Sunshine Coast Grammar School.
FORMER students of one of the Coast's most prestigious private schools have launched a scathing attack on a staff restructuring which they claim will make 21 teachers redundant.
Members of the Sunshine Coast Grammar alumni have not ruled out staging a placard-waving protest at the gates of the school in a bid to force a backdown.
The angry reaction follows an announcement of changes to the school's teaching staff.
The school wants its teaching staff to be “less top-heavy”. It wants more teachers back in front of classes.
Grammar principal Nigel Fairbairn, who announced the changes to staff on Friday, said it meant a reduction in the overall number of “added responsibility” positions such as heads-of-school.
New positions would be created and the responsibilities redistributed, he said.
As former students launched a string of attacks yesterday, Mr Fairbairn denied any redundancy notices had been issued.
However, he could not say how many of the 21 teachers who held positions being restructured were guaranteed a job next year.
“That will depend on how many people on that list apply for new positions of responsibility and are successful,” he said.
“I can say that there are a number of those staff we desperately want on our team next year.”
At least four of the teachers affected have been at the school since it first opened in 1997.
A former prefect, speaking on behalf of the Grammar alumni, said those teachers had stood by the school during a period of turmoil in the late 1990s when it was revealed founding principal John Burgess had been guilty of two counts of carnal knowledge dating back to 1979.
“They were the backbone of the school when that happened,” the former prefect said.
“They got it through that crisis and this is the thanks they get.”
Despite Mr Fairbairn's claims that most staff and parents were relieved the “tough decisions” had been made, the alumni spokeswoman said outrage was growing.
The Daily received a number of angry letters from former students while several voiced their feelings on the Daily's wesbite and an almuni Facebook page.
“People are angry and shocked,” the former prefect said.
“I am aware of at least 10 families who have said they will pull their children out of the school – it's that bad.”
A former Grammar school captain who also contacted the Daily, said she was “appalled”
“Those teachers did so much for us when we were at school and really don't deserve what has happened. They deserve more respect than that,” she said.
Both said they could not rule out protests at the school gates.
“It's getting to that stage,” the former prefect said.
“People are trying to look at it in an intelligent way but there is so much anger out there.”
Mr Fairbairn said he had not heard of any threats of protests or student withdrawals and had received less than 10 emails and a handful of phone calls.
The Independent Education Union of Australia said it was asking the school to delay advertising the restructured positions until urgent talks could take place on the validity of the changes.
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Grammar to adopt a new structure
This article's primary contributor, Patrick Gillett, is an  of Sunshine Coast Grammar School.




The Sunshine Coast is a region approximately 95 km (60 miles) north of the state capital, Brisbane.
''Wikinews'' has obtained a list of middle management teaching staff allegedly made redundant, or laid off due to restructuring, by  (SCGS), in Queensland, Australia. Sources say that those staff have been told that they can apply for new positions that have opened up.

The list, published on the SCGS alumni Facebook page, contains the names of twenty-two staff members, eight of which taught this article's primary contributor. Seventeen positions are reportedly being opened up by the private Christian school, eight of which seem to significantly overlap the old ones.

The changes are, apparently, designed to get teachers back into the classroom. "We are not cutting subject choices and extracurricular activities, but retaining a student-driven curriculum that integrates with the new Australian Curriculum, in keeping with our commitment to teaching and learning opportunities," said headmaster Nigel Fairbairn.

Fairbairn could not guarantee that any of the staff would be given a position in 2011.  “That will depend on how many people on that list apply for new positions of responsibility and are successful,” he said.

"The Head of the School cannot guarantee the 21 staff a job at the School in the future, with many of the positions being advertised to external applicants," said Terry Burke, secretary for the Independent Education Union of Australia Queensland branch (Queensland Independent Education Union, QIEU).

"There has been little or no consultation with affected staff, who should not have to reapply for their jobs," he said. "Most of the proposed restructuring is highly questionable and places at risk the high quality education at the School."

Some former students responded angrily to the news.

Four of the affected teachers "were the backbone of the school when controversy surrounded founding headmaster John Burgess happened," a former prefect (student leader) said. "They got it through that crisis and this is the thanks they get."

"People are angry and shocked," they continued. "I am aware of at least 10 families who have said they will pull their children out of the school – it's that bad."

The student body has not ruled out protesting the schools plans. "It's getting to that stage," the former prefect said. "People are trying to look at it in an intelligent way but there is so much anger out there."

''Wikinews'' understands that Fairbairn attracted criticism when he was a head teacher in Christchurch, New Zealand, where a former student claimed that Fairbairn "replaced the open and welcoming culture ... with the tyrannical and oppressive one."