I'm not one to beat up on teachers unions just for the sake of it, but this little news story out of Australia illustrates precisely how the interests of unions and students do not always intersect. Apparently the State School Teachers Union decided that one of the best ways to obtain their 20 percent raise was to "move to withhold report cards," essentially forcing parents to contact teachers directly for information about the child's academic progress. Union officials, however, maintain that "parents and students will not unfairly suffer because of the action" since teachers hold report card meetings with parents anyway. Now, that's some justification and especially little solace when we are told that this strategy is "just one of a broad range of tactics" to catalyze pay negotiations. Hate to see what the next tactic brings--withholding instruction altogether, or lunch time perhaps?
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Australia
