Qld: Qld Teachers ordered to supervise NAPLAN tests

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2010
Qld: Qld Teachers ordered to supervise NAPLAN tests

By Kym Agius

BRISBANE, April 30 AAP - A planned Queensland teacher boycott of the national literacy
and numeracy tests has been declared illegal by the state's industrial umpire.

The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) on Friday afternoon ordered Queensland
Teachers' Union (QTU) members to supervise the National Assessment Program Literacy and
Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests of grades three, five, seven and nine.

Queensland Education Minister Geoff Wilson is pleased with the ruling, saying students
have been put first.

"I know parents want the information literacy and numeracy national testing affords
them," Mr Wilson said in a statement.

"They deserve the information and the government intends to get it to them."

The Department of Education applied to have the boycott declared illegal after the
QTU ignored a softer "directive" from the QIRC last week.

Mr Wilson said he hoped the QTU would abide by the second, stronger QIRC ruling, warning
the union would pay a price if it didn't.

"Orders, under industrial law, are binding and come with consequences if they are not
followed," he said.

If the QTU ignores the order, it could be fined up to $100,000, deregistered, and individual
teachers could also be slapped with fines.

The QTU said the majority of its 40,000 members had voted not to supervise the tests,
over concerns that results would be used to create unfair league tables on the federal
government's new My School website.

President Steve Ryan said the union's executive would decide its response next Tuesday,
but for now the boycott would stay.

"The moratorium still exists until the executive makes its decision," Mr Ryan told AAP.

"Certainly, the orders have been issued against us.

"It was quite clear from the start, the commission was not prepared to hear the Queensland
Teachers' Union case.

"It was very clear that they were following the directions given to them by the government
and that's an unfortunate turn of events."

Meanwhile, Mr Wilson said the Department of Education would continue finalising contingency
plans in case QTU teachers go ahead with the boycott.

It's working to recruit 6000 casual, part-time and relief teachers to supervise the
May 11, 12 and 13 tests.

The government said if state school students do not sit the tests, the lack of data
could put at risk $20 million in federal funding.

AAP ka/jl/cdh

KEYWORD: SCHOOLS QLD WRAP

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