NSW looks to examine ways to cut red tape burdening teachers
The state government is expected to announce on Friday a working group to examine ways to cut the red tape facing teachers.
It comes after Fairfax Media this week revealed that teachers were despairing about the amount of paper work they were being required to do in order to fulfil the Education Department's data entry requirements.
The working party will be headed by a western Sydney school principal and look at ways the burden can be reduced.
A University of Sydney study commissioned by the NSW Teachers Federation — based on survey responses from about 18,000 teachers — found they were were drowning under increasing amounts of paperwork.
"Immediate action is needed," the report said, "as the weight of evidence in this report makes it clear that negative impacts on students are likely to ensue if current trends continue unabated.
"Demands upon teachers are very substantial, potentially debilitating, and growing — particularly in administrative work."
Earlier this month, Education Minister Rob Stokes told the Teachers Federation magazine that he shared their concerns about a teacher's primary role of education children could be affected by their administrative burden.
He said the findings of the Sydney University study "highlights why reducing this administrative workload is one of my highest priorities".
The NSW Education Department is moving towards data as a way to build a profile of each student and sound the alarm as soon as one begins to fall behind. But the Teachers Federation argues it is putting too much pressure on staff.
Teachers who filled out the survey said their work hours had increased significantly over the past five years. Some 97 per cent reported an increase in administration, and 89 per cent said their teaching was hindered by it.
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