Petitioners ask Refshauge to give Schools Spectacular a 21st birthday

John Cahill, Public Service Association General Secretary, today announced a petition campaign to defend staffing levels in the Department of Education and Training's Arts Unit, which organises the Schools Spectacular, along with a host of other school performance, debating and arts events.

The petition campaign will begin at the 20th anniversary Schools Spectacular, to be held over four performances at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on Friday and Saturday.

PSA members, with parents and teachers, will be collecting signatures calling on Education and Training Minister Andrew Refshauge to make sure the Schools Spectacular will turn 21 next year.

The Arts Unit draws together nearly thirty thousand government school student performers and artists and showcases their work in large regional, state, national and international performances and exhibitions to audiences of well over a million people.

As well as high profile events at the Opera House, Town Hall, and Entertainment Centre, students take part in state camps and ensembles in dance, drama, choral and instrumental music. The ensembles perform at State, National and International levels.

"The government is cutting over 1,000 educational support jobs in Department of Education and Training and TAFE, including vital support positions to the Arts Unit's programs, which have nurtured the creative talents of thousands of NSW school children over the last 20 years", said John Cahill.

"Dr Refshauge says this Lifelong Learning restructure is about cutting bureaucracy and redirecting resources to the classrooms of NSW, but this is not correct. After many restructures there is no 'fat' left to cut. He must think we are idiots if we are to believe that that 1,000 jobs can go and services to the community can be improved at the same time", said Cahill.

The petition calls on Dr Refshauge to maintain at least the current level of staff in the Arts Unit, including those "hidden employees" doing jobs cut in a previous restructure; keep the Arts Unit intact, instead of the current proposal to split off vital administrative support positions; and to recognise that educational support positions are vital to teaching and learning in schools and TAFE, and must be retained.