching and Learning Practices that engage young adolescents 41 - Negotiating Challenging Transitions 47 - Promoting Quality Outcomes 52 MANAGING CURRICULUM REFORM 56 REFORM STRATEGIES IN OTHER STATES 61 - New Basics and Essential Learnings 61 - Rich Tasks 63 - Productive Classroom Practices 66 - System Planning and the Development of Pedagogy 68 CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION: WHAT PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES ARE NEEDED IN NSW? 69 - Role of the DET in Promoting Productive Pedagogy 71 - Practical Implementation of Curricula 73 CHAPTER 3 LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE LEARNING 75 EARLY CHILDHOOD/PRE-SCHOOLS 75 MANAGEABLE CLASS SIZES 79 - Trial programs and large field experiments 82 - National data analyses 83 - Reviews 83 4 P R E V I E W: ASSETS OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATIONSYSTEM AND CONCERNS IDENTIFIED via HEARINGS AND SUBMISSIONS, AND IN THE COURSE OF SCHOOL VISITS BACKGROUND The Independent Inquiry into the Provision of Public Education in New South Wales (hereafter ‘the Inquiry’) was officially launched at the beginning of September, 2001 and is due to complete its work by the end of August, 2002. It has broad terms of reference (see Appendix 1) amounting to a comprehensive audit of the state of public education in New South Wales. Apart from providing the wherewithal to make the Inquiry possible, and providing encouragement and support at every turn, a most significant contribution of the sponsors (the Teachers Federation of NSW and the Parents and Citizens’ Federation of NSW) has been to uphold the independence of the Inquiry. As is right and proper, the members of both organisations have used the avenues available to all to make their views known and to share the enormous practical experience possessed by their combined memberships. Those contributions have enriched the pool of information available to the Inquiry, but no privilege has been sought, or granted, to ideas and proposals emanating from the sponsoring bodies. The Inquiry has enjoyed an extremely high level of support from the authorities. Early in the Inquiry’s existence, a necessary but simple protocol was devised to authorise the Inquiry staff’s access to public schools and sections of the administration of the Department of Education and Training (hereafter the DET). The resultant cooperation has been unstinting, extending from the investment of substantial school executive time and energy in maximising the value of school visits, to senior departmental officers sharing their knowledge of issues of concern to the Inquiry. On the most practical of levels, the DET has made available the office space at the Australian Technology Park from which the Inquiry operates. The character of the Inquiry has, in large measure, been shaped by the public nature of its processes. By mid-May, 2002, staff, students and parents/carers had been consulted in the course of visits to 136 schools throughout the length and breadth of the state, from Tweed Heads in the north, to Bourke, Brewarrina and Walgett in the west, and Cooma, Wagga Wagga and Tumut in the south, as well as the major urban centres. The schools that have been visited are listed in Appendix 1, together with details of the 27 locations to date in which public hearings have been held. Also listed in Appendix 1 are the major themes of the 760 written submissions received from parents, teachers, students and interested members of the public. The Inquiry’s outcomes are grounded in the vast body of material that has resulted from these extensive public consultations, but they are not confined to the advice and i information tended. There has been scope to probe the latter and make direct observations of facilities and the work conducted in the schools; independent scholars and practitioners have been consulted and advantage taken of relevant local and international research; the Inquiry, with assistance, has conducted its own research, including a survey of 683 mid-career primary and secondary teachers. Much work has been undertaken in the first nine months of the Inquiry and the remaining three months promise to be just as busy. However, rather than following the usual course of completing the entire report before making its contents and recommendations known, it has been decided that circumstances warrant the adoption of a different approach. Literally thousands of people have contributed directly and indirectly to the Inquiry, in some cases submissions being compiled on the basis of the results of surveys by staff and parents of the individuals and households that comprise school communities. To properly acknowledge the thoughts and suggestions of so many people and avoid matters of great significance to the community being eclipsed by one or two topics of particular current interest, the report will be released in three stages. The present instalment of the first three chapters covers the issues of Teacher Professionalism, Curriculum and Pedagogy, and the Foundations for Effective Learning (including the question of appropriate class sizes). These are all crucial issues but others of great importance will follow. A potential disadvantage of the release strategy that is being adopted is that the many threads linking problematic areas of public education and the means of improving the situation, may remain out of view when the focus is on particular topic areas. To minimise that problem, this first instalment is accompanied by the following substantial Preview that sets out some of the major assets of the Public Education System revealed in the course of the Inquiry as well as an outline of the range of issues and concerns that have been raised. In addition, linkages between different topics are ‘signposted’ at appropriate points in the text. Chapters of the report to be released over coming months will cover the following issues: • Specialist schools and social values, • Buildings, amenities and physical planning, • Staffing and resource allocation, • Discipline and student welfare, • Integration of students living with disabilities, • Social disadvantage and school communities, • Education in rural and remote areas, • TAFE and public education, • Administrative structure and governance of public education, • The cost of public education, • Teacher preparation and induction into professional service, • Planning capacity and future staffing requirements. It is planned that the second release of the Inquiry’s findings will occur in early July, 2002, and the final instalment will be issued at the end of August, 2002. While the report in its entirety will highlight some issues of considerable urgency warranting prompt action, the intended result is to provide an overall plan for the progressive improvement of the New South Wales public education system over the coming decade. ii ASSETS OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM This report begins by identifying