[Offtopic] "Australian Teacher Magazine" Editorial

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

"Australian Teacher Magazine" Editorial  www.ozteacher.com.au

Shut up and do as you're told...        

Tuesday, 25 August 2009 23:45  
<http://www.ozteacher.com.au/html/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=292:shut-up-and-do-as-youre-
told&catid=29:editorial&Itemid=6>


AS an independent publication, it’s our job to dig deep for the truth. 

But government spin and the reluctance of educators to speak out against 
what they see as unjust or wrong remains a constant source of frustration 
for us. 

Recent reports that the Victorian Government threatened to revoke school 
funding if principals spoke out against a national computers-in-schools 
program come as little surprise. The constant spin and rhetoric in 
government media releases is enough to make us gag - on our lunch. 
Predictably, Education Minister Bronwyn Pike says it is "nonsense" that 
principals can’t speak out in Victoria. We beg to differ.

There may be no direct 'gag order' on teachers and principals, but 
subconsciously, educators know better. 

The government line is sacrosanct – at least in public forums, such as 
newspapers. Our news feature on school mergers in the August edition of 
Australian Teacher proves that. Teachers unhappy about a spate of school 
mergers in Victoria and South Australia spoke freely off-the-record, but 
some declined to have their names printed. They were reluctant to 
jeopardise their careers – and really, who can blame them? The squeaky 
hinge may get the oil, but if you are a public servant, you are often 
better off keeping quiet. That holds true no matter which state or 
territory teachers live in. 

This kind of fear does not bode well for our democracy. We need brave 
people to hold our politicians accountable.

We applaud any educator willing to stand up and be heard. In fact, we 
have all kinds of avenues to encourage it. 

Our Teacher Forum page (p.12) features letters to the editor 
and 'Chalkie', a thought-provoking anonymous column written by teachers. 

We are also launching a secure online forum where teachers can discuss 
issues of importance, be it politics or pedagogy, as well as a social 
networking site, just for teachers. 

Our website (www.ozteacher.com.au) is now updated daily, providing the 
most complete source of education news from around the country. 

We are genuinely interested in representing teachers' concerns and 
holding governments accountable. We invite teachers to anonymously submit 
their views to us. As the largest independent, national magazine for 
teachers, we are ready to stand up and fight for your concerns. But we 
need your help.
 
--

Cheers,
Stephen
Nb, disclaimer
$0 association