1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: Today is a wonderful day principals, teachers, parents and union 2 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: reps from the Northern Territory. They're planning to go on 3 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: a national road on a national road show to help 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: secure adequate funding for public schools because it is World 5 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: Teacher's Day and it's being launched today on World Teacher's Day. 6 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: With calls ramping up for the government to put an 7 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: end to chronic underfunding of schools. The Australian Education Union's 8 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: NT branch president Michelle Airs joins me on the line 9 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 1: right now to tell us more about the situation. Good 10 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: morning to you, Michelle. 11 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 2: Good mine, Katie. 12 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: Happy World Teachers Day, Yes, thank. 13 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 2: You, and so all of the hard working teachers out 14 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,239 Speaker 2: there in the territory and beyond. Yeah, I would like 15 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 2: to wish a happy World Teacher's Day to them as well, 16 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 2: some of our hardest working citizens. I really do, honestly believe. 17 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: Oh look, I feel like I have been My children 18 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: have been absolutely blessed to have some phenomenal teachers throughout 19 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: the years that they've been at school. And yeah, so 20 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: many wonderful teachers who do an extraordinary job and sometimes 21 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: very under resourced and realistically some of those schools not 22 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: receiving the adequate funding that they need. 23 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,960 Speaker 2: I mean, we say some, but really our data, our 24 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:21,559 Speaker 2: statistics and our experiences demonstrates that in Northern Territory we're 25 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 2: really looking at every public school that is not receiving 26 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 2: the resources that they deserve or need. 27 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: Now, tell me how are you going to be striving 28 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: to get your message out across the Australia. I guess 29 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: today going out on the roads at National road Show 30 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: to help secure adequate funding for public schools. 31 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, so this is obviously something we've been working towards 32 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 2: for a while. I've spoken to you before about public 33 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 2: education funding and especially at the Northern Territory level. Where 34 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 2: we're at now is we have road trips starting today 35 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 2: from four separate locations. So we've got us in dal 36 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 2: and we've got Pursed, We've got Tasmania, and then we 37 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 2: have Queensland. I believe starting somewhere up in North Queensland, 38 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 2: four cards will be driving towards Canberra to Converge on 39 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 2: the twenty sixth of November, and those cars will be 40 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 2: stopping at many different locations along the way collecting postcards 41 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 2: to the PM. So what we're asking is that the community, 42 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 2: our parents, our teachers, anyone who is concerned about the 43 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 2: fact that public schools are underfunded across the nation, but 44 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,920 Speaker 2: particularly poorly in the Northern Territory. Every person who is 45 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 2: concerned about that fact grabs the postcard. You can get 46 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 2: them from our office, you can get them from any 47 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:47,080 Speaker 2: union member knows how to get hold of them, or 48 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 2: you can find them online. For every child butt Au, 49 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 2: grab a postcard, fill it out with your name so 50 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 2: that you can let our Prime Minister Anthony Albanezi know 51 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 2: that you are not okay with the fact that public 52 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 2: schools in Australia are underfunded. And really that's the aim 53 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 2: of this campaign. It's to show that education isn't a 54 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 2: dead issue. It's still a hot political issue and it 55 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 2: is something that people think about when they go to 56 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 2: the polls. We've got a Northern Territory election coming up, 57 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 2: there'll be a federal election at some point. We want 58 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 2: the Prime Minister to know. We want the federal government, 59 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 2: the anti government, every person possible to know that this 60 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 2: is absolutely still an issue that's on voter's mind. 61 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 1: Michelle, can you quantify the underfunding of public schools in 62 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory Yeah. 63 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 2: So the easiest and most visible way to put it is, 64 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 2: one in five children in the Northern Territory aren't funded 65 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 2: according to the needs based model that the federal government uses. 66 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 2: So the Gonski review that happened in twenty thirteen a 67 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 2: bunch of different formulas and it gets a bit confusing. 68 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 2: But we receive eighty percent on average of that funding 69 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 2: across the territory of what the federal government says it 70 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:06,080 Speaker 2: would take to educate our Northern Territory students to the 71 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 2: bare minimum level. We only receive eighty percent of that funding. 