Loganlea TAFE teachers act over workload
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 124 No 1, 15 February 2019, page no. 20
Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) teachers at the Loganlea campus of TAFE Queensland Brisbane have voted to work to rule over their increasing workload.
Teachers working on the federally funded program, which assists migrants with English language skills, believe that an unprecedented increase in workload is resulting in a significant increase in unpaid overtime for many. There was much concern expressed by members across the state during 2018 and matters reached a head at the Loganlea campus late in 2018, with members calling for a directive to work to rule. The QTU issued the directive just before Christmas.
In 2016/17, TAFE Queensland (TQ) successfully tendered for the commonwealth contracts to deliver AMEP. However, the quantum of funding and the constantly shifting contract requirements created a headache for implementation. Compliance and recording mechanisms, two different auditing regimes, updating of professional skills and qualifications, and implementation of new courses, materials and assessment approaches have created a perfect workload storm.
Certainly, the impacts of the onerous new federal compliance and recording requirements were felt nationally and resulted in push back from both private and public providers. This resulted in modifications to those mechanisms which have lessened the load somewhat. Additionally, TQ worked desperately to fill the gap around recording and reporting tools, which the Commonwealth decided were necessary but failed to provide.
Returning to work in 2019, TQB HR and the QTU co-mediated a face-to-face meeting between teaching team management and Loganlea AMEP. It provided an opportunity for open and frank expressions of concern and a productive conversation resulted in the establishment of a framework for seeking solutions. Management made it clear the there was no expectation that staff should work beyond the terms of their employment. Teachers, tutors and management will come back together in early February.