$10,000 'teacher bonus' dumped

Gillard promised during the 2010 election campaign to deliver cash bonuses for up to 25,000 teachers. Source: The Daily Telegraph

JULIA Gillard's election pledge to deliver $10,000 bonus payments for Australia's top teachers has been exposed as a cruel hoax.

Confidential documents prepared by the Gillard Government confirm that payments to the states under the plan will cease in 2014, the same year thousands of teachers hoped they would finally secure the cash.

It will be up to the states to decide whether to pay teachers the promised bonuses or not.

The Council of Australian Governments funding deal, obtained by The Sunday Times, outlines the Gillard Government's formal offer to the states to implement Gonski Report school reforms and includes demands that new teachers undergo literacy tests and that children take "school readiness tests".

The Sunday Times can reveal that the 47-page National Education Reform Agreement outlining the next four-year funding deal for all states confirms that teacher bonus payments are no longer guaranteed.

"If a state or territory signs this agreement, payments under the Rewards for Great Teachers National Partnership will cease on 1 January, 2014," the documents says.

Teacher unions had opposed the bonus scheme for top teachers, suggesting all teachers should be paid more. Promised by the Prime Minister during the 2010 election campaign, the Rewards for Great Teachers program promised to deliver cash bonuses for up to 25,000 teachers.

But the program was quickly gutted in government, with the promised $425 million budget slashed in half and the number of teachers who could expect bonuses reduced.

Since 2010, not a single teacher has secured a bonus under the scheme, with the Gillard Government now confirming it will not force the states to implement the program.

Education Minister Peter Garrett confirmed that whether the promised scheme was rolled out would now depend on the states.

While he hoped the states would offer bonuses next year, the Gillard Government would not compel them to do so.

"We want to see great teachers rewarded," a spokesman said. "The states have asked for flexibility to manage the recognition and career structures of their teachers, which is why we have not mandated rewarding teachers in the draft National Education Reform Agreement. How each state chooses to implement the rewards scheme is a matter for them.

"There is no reason why they shouldn't honour their commitment to teachers."

Opposition education spokesman Chris Pyne said the broken election promise was disgraceful.

"Teachers have every right to be disappointed, but importantly, this is the latest example of Julia Gillard's grotesque delusions about the truth," he said.

"This is just another reason why people should never believe anything Julia Gillard tells them, whether it's about the carbon tax, superannuation or education."

After announcing the rewards program in 2010, the Gillard Government promised to pay the top 10 per cent of teachers $8100 bonuses in the 2011 May Budget.

But in November 2011, the Government slashed the scheme by $200 million, offering only 8000 teachers bonuses if they were accredited as highly accomplished teachers under yet-to-be-agreed national standards.

The value of the bonuses was increased, however, to up to $10,500.

In some states, including WA, it has recently emerged teachers pay up to $1800 in fees to secure this accreditation.

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