These recorded
stories of principals’ experiences span several generations and hence varying
political/economic contexts. In this period, changes occurred in relation to responsibility and
accountability, promotion and tenure as well as pay and conditions. Below are a few milestones in relation to promotion and selection.
Promotion processes, opportunities and selection procedures
In the late
60’s promotion to a Senior (Coordinator) was as quoted from one story - ‘almost automatic after 4 years of
teaching’.. Subject specialist inspectors carried out assessment for
elgibility, established and maintained ranked lists and managed promotions. Service length requirements had to be
met before one was eligible for promotion to Deputy Principal or Principal e.g.
4 year service at senior level before eligibility to apply for Deputy position.
A wealth of
system wide opportunities were available to Seniors to act as Special Seniors
and subject consultants.
Coincident with
this structure legislated requirements existed determining that on marriage
female teachers became temporary employees and pregnant women needed to resign
to have their child. Needless to say there were very, very few female Seniors,
Deputy Principals and/or Principals in secondary schools - and those who were
appointed were unmarried.
The Government
Management and Employment Act 1985 (SA) ruled in s6 (1) (a) that “all selection
processes shall be directed towards and based on a proper assessment of
merit”. Implementation of merit
processes in DECS occurred from1985. Positions began to be advertised and required written application.
Gender
Until November
1966, a marriage bar existed and clauses in the Public Service Act prevented
women from being permanent employees in the Commonwealth Public Service (or in
State public services outside of NSW). Married women teachers were not employed
on a permanent basis in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
Within 4 years, Australian states lifted their marriage bans, greatly affecting
the nursing and teaching professions which traditionally employed women. In the
1960s in Australia, only 1 in every 10 workers was a married woman. A female
wage or salary was 75% that of a male, and the Commonwealth Conciliation and
Arbitration Commission ruled in 1969 that women should receive equal pay to men
for equal work.
Creation of
affirmative action positions
The
Commonwealth government introduced the
Affirmative Action (Equal Employment Opportunity for Women) Act in 1986. South Australia enacted the Equal
Opportunity Act in 1984. Creation of affirmative action position presumably
occurred in mid to late 1980s. South Australia enacted the first
anti-discrimination law in regards to race and gender in Australia – the
Prohibition of Discrimination Act 1996 (SA) and the Sex Discrimination Act 1975
(SA).
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