Page 71 - EducationWorld June 2020

even less that is difficult or stimulating. An entire cohort
appears to be treading water.
Schools have had a rough time. On March 23, they were
given two working days’ notice to close, while remaining
open to vulnerable pupils and children of key workers. On
May 11, the government asked English schools to restart
some classes in June. But teachers’ unions are against that,
and it seems likely that few children will return before Sep-
tember. Government schools have had little guidance about
what and how to teach the 98 percent supposed to be study-
ing at home.
As a result, school children are largely idle. A poll of
parents in April by the Sutton Trust, an education charity,
found 50 percent of secondary school pupils and 64 per-
cent of primary school pupils are working three hours a
day or less. Teachers, who normally put in long days, have UNSW, Sydney’s Ian Jacobs: jobs loss forecast
stopped doing so. That is probably because little is expected
of them, and not because they are struggling with domestic refurbishment plans, and deferring discretionary spending.
obligations. Those without children are working as little as Institutions are also courting banks, those with contingency
those with. funds are raiding them and every institution is eyeing its
This is probably harming pupils. Studies show that cash reserves.
young children — especially poor ones — backslide during Those reserves totalled A$4.6 billion (Rs.23,035 crore)
the summer holidays, with the poor faring especially badly. across the sector at the end of 2018. Representative body
Children with learning difficulties may be worst-off. On a Universities Australia estimates that its members could lose
Peterborough housing estate, Anna Adams says her autistic that sum this year alone – a likely underestimate. Some
son, who loves maths, has been unable to get any work done 18 of Australia’s 40 universities having outlined their pro-
at all. Worse, he has become so terrified of the virus that she jected losses, with the tally already reaching A$3.9 billion
isn’t sure he will ever return to school. and bigger losses anticipated next year. More savings will
But (as in India) the most striking difference is between be needed.
state and private schools. The latter have leapt onto Zoom Salaries, universities’ biggest cost, are an obvious target.
and similar services: 74 percent of private secondary school Executives at many universities have taken temporary pay
teachers and 58 percent of private primary school teachers cuts, typically 20 percent, and some have invited staff to do
use them on a given day, according to Teacher Tapp. An- likewise. Staff has also been asked to consider cutting their
drew Gordon-Brown, the head of the private Truro School hours, relinquishing claims for time off in lieu, retiring early
in Cornwall, says he advised teachers not to push on with and even making salary contributions to their employers.
the curriculum — but only for the first week of lockdown. UNSW Sydney vice chancellor Ian Jacobs says while
Then they charged ahead. His staff claims to be working more than 1,000 staff have agreed to cut their hours or re-
harder than ever. tire early, these concessions will yield just A$13 million of
It isn’t just private schools. Those who charge for lessons, the A$600 million UNSW expects to lose this year alone.
from music teachers to karate instructors, have often found Stand-downs and “a reduction in staff numbers” are inevi-
ways of carrying on more-or-less as normal. Anouska Leckie, table, he warned staff.
a Kumon tutor in Cardiff, switched from in-person group To stem the bleeding, the National Tertiary Education
classes to live video lessons a week after the lockdown. She Union (NTEU) is trying to negotiate a “national jobs pro-
lost several clients at first: many of the children she instructs tection framework” to win safeguards unavailable under
are from working-class immigrant families, who ran short current university enterprise agreements and industrial
of money. But some are returning, saying their children are relations legislation. Top of the union’s wish list is averting
not being taught nearly enough by their schools. stand-downs without pay. It also wants external appoint-
ments stopped, fixed-term contracts renewed, redundan-
AUSTRALIA cies applied only where work is ceasing permanently and
Varsities cost-cutting spree casuals given priority in redeployment, along with other
safeguards. In return, the NTEU would limit restrictions
JOB SECURITY IS EMERGING AS THE KEY on universities’ ability to save money through deferring pay
battleground as Australian universities strive to rises and promotions, cutting work hours and changing staff
offset the billions of dollars the Covid-19 crisis is duties. “We are doing everything we can to save every job we
costing them. Universities are scrapping construction and can,” the union explained in its Sentry magazine, warning

JUNE 2020 EDUCATIONWORLD 71