The newfound bonhomie between the Commonwealth government and the Australian Council of Trade Unions, (ACTU), in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic is being challenged by rising tension between the government and the Australian Education Union, (AEU), over when schools should open.
Angelo Gavrielatos, the Former President of the AEU and now President of the NSW Teachers Federation told Neos Kosmos the union has “sought to work constructively with all levels of government.”
“The AEU wants to ensure the health and safety of our students, our teachers and principals,” Mr Gavrielatos said.
He criticised the Commonwealth government’s accusation that the union is “obstructionist” as “insulting and untrue”.
“Teachers and principals are also parents, they are grandparents, they are brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, and are impacted by the virus and the crisis,” Mr Gavrielatos said.
He acknowledges that health workers and supermarket staff, unlike teachers, are not working remotely.
“We applaud and respect our health workers on the absolute frontline however, teachers and principals, have also been thrust onto the front line,” he said.
Neos Kosmos did put to Mr Gavrielatos that public school teachers still have jobs, and that extended school closures are causing great concern for those parents now standing in dole queues, or who have tenuous links to employment.
“True, but that is not helped when the Prime Minister is backgrounding journalists and saying that that we are being obstructionist, because we’ve got apparently an objective of not seeing kids return to schools,” Mr Gavrielatos said.
READ MORE: Australia’s PM tells schools to remain open, but states follow a different route
AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe stressed to Neos Kosmos that “public schools across the country have in fact stayed open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Students have continued their studies either via remote learning, unless they are the children of essential workers, or from vulnerable circumstances,” Ms Haythorpe said.
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan in a statement to Neos Kosmos said: “If we continue to flatten the curve and practice good hygiene and social distancing, our Government wants to see students and teachers return to classroom learning by the end of May, because face-to-face teaching is essential to a student’s education.”
“That is Dan Tehan’s public position but he does not administer schools, Daniel Andrews does, Gladys Berejiklian does, and they are saying different things,” Mr Gavrielatos objected.
AEU Federal President Ms Haythorpe said the union is “very concerned” about providing quality education and schools work hard to ensure that all children can learn either “via remote learning or face-to-face for the children of essential workers and those who come from vulnerable circumstances.”
She added that the AEU is “not reassured that all state and territory governments have put in the safety measures” as outlined by chief medical officers’ guidelines.
“It is still not clear how governments expect schools to manage social distancing for adults. It is contradictory to have one set of rules for adults outside of the school gate and another inside,” Ms Haythorpe added.
Mr Gavrielatos has asked Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly to reconcile these “contradictions.”
“It is not ok for children to visit their grandparents, or be looked after by their grandparents, but it’s okay to be taught by someone else’s grandparents who are teachers?” Gavrielatos asked.
Last Sunday Minister Tehan launched into an uncharacteristic attack of Premier Andrews on the ABC Insiders program, accusing the Premier of “taking a sledgehammer” to state’s education system.
Before Insiders had ended, a report surfaced that a teacher at Epping’s Meadowglen Primary School had tested positive to COVID-19.
READ MORE: Confusion is king as the Commonwealth and Teachers’ union go head-to-head on schools opening
Minister Tehan issued another statement saying that he was aware of “countless stories of families struggling to cope with juggling remote learning and remote working”.
The Minister said that “academic research” reveals that remote learning arrangements can result in poor educational outcomes for Australian primary and secondary students if continued for too long, “in particular the vulnerable, poor, remote and Indigenous students who have most to lose.”
“It was those examples I was thinking of this morning during my interview on Insiders when I expressed my personal frustration that more schools weren’t starting more in-class learning in my home state,” Minister Tehan said.
Mr Gavrielatos called the intervention “unhelpful.”
“Having had to retreat last week declaring that premiers/chief ministers are in charge of the administration and operation of school, it [Federal government] continues to make statements which are at odds with advice given by state premiers,” Mr Gavrielatos said, though he accepts that inconsistency in health advice is natural, given the fluid situation of the pandemic.
“Fair point, there’s contestation and that is understood in the context of research being undertaken in real time where variables emerge on a daily basis, what is striking is what appears to be contradictions between the federal Chief Medical Officer and the Victorian Chief Medical Officer,” Mr Gavrielatos said.
“The operation and administration of schools is the responsibility of state premiers and the chief ministers of territories, and we should be listening to them,” Mr Gavrielatos added.
The Commonwealth government also says that the state health officers should be listened to on this matter.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Professor Brett Sutton, responding to Neos Kosmos, said that along with the advice shared through the national cabinet process there is a “range of information I use to assess local settings in Victoria in relation to the operation of Victoria’s schools.”
Professor Sutton rejected any assertion that he is folding to pressure from the Victorian government.
“The only pressure I’ve felt is what I’ve been putting on myself to make sure I am making the right calls for the Victorian community.
Mr Gavrielatos in another lob, said that the Commonwealth government is “bribing” independent schools by “showering them” with billions of dollars on condition that they open sooner.
David Brear, the Assistant Secretary of the Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania (IEU) talking to Neos Kosmos said, “I agree with Angelo on this, the Government’s release of forward funding can be seen as be a bribe.”
Mr Brear however, emphasised that it is forward funding the Commonwealth is using, “not extra money”.
“It should not be used as an ideological wedge between independent schools and the state government, it is unnecessary and unfair,” Mr Brear told Neos Kosmos.
Mr Brear said he has found out that up to fifty independent schools will take the federal government offer to get of upfront funding.
“Those schools will have to have fifty per cent of their students back at school by 1 June.
“If this goes ahead it raises serious occupational health and safety issues for our members and their families,” Mr Brear said.
He went on to say that Independent schools depend on fees and many have seen a real reduction of revenue and are trying not to stand staff down. “Many independent schools, not unlike some public schools, are having a hard time,” he stressed.
Victoria’s two independent Greek schools, Alphington Grammar and St John’s College applied for JobKeeper because of a thirty per cent reduction in turnover.
Mr Brear said that the IEU’s members are “working hard at the moment to keep students engaged and learning”.
The IEU has met with AEU and they agree in relation to health advice.
“Catholic schools and most independent schools are following state government advice.”
“When schools go back there will be detailed advice on how it should be done safely and that will include social distancing, the provision of hygiene, and all of it needs to be properly staged,” Mr Brear said.
“It is up to the government as to how and when schools return to normal business” the President of the AEU Ms Haythorpe said and added that it should be done “in consultation with the union and teaching profession”.
“Once COVID-19 restrictions are eased, there should be a safe and cautious return to full face-to-face learning.
“It is important to note that schools are open now, they are just operating differently with most students accessing remote learning,” Ms Haythorpe added.
When asked by Neos Kosmos why this conflict between the Commonwealth and the AEU has erupted, given there is general, if not specific agreement, Ms Haythorpe replied, “No comment.”