The Forum > Article Comments > Insight into teachers' merit pay rises > Comments
Insight into teachers' merit pay rises : Comments
By Mercurius Goldstein, published 2/10/2006A view from inside the SBS Insight studios into the debate over merit pay for teachers
- Pages:
-
- 1
- Page 2
-
- All
We have some performance-based elements now in Victoria. They are inefficient and ineffective - and not one child in the state is better taught because of them.
Those who advocate performance-based pay at the whim of principals need to consider some realities. I refused to betray my profession by participating in the unprofessional performance bonus system introduced by the Kennett Liberals. My then principal threatened me with the abolition of my Leading Teacher position, a threat which was eventually carried out. I escaped that school, only to find myself victimised by another principal, whom I had to take before the Merit Protection Board, which ordered my re-instatement. It is no surprise that I am horrified at the suggestion that principals should determine teachers' pay. Those who decry the poor standard of teachers need to consider that principals come from those same ranks of teachers.
The tragedy in all this is that teachers stand on the front line of civilisation - along with nurses, doctors, police and parents - and the job they are called on to do matters very much. We are used to the abuse of the ignorant, but the deprofessionalisation we have suffered is too great and the rewards elsewhere are just too attractive for some of us. I am not arguing that all teachers should receive the same pay, simply that the implementation of performance pay is almost inevitably going to lead to rewarding the sycophants and punishing the thinkers.