Qld teachers must supervise NAPLAN: IRC

A planned Queensland teacher boycott of the national literacy and numeracy tests has
been declared illegal by the state's industrial umpire.
The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) on Friday afternoon ordered
Queensland Teachers' Union (QTU) members to supervise the National Assessment
Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests of grades three, five, seven and nine.
Queensland Education Minister Geoff Wilson is pleased with the ruling, saying
students have been put first.
"I know parents want the information literacy and numeracy national testing affords
them," Mr Wilson said in a statement.
"They deserve the information and the government intends to get it to them."
The Department of Education applied to have the boycott declared illegal after the
QTU ignored a softer "directive" from the QIRC last week.
Mr Wilson said he hoped the QTU would abide by the second, stronger QIRC ruling,
warning the union would pay a price if it didn't.
"Orders, under industrial law, are binding and come with consequences if they are
not followed," he said.
If the QTU ignores the order, it could be fined up to $100,000, deregistered, and
individual teachers could also be slapped with fines.
The QTU said the majority of its 40,000 members had voted not to supervise the
tests, over concerns that results would be used to create unfair league tables on
the federal government's new My School website.
President Steve Ryan said the union's executive would decide its response next
Tuesday but for now the boycott would stay.
"The moratorium still exists until the executive makes its decision," Mr Ryan told AAP.
"Certainly, the orders have been issued against us.
"It was quite clear from the start, the commission was not prepared to hear the
Queensland Teachers' Union case.
"It was very clear that they were following the directions given to them by the
government and that's an unfortunate turn of events."
Meanwhile, Mr Wilson said the Department of Education would continue finalising
contingency plans in case QTU teachers go ahead with the boycott.
It's working to recruit 6000 casual, part-time and relief teachers to supervise the
May 11, 12 and 13 tests.
The government said if state school students do not sit the tests, the lack of data
could put at risk $20 million in federal funding.



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