Teachers too hard to sack

STATE school principals want the Brumby Government to make it easier for them to get rid of slack and dodgy teachers.

Principals say it can take up to 18 months to sack underperforming and misbehaving staff because of red tape.

Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals president Brian Burgess said yesterday that the time it took to deal with teachers facing serious issues was bad for school morale.

“The amount of work necessary can deter principals from following through with the process,” he said.

“Before you know it, there are all sorts of rumours going around the staff room and the principal has nowhere to go.”

Mr Burgess said unwanted teachers should retain all rights to natural justice, but the Education Department must act to cut red tape so decisions could be made quicker. The teachers’ union said the issue had been reviewed recently and the balance was about right.

“I don’t think it’s the biggest issue facing education at this time, particularly in Victoria where we have more flexibility around appointments and in terms of disciplinary procedures,” said Australian Education Union state president Mary Bluett.

Ms Bluett said underperforming teachers needed more mentoring and professional development so problems could be identified earlier.

The plea to streamline the process of removing bad teachers is in a list of demands that primary and secondary principal groups will put to the Government.

In a submission for the May state Budget, VASSP and the Victorian Principals Association say schools need more support to deal with the rise of mental health issues.

Source: Herald Sun