Independent Education Union of Australia

September 4 2010 is Equal Pay Day - 2 September 2010
The date illustrates the number of extra days women have to work after the financial year in order to earn the same amount that men earn in twelve months. September 4 commemorates the day when women's earnings "catch up"

Have Your Say - 2 September 2010
The draft National Teaching Standards are to be validated by University of New England research group SiMERR

Staff in Australia's Schools Survey - 31 August 2010
The Staff in Australia's Schools (SiAS) survey is now in schools. The IEUA encourages schools and teachers to take part if invited.

$1.5 billion Education Cuts a Disgrace - 20 August 2010
The Coalition's announcement on the eve of the federal election for further cuts on top of $3 billion already announced is simply outrageous , writes IEUA Federal Secretary Chris Watt

Money to Recognise Skilled Teachers Welcomed - 9 August 2010
A $1.25 billion commitment to recognising high quality teachers is a good start, writes IEUA Federal Secretary Chris Watt

Gillard Protects Jobs - 4 August 2010
Thousands of classroom jobs will be protected by the federal government's move to extend non-government school funding.

Workplace Safety Must Be Improved - 23 July 2010
It is outrageous that yet another husband and father has not returned home to his family after a day at work following an avoidable accident that took his life while working on the waterfront. All union members extend their sympathy to the family of Stephen Piper.

Staff in Australia's Schools Survey - 14 July 2010
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) will be conducting the Staff in Australia's Schools (SiAS) survey in August and September. The survey, which is commissioned by DEEWR, is a vital resource for planning the teacher and school leader workforces.

IEUA Submission to Senate Inquiry into NAPLAN - 28 June 2010
The IEUA conducted an online survey of principals and chapter representatives from over 2000 schools to provide 'chalkface' evidence for the Union submission to the Senate Inquiry.

IEUA Congratulates Prime Minister Gillard - 25 June 2010
The IEUA has written to Prime Minister Gillard congratulating her on her election.

First Meeting of MySchool Working Party - 24 June 2010
The first meeting of the ACARA Working Party to review the MySchool website was held in Sydney on June 17th. The IEUA is a member of the working party.

APPA Guiding Principles for NAPLAN Welcomed - 10 June 2010
The Australian Primary Principals Association paper Overarching Principles Governing the Reporting and Use of NAPLAN is a welcomed contribution to the debate on NAPLAN testing, said Independent Education Union of Australia Federal Secretary Chris Watt

1 GOAL - 8 June 2010
1GOAL have released a ten point action plan to deliver Education for All as a lasting legacy of the 2010 World Cup.

Performance Pay - What Really Motivates People? - 4 June 2010
Studies have consistently shown that for work requiring high cognitive engagement, like teaching, the 'carrot and stick' model not only doesn't work but might cause performance to decline.

Submission to 'Professional Standards for Teachers' draft - 24 May 2010
The IEUA has called for substantial revision of the draft National Professional Standards for Teachers including development of a clear conceptual underpinning to the Standards.

Cuts to Teacher Quality Program Short-sighted - 19 May 2010
The Federal Opposition's list of planned 'savings' reveals cuts of over $1.1 billion from school programs including $425 million from the Teacher Quality Program. The IEUA believes that these cuts are not in schools' best interests.

IEUA Commends Teacher Professionalism - 14 May 2010
"The teaching profession is to be commended for its hard work and dedication in delivering the NAPLAN tests this week, writes IEUA Federal Secretary Chris Watt.

Execution of Iranian teacher unionist Farzad Kamangar - 13 May 2010
Iranian teacher unionist Farzad Kamangar together with four other Kurdish political prisoners, was executed, in secret, on Sunday 9 May at Evin Prison in Tehran. Farzad, a 35-year-old teacher and member of the Teachers' Trade Association of Kurdistan, was accused of "endangering national security" and "enmity against God".

How to Improve MySchool - 12 May 2010
The IEUA has written to the Deputy Prime Minister outlining areas of concern about the structure and content of the MySchool website and proposing ways in which presentation of data currently on the website could be improved.

Trade Unions write to PM about Australia's treatment of Refugees - 12 May 2010
20 Trade Unions and affiliated organisation leaders have endorsed a letter to the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and all Members of Parliament.

NAPLAN Breakthrough - 6 May 2010
The IEUA has welcomed the establishment of an ACARA working party to facilitate improvements to the MySchool website.

Paid Parental Leave - Time to Deliver - 30 April 2010
Legislation enacting the Paid Parental Leave is to be considered by Parliament within the next couple of months. It is imperative that the Paid Parental Leave Scheme be approved for implementation from 1 January 2011 as proposed.

Teachers Win Fight for Professional Recognition - 22 April 2010
Collective resolve wins long awaited outcome for Catholic school teachers in Queensland.

Union Committed to Improving MySchool - 12 April 2010
The IEUA is committed to improving the MySchool website. "The IEUA has concerns about the inappropriate use of that data by some media outlets but that does not warrant us calling on our members to ban the tests, says Federal President Dick Shearman. "and that is a decision taken in our circumstances.

No Ban on NAPLAN - 9 April 2010
IEU members will supervise NAPLAN tests in non-government schools in May. The IEUA does not support a ban on NAPLAN but remains absolutely opposed to the misuse of data by some media outlets.

IEUA Proposes Improvements to MySchool Website - 9 April 2010
The IEUA has written to Dr Peter Hill, Chief Executive Officer ACARA, with recommendations for improvements to the structure of the MySchool website to ensure that the site provides quality information that is both meaningful to parents and presented in context.

