CPSU has received many calls and emails from schools who are struggling with the School Start Bonus process.

• One calculated that she had spent at least 7 very stressful frustrating hours reading and then re-reading, and trying and then re-trying to follow the process with the CSV file and through the EMA individual enrolments, but was unsuccessful each time.

• Another said she had her enrolments on already, and shuddered to think what would have happened if she hadn't. She felt, though she had spent time extra to her normal duties, she had got off lightly.

• Feedback says that the helpdesk people were polite, they weren't always available, with one SSO reporting that the voicemail instructed her to call back the next day, as they were only open in the morning.

PROCESS AND JOINT CUSTODY. The processes and the system falls down badly for parents with joint custody, with parents bringing their custody issues to the school to try and resolve who gets the $300.

Apparently DEECD's advice is that the school advises the parents to go through Family Court processes to distinguish who is Primary parent for enrolment purposes and therefore who is to receive the SSB.

This is stressing relationships between parents and school well before they have even started the school year.

NOT ENOUGH MONEY. Schools have also said that that the money granted to 'assist' schools with the new process was not enough.

One school with 250 enrolments said that she had spent the $700 in time and paper and postage and still didn't have enough without dipping into school funds.

She is still awaiting a reply about this shortfall from the Department.

REAL DATA NEEDED. Next March, CPSU is back in the AIRC with the Department to evaluate the scheme.

It is VITAL that SSO's fill in our SSB workload survey.

Even though SSB is not yet finished, CPSU needs an interim view to feedback to DEECD, and then an evaluation at the end.

CPSU believes that real time data is necessary to feel the full impact, and then another to gain an overview of the process.

The Department declined to join with CPSU in collecting real time data from Business Managers and school administrators.

They said it was because they didn't want to add to SSO's workload at this busy time.

CPSU said that people would be only too happy to assist in providing the information.

SSO's have told CPSU that they are sick of being the guinea pigs every time the Department tries a new process.

Give the AIRC the True Picture. The AIRC needs correct data and real stories to evaluate the programs affect on SSO's.

Click on this link   and fill in the survey. Please also fill in the comments box so that CPSU can start building our case.

CPSU-THE UNION FOR SSO's

Call Geraldine Hughes on 03 9639 1822 or email ghughes@cpsuvic.org to let her know your views.

CPSU WANTS TO VISIT YOUR SCHOOL:

EMAIL ghughes@cpsuvic.org, or ckells@cpsuvic.org to arrange a visit before the Christmas break.


TOGETHER WE DO BETTER!

CPSU Membership Form

KAREN BATT
CPSU Victorian Branch Secretary

Thursday 6 December 2007