Gillard defends 'happiness workshops'

(AAP) - Sending teachers to positive psychology workshops is not a waste of money, Education Minister Julia Gillard says.

The Rudd government has come under attack this week for spending $1 million of
taxpayers money on positive psychology workshops for Department of Education,
Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) staff and teachers.
The commonwealth spent $642,000 sending 100 DEEWR staff to a five-day course in late
January and $350,000 sending 209 government and non-government teachers to two other
workshops earlier in the month.
The opposition has ridiculed the seminars.
It says the "happiness workshops" were a waste money that couldn't possibly improve
well-being and productivity as intended.
But Ms Gillard hit back on Thursday, saying the opposition didn't care about the
welfare of children.
The workshops for teachers would help them assist students battling illnesses such
as anorexia and depression, she said.
"Supporting teachers to be better teachers in their classrooms is not a waste of
money," Ms Gillard told parliament.
"The Liberal party would be aware of the worldwide research that says there's
nothing more important."
American psychologist Martin Seligman, who heads the Positive Psychology Centre at
the University of Pennsylvania, ran the residential workshops at Geelong Grammar
School.
Ms Gillard attacked Liberal frontbencher Andrew Southcott for attempting to "parody"
Prof Seligman, who she described as a "noted educationalist".
"He is the leader in the development of (a) resiliency program that has been shown
to make a difference to mental health issues amongst young people, including issues
like anorexia and depression.
"That is actually serious and ought not to be cat-called about."
In its haste to score a cheap political point the opposition had ignored the needs
of students, Ms Gillard said.
Earlier, the public servants' union had weighed in with criticism of the expenditure.
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) argues the workshops were
"inappropriate" and reflected poorly on the majority of public servants who do the
right thing.
The government and department had their priorities completely wrong, union assistant
secretary Mark Gepp said.
"The government needs to choose between frontline staff delivering essential
services, or happiness conferences," he said in a statement.
"They cost the same, but only one delivers the essential services Australians expect."
In the face of the global economic crisis, demand for Centrelink and other welfare
services was growing, but the public sector was facing further budget cuts, Mr Gepp
said.
"If they really want to make public sector workers happy, the government could put
this money into employing a few more frontline staff.
"Million dollar, feel-good conferences don't help get these jobs done."
If the government was looking to make cuts it should start with "junkets like this",
the union boss said.
DEEWR deputy secretary Ewen McDonald said the staff workshop was all about investing
in skills.
"Good productivity and motivation comes from people being able to deal with
adversity as it arises," Mr McDonald told a Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday.
Similar management courses often cost up to $12,000 per person, even when using
local providers, the department said.