72 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 2: And what we're aiming to do is get the government 73 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 2: to finally wake up and say this is not okay. 74 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: There has been quite a little, quite a bit of 75 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: reporting in recent weeks that the Northern Territory government is 76 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 1: not actually funding as well to the adequate levels that 77 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: they should be. 78 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, so this is I mean, it's all based in 79 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 2: legislation and decisions that have been made over the years, 80 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 2: and the federal government letting the Northern Territory government off 81 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,040 Speaker 2: the hook for maybe not contributing, but also the federal 82 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 2: government not working together with the territory government. It's a 83 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:50,480 Speaker 2: bit of a mess. But what basically is going on. 84 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 2: The Northern Territory is the most expensive place to educate 85 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 2: a child in Australia without doubt by quite a long mile. 86 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 2: So our Northern Territory government spends more per student than 87 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,919 Speaker 2: the other state and territory governments do based on the 88 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 2: fact that it costs more to educate a child in 89 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:14,679 Speaker 2: the Northern Territory. That's why we've aimed this campaign federal government. 90 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:19,119 Speaker 2: That's being said, education is a state and territory based 91 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:23,359 Speaker 2: issue and we strongly believe that it is the responsibility 92 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 2: of our territory government to ensure that we are receiving 93 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 2: one hundred percent of that needs based funding into our 94 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 2: public schools, whether that be via the SENSE or be 95 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 2: via our own NT means we need our anti government 96 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 2: to stand up and make the changes necessary, advocate as necessary, 97 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 2: but also sometimes makes those hard decisions because our children 98 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 2: are our future, and it doesn't matter what kind of 99 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 2: other decisions they're making to build a strong economy by 100 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,840 Speaker 2: twenty thirty or you know the other things that we 101 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:58,839 Speaker 2: hear them talk about. If they're not investing in education, 102 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,479 Speaker 2: then the whole thing falls over, because that's our future 103 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: right there. 104 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, I totally agree with you. We need to make 105 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 1: sure that our schools are adequately funded. We've got to 106 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: make sure that kids are, you know, getting getting the 107 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: education that they need, and that comes from the resourcing 108 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: and funding that the schools require. Michelle, I know that 109 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,080 Speaker 1: there was also a report analyzing information from three hundred 110 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: and eighty thousand teachers. It's been released. What are some 111 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: of the key findings. 112 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, so that report is showing and I can't off 113 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 2: the top of my head, I'm sorry, I tell you 114 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,039 Speaker 2: exactly the statistics. Now I should have been better prepared, 115 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 2: but that report is showing statistics of the age of teachers, 116 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 2: the retirement of teachers, that early exit from the workforce 117 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:51,280 Speaker 2: of teachers, and it is quite an alarming level of 118 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 2: statistics that are in that report. And yeah, I really 119 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 2: would encourage people to have a look at it. And yeah, 120 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 2: hopefully at some point you can get you some more details, 121 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 2: am I. 122 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: I just want to ask as well, how many people 123 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:06,599 Speaker 1: from the Northern Territory are taking part in that road trip. 124 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 2: So we've got a variety of different people taking part. 125 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 2: So we've got our AU and T Vice President will 126 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 2: be in a car. Basically the whole four weeks and 127 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 2: we've got different people. Myself, a few other people from 128 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 2: our office will be jumping in and out of that car. 129 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 2: Hopefully someone from our schedule office will come up to 130 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 2: see some of what's going on in the Northern Territory 131 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 2: as well. But really the road trips, the people in 132 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 2: the car are just there to facilitate and meet with 133 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 2: the communities that we'll be seeing along the way. So 134 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 2: if you countless people will be participating because we'll be 135 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,120 Speaker 2: visiting communities all up and down the Stuart Highway out 136 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 2: into the Central Desert region over three weeks, with the 137 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 2: final week the car headed towards Canberra with as many 138 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 2: postcards as we can possibly manage to fit them up. 139 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: There no good stuff. I reckon hey before I let 140 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: you go, Michelle, and this this is totally off topic, 141 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: but it is something that we just discussed a couple 142 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: of moments ago. The territories Education ministers delivered quite an 143 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: extraordinary spray in Parliament yesterday accusing the opposition member of 144 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: having a racist view about Sorry day. Now. This is 145 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: in a report in the Northern Territory News where evil 146 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 1: law is unleashed on Joe Hersey during parliamentary sittings, describing 147 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: a letter that the opposition MLA had penned as racist, 148 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: bigoted and ignorant. 