1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Last week, we did, indeed speak about the fact that 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 1: teachers at Tenant Creek High School had signed a letter 3 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: to the Northern Territory Education Department stating that every one 4 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,719 Speaker 1: of them felt unsafe at work, describing those conditions as 5 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: traumatizing for students and staff. There have been reports of violence, 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: assaults and danger for students and staff who've accompanied Will 7 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: have accompanied the letter with desperate calls made for more support. 8 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: Now joining me to chat about this and what's being 9 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: felt in the community is the President of the Northern 10 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: Territory Council of Government Schools Organizations, Tabby Fudge. Good boarding 11 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: to you, Tabby, Good morning Katie, and good morning to 12 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: your listeners. Tabby. Have you spoken to members of the 13 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: community and indeed parents of that school and what are 14 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: they telling you. 15 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 2: I've spoken with our regional rap out at the Berkley Region, 16 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 2: and yeah, there is some negative behavior going on in 17 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 2: the schools over there, and obviously, you know we've seen 18 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 2: the culmination of that in a quite a desperate plea 19 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:06,199 Speaker 2: for help from the teachers at our school over there, 20 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 2: which is quite heartbreaking. 21 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: It is bloody heartbreaking, Tabby. To put it, you know, 22 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: to put it mildly. What are they saying is going 23 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: on at the school. 24 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 2: Well, essentially, as described in the letter from the teachers 25 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 2: is that you know, they're concerned about their personal safety 26 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 2: and also the safety of the students in a in 27 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 2: the learning environment. So you know, it's not a good situation. 28 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,960 Speaker 2: There have been quite a few suggestions of things that 29 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 2: could help the situation out there in TenneT Creek, and 30 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: that would be things like, you know, having cultural advisors 31 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 2: in the school and you know, ideally that would be 32 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 2: something that would be happening in every single classroom, and 33 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 2: it's something that COGSO has been advocating for years because 34 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 2: you know, we've got to remember about in the remote communities, 35 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 2: a lot of these students, English is not a first language, 36 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 2: sometimes not even a second, third or fourth language, so 37 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 2: it's really it's absolutely essential that we have somebody in 38 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 2: those classrooms that can speak the local language and is 39 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 2: also cognizant of the local sign languages. We've got to 40 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 2: remember too, that a lot of these kids have some 41 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 2: degree of hearing loss. Up to eighty percent of them 42 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 2: have a degree of hearing loss. So it's a really 43 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 2: it's a challenging environment out there and We've known these 44 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 2: things for a long time and we need, you know, 45 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 2: a certain provision in the classroom to overcome these challenges. 46 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: And tabby By. The sounds of it, like some of 47 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: what you're saying there doesn't sound as though it's you know, 48 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: it's so hard that it's not going to be able 49 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: to happen. It actually sounds like it's quite doable. Yeah. 50 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 2: I think a lot of the issue it always comes 51 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 2: back down to funding, you know, to supply you know, 52 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 2: an extra teacher aide in each classroom, depending on how 53 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,519 Speaker 2: many classrooms you have in a school. You know, that 54 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 2: can add up. And we know that our education system 55 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 2: is underfunded. You know, we don't have enough funds to 56 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 2: meet the need in our schools. But I think too 57 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 2: we need to see greater partnerships happening between community organizations, 58 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 2: particularly you know, our indigenous organizations and a pinch and 59 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 2: see what partnerships can be formed there with the Department 60 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,839 Speaker 2: of Education and these peak indigenous groups. Because it's only 61 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 2: when we get community involvement and community buying are we 62 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 2: going to see any change. You know. And as I've 63 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 2: always said, and it's probably getting a bit cliche, a 64 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 2: you know, our schools are a microposm of our society. 65 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 2: If we can get it right now schools, we'll see 66 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 2: that really positive flow on affect into our wider communities 67 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 2: and tabby. 68 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: If we can't get it right, do you think that 69 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: we're going to find it difficult to recruit and retain 70 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: staff but also you know, to get families to move 71 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: to Tenant create. 72 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 2: I think absolutely. You know, this kind of publicity is 73 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 2: out there around what's happening in certain schools, it's not 74 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 2: going to be incredibly attractive to people who were considering 75 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 2: locating to Tenant Creek, and you know also for families 76 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 2: living there. You know how you know, you want your 77 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 2: child to feel safe at school, You want your child 78 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 2: to be in a positive learning environment at school, and 79 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 2: you know those you know, very basic elements aren't there. 80 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 2: You would question, you know, the viability of remaining there. 81 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 2: And I think too, you know, Michelle Air is the 82 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 2: president of the AEU, brings up some parely valid points too. 83 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 2: You know, when it comes to you know, teacher pay 84 00:04:55,040 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 2: and you know the current EBA it's under negotiation, and 85 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 2: you know, effectively teachers are looking at a pay cut. 86 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 2: So you know when you've got southern states like New 87 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 2: South Wales and Victoria offering incentives to relocate. You know, 88 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 2: you've got a question how attractive does that make that 89 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 2: particular school, or any of the schools in the Northern 90 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 2: Territory for that matter. And you know, we are suffering 91 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,479 Speaker 2: a shortage of teachers nationwide, and you know, for a 92 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 2: small system like the Northern Territories education system, you know, 93 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 2: staff shortages, you know, it makes things really really difficult. 94 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 1: It most certainly does well, Tabby. I wish we had 95 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: a bit more time. It's always great to talk to you. 96 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: I really appreciate your time this morning. 97 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:45,720 Speaker 2: Thanks very much, Katie, have a great day.