The meeting

Dubbo has a collegiate system of schooling. There are two middle schools and one senior campus in Dubbo, the only government options for schooling. No 7-12 schools exist outside the independent sector. The teachers aren't especially impressed with this set-up, arguing that teachers at the 7-9 campuses burn out quickly and finding replacements is difficult as few teachers want to teach in a middle school. They believe that younger middle school students benefit from having role models within the school and that discipline problems have increased since the system was implemented. It also leaves teachers at the high school campus with two major assessments to prepare students for, increasing pressure substantially. There are arguments that splitting the stage 5 syllabus (years 9 and 10) between two campuses leaves students feeling unsafe about changing schools and the number of year 9 drop-outs is increasing.

Tonight the Regional Director came to address a full collegiate meeting, with teachers from all three campuses attending. It seems like every six months there is a review of this system, with a big push for it to be chhanged by the teachers. However the RD was holding the department line and despite an impassioned introduction where she spelt out the concerns of the teachers, she proceeded to talk about the closing of the gap for indig students and a whole host of carefully edited statistics to demonstrate why the system coudn't be changed. Every question that was asked by the teachers present was neatly evaded and several were openly chastised in front of their peers, including a three year out teacher who was admonished for daring to take on the regional director with his limited experience. The whole meeting was something of a farce and frustrations were not appeased.