NSW Labor Teachers Launch Rank-And-File Campaign

NSW Labor Teachers have established a campaign to urge Labor MPs to oppose One Nation's 'Parental Rights' Bill.

Teachers and educators constitute a significant portion of NSW Labor's membership; however, their voices are often suppressed by the structure of our Party. To ensure that teachers are formally organised and represented within NSW Labor, a group of teachers have convened the NSW Labor Teachers network to advocate for schools, students, and educators. This rank-and-file movement aspires to create a permanent voice for teachers' industrial and education policy expertise within the Party. Their first campaign is focused on One Nation's 'Parental Rights' Bill and its effects on vulnerable LGBTQI+ students, the NSW curriculum, and the professional integrity of teachers.

You can read their statement outlining the key features of the Bill and the case against One Nation's agenda here.

This statement is informed by submissions from the NSW Teachers Federation, the Independent Education Union, and Equality Australia to the Legislative Council inquiry considering One Nation's Bill. In short, the proposed legislation will force schools to sack teachers who support LGBTQI+ students, particularly those students who may be trans or gender fluid. This may include simple gestures like acknowledging the identity of students or dealing with bullying on the grounds of these identities. Furthermore, the Bill may allow parents to force teachers to dedicate class time to discredited and fringe ideas including climate-change scepticism.

We encourage our subscribers and all NSW Labor members to read the statement prepared by the NSW Labor Teachers Network. Please pass their model motion attached to their statement at your branch and circulate their email petition which is addressed to the Shadow Minister for Education, Prue Car. If you have any questions please email them at [email protected]