Creating a Teaching Underclass: The Federal Government, the NSW Teachers Federation and the Contracting-out of the Adult Migrant English Service in New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

The Adult Migrant English Service (AMES) in New South Wales, Australia, was contracted-out by the Australian Federal government in 1998. This article examines the response of the New South Wales Teachers Federation (the public school teachers' union), as well as the effects of contracting-out on the AMES teaching workforce, and considers the underlying motives of governments engaging in the privatisation of educational services. The conclusion is that governments contract-out to create a 'class' of deunionised and low-paid workers, while largely ignoring private provider efficiency.