Concern about new class times

The president of the Ettalong Woy Woy Teachers' Association, Mr Rob Landow, has expressed concerns about the planned modification of class hours at the Woy Woy campus of Brisbane Water Secondary College.

Mr Landow said: "On August 1, the principal of BWSC Woy Woy (Mr David Beattie) announced that he was opening a discussion and consultation period for extending the hours of school for two school days per week.

"The next week he wanted to vote on it without consultation with parents and students.

"Not suprisingly, the students know nothing of this.

"The following are some points of interest, as explained to me by concerned staff.

"Students will have their hours of lessons staggered.

"For example, it is possible for a student to have period 1 from 8am-9am, period 2 from 1pm-2pm, and period 3 from 4pm-5pm.

"What will students do from 9am-1pm? Roam the streets? Go to plazas? Study?

"Only in senior collegiates is this time variation applied. Where will it stop? Classes at eight at night?

"There needs to be a public meeting on this issue. Will it be advertised?"

However, Mr Beattie said that the timetable proposal, now in the formal proposal stage, restricts non-core hours classes to the times of Wednesday, 3pm-5pm, and Tuesday until 3.50pm, instead of 2.50pm".

It will affect about one quarter of the students.

"The proposal takes effect in 2004 for year 11 students and 2005 onwards for years 11 and 12.

"The new timetable allows for more curriculum opportunities for students and the better utilisation of teacher expertise and specialised classrooms such as woodwork classrooms," he said.

Mr Beattie said that teachers and students would not be required to take on more class hours.

He said that teachers teaching at the new times will be given equivalent time off in the core hours period and that the minimum student subject workload would not be increased.

Mr Beattie said that teachers could choose whether to teach at the new times and that a number of them have indicated support for the proposal.

However, he said the NSW teachers award stated that a "school teacher shall not unreasonably refuse to teach classes at this time".

The award specifies the time of 7.30am-5.30pm, Monday-Friday.

Mr Beattie said that he has acted in accordance with the teachers' award which allowed a principal to make such timetable changes in order to improve student curriculum opportunities after sufficient consultation with the school community and consideration of parental concerns and practical obstacles.

"Information has been put out over the last couple of years and a discussion paper released to staff," he said.

"The proposal is on the agenda of this week's (parents and teachers) meeting and I'm addressing students on Wednesday of this week," he said.

Mr Beattie said the new timetable would be finalised and released to students by November's end in order to give them sufficient time to plan for the balancing of their class and non-study commitments, such as work and sporting commitments, next year.

"We're working to improve student outcomes and learning and teaching," he said.

However, Mr Landow said that the information to which Mr Beattie referred, put out over the last couple of years, related not to the new timetable proposal but teacher award issues.

He said that the proposal was put to staff early this month.

"It was presented to staff as a fait accompli and they objected.

"There has been no intention to consult with students until now - now that (Peninsula News) has raised the issue.

"Students and parents have not been consulted properly.

"If consulted properly and they want (the new timetable), then great," he said.

Mr Landow said that a large number of students would be affected by the new timetable.

He said that it would have repercussions for students who would not have classes at the new times as well as for students who would.

Con Orfanos, press release, August 20