Teachers were palpably angry at the staff meeting at Elizabeth College tonight.

Teachers were seething with anger when Graeme Young told them that John Smyth, Education Department Sectretary will be soon be sending them shortly a form on which they will have to choose whether or not they want to stay in the Education Department, move to the primary and high school sectors or be accept the move into Tasmania Tomorrow next year.

Greg Brown, AEU President Secondary Colleges Sector/PY10 said: “Let’s call it what it is. It is bullying. The Premier should be condemned for his actions. Members throughout the state are outraged that he would stoop so low to force teachers into such a position.”

“These teachers know that Tasmania Tomorrow is shambles. David Bartlett yesterday outlined a plan stuck together with bits of this and that. He has not talked to the Union. If these highly qualified teachers with specific academic and applied learning skills decide to leave, how will this help the Premier achieve his goals?”

When one teacher asked where the teachers would come from if all the teachers decided to stay with the DoE, she was told: “They will pluck them from the high schools.”

The staff meeting was followed by an AEU meeting:

The Elizabeth College sub branch of the AEU voted overwhelmingly (86%) to support the AEU Executive motions from the Executive meeting today. They voted to:

To deplore the position o the Minister, David Bartlett, in ignoring the democratic processes undergone by the AEU staff.
To demand that the Premier and Minister for Education honours the commitments he gave to Elizabeth College and other colleges.
To endorse the AEU Executive motion that colleges do not go into the Tasmania Tomorrow system until 2011.
That unless the Premier honours his commitments, the Elizabeth College sub-branch will follow an Executive directive not to carry out work that is associated with Elizabeth College going into Tasmania Tomorrow in 2010.
To endorse the AEU Executive’s call for meetings of school AEU representatives (in the K-12 sector and PY10) to discuss and determine further action.

“At Executive today, we discussed the possibility of a Statewide stop work meetings.” Greg Brown said.
Greg Brown AEU President Secondary Colleges/PY10