HISTORY

Ancillary staffing was reorganised at the beginning of the 1989 school year. The rationale behind the changes stemmed from an economic strategy of cost-cutting.  A document called 'Management of School Assistants' was brought out by the DET in December, 1988 which concerned the reclassification of ancillary staff under the heading of 'school assistants'. Supposedly 'quality leadership, equitable distribution, cooperation and consultation' were to be the key indicators of its success. One of the intended benefits was that 'school organisation will be enhanced by the principal's capacity to utilise resources without being limited by specific category definitions'.  While the flexibility aspect could have been a positive, in reality, principals favoured staffing administration areas over other areas, especially with the advent of OASIS. SASS staffing in other areas has also been seriously eroded over the years.

MULTISKILLING

The job description has become 'generic'. (DET 'Attachment 13').  It states in the selection criteria: 'ability to perform tasks in one or more of the following areas: office procedures; ... library procedures; hospitality and/or ...'. This description glosses over the complexity of library requirements. SASS can now transfer, or be transferred, into specialist positions such as the library with no training or experience. Technically, they're not even required to have word-processing skills.

Qualified library technicians (ALIA recognised), on the other hand, require professional development and networking opportunities.  Specialised SASS should not  be interchangeable. It is demeaning to their professional self esteem that they can be treated that way, and waste of talented personnel devoted to their areas of expertise.

TRAINING

It costs valuable teacher-librarian time upskilling SASS who can move around the school at the direction of the principal. A good Library SASS allows the teacher-librarian to work with teachers and students, not be stuck in the stack room organising and doing the clerical work of an untrained SASS. It is hardly cost effective when a teacher-librarian has to be involved with clerical tasks, taking time away from higher level services that only he or she can provide.

AT THE PRINCIPAL'S DISCRETION

In the name of flexible staffing, principals can now use library support staff at their discretion. This has left libraries vulnerable. Some schools libraries have had their support drastically reduced; some have been left with NO clerical support. The staffing ratio for primary school libraries has always been minimal, and grossly inadequate; average one day per week for most schools. This is barely enough time to scratch the surface of the clerical load. Losing any of that  minimal time is catastrophic. Automation has made some tasks easier, but there are new demands, such as more resources purchased for literacy programs (e.g. multiple copies of texts), and the provision of internet links (in the absence of curriculum links provided centrally). Some teacher-librarians are forced to spend additional hours each day on clerical tasks. This is time that would be better spent on cooperative planning with teachers, and provision of services.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Schools now need technical support. PHONE help lines are excellent, particularly for OASIS support. But there are times when phone help doesn't solve the problem. More seriously, with the relatively recent introduction of computer technology for curriculum purposes, phone help doesn't begin to meet the need. It is completely inappropriate that teachers are forced to carry out all the technical jobs needed to get computers up and running and maintain them that way. The government has funded the purchase of computers for schools, but has literally dumped them at the doorstep. Some teacher-librarians have welcomed the management role, but it is as inappropriate for them to be tied up providing technical support as it is for classroom teachers.

CASE STUDIES

A new school library assistant was previously a kitchen hand at a high school, and a teacher's aide before that. Her experience in a school library included checkin-out and covering of books, and that was it. The teacher-librarian was released for one day to train her, and then expected to assist, guide and supervise her while teaching classes. [SASS 1]

A school library has two new appointments in 2002; a casual teacher-librarian with no training or experience, and a SASS who was formerly an admin senior, 'and no slouch', with no library training. The new teacher-librarian reportedly expects the new SASS to do all the clerical work, including original cataloguing. The SASS is having huge difficulties; out of her depth, with no support available. OASIS Library Introductory courses are not available. [SASS 2]