Is Anyone Listening to Teachers? - 1 April 2010
Education Week article notes consistent views of teacher surveys in which teachers report that what they need to be successful includes: the quality of their schools' leadership, a say in school decisionmaking, and opportunities to work with their peers affect their own capacity as educators. But is anyone listening?

1 Goal - Education for All - 8 June 2010
1GOAL is a campaign seizing the power of football to ensure that education for all is a lasting impact of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Raising our voices all over the world we believe that, together, we can make education a reality for the millions of boys and girls who remain out of school.

MySchool Website needs Overhaul - 26 March 2010
While the Deputy Prime Minister has announced expansion of the MySchool webiste the IEUA argues that there is a need for a major overhaul of the existing structure

Funding All Students Irrespective of Sector - 25 March 2010
The IEUA supports funding for quality education to meet the national goals for all students irrespective of which sector those students are enrolled in and welcomes the Connors/McMorrow report that supports such a principle.

APPA School Funding Paper Welcomed - 19 March 2010
The IEUA welcomes the Australian Primary Principals Association, APPA, contribution to the debate on school funding in the lead up tot his year's review writes Independent Education Union of Australia Federal Secretary Chris Watt

IEUA Symposium Promotes Lively Conversation - 18 March 2010
Guests at the IEUA Symposium "Our Diverse Schooling System" yesterday, 17 March, were treated to a range of dynamic, challenging and thought-provoking presentations by fantastic speakers on the themes of bonding, bridging and linking social capital. Papers from the Symposium can be accessed here.

BER Nonsense - 16 March 2010
The IEUA totally dissociates itself from calls today for an independent inquiry into the Building the Education program. This program has been one of the most successful and significant infrastructure programs in Australia since Federation

Our Diverse Schooling System - 16 March 2010
How non-government schools contribute to a diverse and cohesive Australia will be the topic of discussion at Our Diverse Schooling System, the 2010 Symposium of the Independent Education Union

IEUA Seeks Urgent Meeting - 12 February 2010
In the wake of the launch of the MySchool website, indications that the Index of educational advantage will be reviewed and announcements of further information to be provided in future iterations of the website, the IEUA is seeking an urgent meeting with the government agency responsible for the website.

Engage with Teachers Now about National Curriculum - 12 February 2010
State jurisdictions must act promptly to establish consultative frameworks that include teachers and their unions to consider the Australian Curriculum, writes Independent Education Union of Australia Federal Secretary Chris Watt

MySchool - An Employer Perspective - 5 February 2010
If you are quietly basking in the glory of your results I presume that you will continue to bask humbly because for you to get "fields of green" someone had to get equivalent "fields of red" - that's how it works! writes Sandhurst Diocesan Director Denis Higgins

Online Media Simplistic MySchool Reporting - 28 January 2010
Almost predictably a number in the media have taken simplistic snapshots from the MySchool website to continue their political campaign against some schools, said Independent Education Union of Australia Federal Secretary Chris Watt

MySchool Website Unnecessary and Unhelpful - 28 January 2010
IEUA Federal Secretary Chris Watt believes that the highly publicised MySchool webite is both unecessary and unhelpful.
"The website will compare schools based on NAPLAN tests that are fundamentally designed to assess individual students' achievement and provide for diagnosis and teaching/learning planning" he said.

More Spin from Joel Klein - 27 January 2010
Joel Klein's Opinion piece in The Australian newspaper claims NY success from 'transparency reporting' in improved graduation rates and student results relative to other US jurisdictions. He claims that "The only people who should fear more transparency are those who have something to hide". At least one NY parent has a different perspective.

Modern Awards - 25 January 2010
Modern Awards apply to very few employees in non-government education. The overwhelming majority of IEUA members will not have their conditions of employment affected by the new Modern Awards which came into operation on 1 January 2010 as part of the new federal industrial relations system.

Bonding, Bridging, Linking - 22 January 2010
The IEUA National Symposium on March 17 will feature contributions from preeminent educators and commentators and will be opened by Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard

Our Diverse Schooling System - Building a More Socially Cohesive Australia - 11 December 2009
The IEUA will be holding a National Symposium on 17 March 2010 at Old Parliament House in Canberra. The Symposium will consider the historic contribution of the non-government school sector in building social capital and the current challenges facing both the sector and school education generally in this context.

Australia must move beyond dog-whistle politics - 10 December 2009
The Edmund Rice Centre (ERC)has called for a definitive end to the sort of debate that treats asylum seekers as political footballs - willfully tossed around with the sole aim of gaining a team advantage in the game of politics

Reflecting Diversity: Union Culture and Muslim Schools - 9 December 2009
The IEU has produced a brochure 'Non-Government Education Reflecting Diversity, Union Culture and Muslim Schools', which addresses some commonly held stereotypes about Muslim schools

Report on 2009 Activity - 8 December 2009
It has been a big year for the IEUA Federal Office which officially established its residence in Unit 10, 40 Brisbane Avenue, Canberra in January 2009 having moved from Clarendon St Melbourne where it had been located for almost two decades. This summary of the issues and challenges which the IEUA and its committees have been addressing during the year was provided to the November Executive meeting.

World AIDS Day 2009: Teachers commitment strong as universal access deadline looms - 2 December 2009
EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen called on teachers to reinvigorate their work, stressing, "Education is at the centre of any meaningful response to the AIDS crisis. Without education for prevention and behaviour change, the burden of treatment will be immense. Teachers unions are stepping up and playing their part, I urge governments everywhere not to renege on their commitments."

Education Ministers Exclude Non-Government Teachers - 1 December 2009
MCEECDYA's decision to appoint only the AEU to the Board of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership means that nothing has changed for non-government teachers since the Howard Government established Teaching Australia.