Educators in correctional centres across the New England will continue the fight to keep their jobs as a sweeping reform of the NSW prison education system draws closer.
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A petition, condemning the changes which will see 138 education officers replaced with third party providers, has garnered more than 13,000 signatures and will be debated in the lower house.
Six jobs from the Tamworth and Glen Innes Correctional Centres are under threat, the Teacher’s Federation says.
Union organiser Robert Long says those affected by the cuts will lobby coalition MPs and called for an inquiry in the upper house on the decision.
‘Working as an educator in jails is a much more complex job than most people will understand. There is a whole series of different skills and relationships to encourage some people who, for whatever reason, have had a very negative education experience before and have ended up working in crime,” he said.
Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall had not yet been approached by the teachers, he said.
“There seems to be a long running problem with the actual hours teachers are available to teach and the times that prison inmates want to be taught. I am informed by the Minister’s office that a review of the current education model concluded that it does not meet demand, nor achieve the desired outcomes and that specialist education and training organisations would be more effective than Corrective Services in providing most of these services,” he said.
“[At Glen Innes], the net loss will be one position but we expect the one affected staff member will be able to seek placements in other departmental roles or with the new external provider.”
Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said they have to wait and see what it means for Tamworth.
“Ultimately if it provides a better outcome for literacy and numeracy for inmates to make a greater comeback into society and reduces recidivism. My door is always open, I will be looking forward to receiving more information from the minister’s office,” he said.