Enid Hokin has sadly passed away

We would like to let you know that Enid Hokin (far left) died in late December.

Enid was very well known and respected. She will certainly be missed at our meetings. 
Enid took social issues very seriously. She attended most RTA meetings, and always had one or more matters to be raised. 

The Retired Teachers Association made a donation of $100 to ABC Friends NSW in memory of Enid .

Below is a number of the proposals for discussion and resolution raised by Enid over the years. Read these in her memory and hold your own minute of silence as a mark of respect for a tireless champion of social justice.

Enid Hokin presented a motion condemning the NSW Government for the massive cuts it has made to Technical and Further Education. Since 2012, such cuts have amounted to $130 million and Federation has estimated that some 4000 jobs have been made redundant. The motion was carried unanimously by members at the August meeting.

The Retired Teachers Association strongly condemns Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his November announcement of federal legislation to ban protests. This is a direct attack on free speech and seriously undermines our democratic processes. Enid Hokin’s motion expressing this alarm was carried unanimously by our association.

Enid Hokin presented a motion condemning Gladys Berejiklian and Luke Foley for supporting the promotion of a horse race by using the sails of the Sydney Opera House. Both the Premier and Leader of the Opposition should undertake to never again endorse the Sydney landmark being so abused. The motion also included an expression of disgust that our new Prime Minister referenced the Opera House as “Sydney’s biggest billboard”. Enid’s motion was carried unanimously.

Enid Hokin addressed our November meeting on the importance of strong publicly funded TAFE colleges and the declining resources that they are receiving from the State Government. The corresponding rise of private institutions that are beginning to take TAFE’s place has led to a dearth of adequately trained tradespeople in NSW. Enid’s motion calling on the Berejiklian Government to restore adequate funding to the TAFE sector was unanimously supported by members.

Enid Hokin moved that the NSW RTA call on the Federal Government to immediately redirect the $240 million currently allocated to the school chaplaincy program to the employment of school counsellors. The funding arrangements for the chaplaincy program were struck down by the High Court. The Federal Government is forcing religious advisors on students regardless of their parents’ wishes. There is no justification for employing untrained people to counsel students and to enforce religious influence on vulnerable students who are entitled to the very best support that can be provided. Questions of religion are properly the responsibility of families (three members against).

Enid Hokin moved that the NSW RTA call upon the federal government to restore the funding it has withdrawn from the Macular Disease Foundation to permit the foundation to continue its valuable work and education program.

Enid Hokin moved that the RTA call for the resignation of the NSW Minister for Health, Jillian Skinner. Traditionally, ministers are responsible for the performance of their departments, and there has been a spate of disgraceful events in NSW Health, for example, the death of a newborn baby and brain damage to another one at Bankstown Hospital as a result of being administered dangerous gases, and patients being incorrectly advised and treated by oncologists at St Vincent’s and St George Hospitals.

Enid Hokin moved that the NSW RTA demand that the Federal Government review funding cuts to the ABC and SBS. For Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull to promote himself as a friend of the ABC is monumental hypocrisy when he calls on the ABC and SBS to maintain programs and staff while gouging millions from their funding. Already, there have been savage staff reductions, and many hundreds more will go. Only the ABC and SBS provide unbiased news and current affairs programs, Australian culture and entertainment, quality overseas programs and high standard professionalism — all of this and a service to people all over this huge country, large areas of which are completely ignored by commercial networks whose standards, in many cases, are hardly commendable. The ABC does belong to the taxpayers and must be funded to serve them adequately.