149 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 2: Now. 150 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: It comes after Miss Hersey raised concerns with the Minister 151 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 1: that a Palmeston teachers beliefs were being passed on to 152 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:46,199 Speaker 1: their students while teaching them about National Sorry Day. In 153 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: her letter, which Miss Lawla tabled, Miss Hersey attached an 154 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: email from a concerned grandparent who'd said that she was 155 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: disgusted that the teacher had forced their personal political beliefs 156 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: on students and was teaching them races. She said, my granddaughter, 157 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 1: along with the rest of her peers, have nothing to 158 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: be sorry for. The grandma's email reads, Look, what is 159 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: your take on this situation? 160 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 2: Yeah? I mean that is a heavy situation and one 161 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 2: that is very difficult to unpack in one conversation. But 162 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 2: what I would say is this, I'm really concerned about 163 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:26,679 Speaker 2: the discourse around politics in our schools and the fact 164 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 2: that many times conversations are being shut down because we 165 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 2: are scared to have them, or because teachers are supposed 166 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 2: to be a political people in classrooms. The issue that 167 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:41,199 Speaker 2: I've got with that is it doesn't allow or models 168 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 2: for our students participating in democracy or having critical thought. 169 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 2: Just because a teacher has a thought doesn't mean that 170 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:52,600 Speaker 2: that student should have that thought. But at the same time, 171 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 2: if the teacher is keeping their thoughts to themselves and 172 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 2: not having those discussions with their students, especially towards the 173 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:01,840 Speaker 2: wh high school years, and I know this is something 174 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 2: that does happen in our school. Our government really is 175 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 2: afraid and asked teachers to keep all of their political 176 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 2: opinions to themselves. And I do understand, you know, sort 177 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:13,599 Speaker 2: of where they're coming from with that. But at the 178 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 2: same time, a strong educational Pettigoddy says that we should 179 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,680 Speaker 2: be able to model for our students what it's like 180 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 2: to participate in the democratic process, what it's like to 181 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 2: challenge and you know, wrestle with those hard topics. So 182 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 2: I agree with you. 183 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: I agree with you. I certainly agree with you in 184 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 1: those older ages. But I look for me when it 185 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: comes to primary school. I feel like those discussions should 186 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 1: be ones that that kids are having at home as well, 187 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:45,199 Speaker 1: and that you know, I just like I do. I 188 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 1: do wonder in this situation, you know, whether it's the 189 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: right thing. I don't know. The age of this child. 190 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: But I just wonder whether this is a situation that 191 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: you know that that should have unfolded in the primary school. 192 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I mean we do have to be really 193 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:06,079 Speaker 2: careful with our children's minds and you know, thoughts that 194 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 2: they're developing and absolutely labeled like racists I don't think 195 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:15,719 Speaker 2: are very helpful discourses in those conversations. But these are 196 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 2: really heavy topics, really difficult things to discuss, and it's 197 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 2: really over simplifying things, I think, to come out and 198 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,320 Speaker 2: use labels, especially when a child's in primary school. 199 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 1: Yeah. I really appreciate your time this morning, Michelle, and 200 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 1: I know, like you said, that was a really heavy 201 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 1: thing for me to ask you about in a very 202 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: short period of time. So I appreciate you having a 203 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:41,679 Speaker 1: chat with me this morning. And again, a very happy 204 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 1: World Teacher's Day. Our teachers do an incredible job and 205 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: I'm so very grateful for the work that the teachers 206 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: that teach my children do and I know that there'd 207 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: be a lot of parents out there listening feeling exactly 208 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: the same this morning. 209 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, thank you, Katie, and just have a final word. 210 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 2: We'll be there at Parliament House to day at three 211 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:04,559 Speaker 2: pm to take this message directly to the MP parliamentarian. 212 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 2: So if you're headed past Parliament House on your way 213 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 2: home from school pickup, please feel free to swing by 214 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 2: and show your support for our teachers. We'd love it. 215 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: Good stuff, Michelle, thanks so much for your time this morning. 216 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: Thanks Peach Katie, thank you