By ERWIN CHLANDA
Time to take a break from Federal issues? Here’s a Territory one that teachers and students reckon is hot enough to take to the doorstep of NT Chief Minister Adam Giles.
The main prop of the protest was a coffin in which elements of local education may be buried soon, says Senior Secondary School teacher Penny Whiley (pictured).
She says the school has already lost three teachers – those by their own choice, but they won’t be replaced. Ms Whiley says five more are due to be axed by the end of the year.
While the numbers seem small, the consequences are likely to be grave.
Some secondary school teachers are specialists, unique or one of a small number, and their removal would take away the opportunities of “our incredibly gifted students” as the curriculum is reduced to “a very basic education”.
The specialist subjects include chemistry, physics, higher maths, women’s, classical and legal studies.
Ms Whiley herself teaches senior English and is the only teacher of philosophy in the Territory.
“Where will our bright students go?” she asks. “Very experienced teachers are thinking of leaving because they don’t know whether they will have a job here next year or not.
“This fight is not about pay or holidays. It is about maintaining the status of public education. Some of us have spent 20 years or more, delivering NT education, making sure our kids get good jobs and are able to go to uni.
“Many of our NT senior students surpass the achievement standards of SA.”