Australian Education Union
Encyclopedia
The Australian Education Union (AEU) is an Australia
n trade union
, founded in 1984 as the Australian Teachers Union, which is registered with Fair Work Australia
as an employee group, and is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions
. The AEU has a membership of over 180,000 educators who work in public schools, colleges, early childhood and vocational settings in all states and territories of Australia. Members include teachers and allied educational staff, principals and administrators mainly in government school and TAFE systems. Teachers working in the private schools system are covered by the Independent Education Union of Australia
(IEU). In some states the AEU shares coverage of some members with the NTEU
, CPSU
and LHMU. Through the Federation of Education Unions, the AEU works closely with the two other Federal unions which cover educators in non-government schools and universities. The AEU is also internationally affiliated to the Education International
, which the AEU claims is "the largest non-government organisation in the world."
of the working class
, and also used as a way to control the education and free time of the children of the Australian working class. Schools systems were highly stratified, with most children only receiving infants or primary education. Selection for Technical or Academic high school was highly competitive, and biased towards the children of agriculturalists, industrialists, business owners and professionals. Teachers were low-paid government employees and controlled by a series of moral codes that restricted their professional, personal and sexual conduct. Teachers were primarily educated in Technical colleges, fully funded by the governments, and indentured to Government employment in rural
or remote districts for a long period. Buildings and teaching materials were notoriously bad, and often resulted in injuries to teachers or children. University educated teachers were a rarity, and tended to go into the private schools system.
The private school system itself was split between two main groups: a British-style system of schools for the elite, and a massively underfunded Catholic church run system. The Catholic education system usually shared the poor working and teaching conditions of the state schools. See the IEU for a history of trade unionism in the Australian Catholic education system.
During the 1950s teachers in the state school system became more unionised and better organised. These women and men had received free University education on the condition that they teach in the state school system, or had received University training as a result of their status as Second World War veterans and had chosen to teach. These teachers, and those following them, campaigned to increase teacher's salaries, to transform the structure of Australian education, and to improve the curriculum.
This militancy achieved its peak in the 1970s when teachers won salaries equivalent to state parliament
backbenchers, a massive and systemic initiative for building improvements, and massive curriculum reform.
The Australian Teachers Union was established in 1984, and changed its name to the Australian Education Union in 1993.
In 2010, the AEU made a submission (authorised by Angelo Gavrielatos, AEU Federal President) to the Australian Government's draft Indigenous Education Action Plan 2010–2014. The submission included 40 recommendations on improving Indigenous education, and stated:
'The realistic timeframe that should be considered to achieve outcomes for Indigenous people equal to the rest of the community is to focus on the outcomes that should be expected for the children to be born in 20 to 25 years from today'.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, founded in 1984 as the Australian Teachers Union, which is registered with Fair Work Australia
Fair Work Australia
Fair Work Australia is the Australian industrial relations institution created by the Federal ALP Government's Fair Work Act 2009.. It commenced operation on 1 July 2009.-Functions:...
as an employee group, and is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions
Australian Council of Trade Unions
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions.-History:The ACTU was formed in 1927 as the "Australian Council of Trade Unions"...
. The AEU has a membership of over 180,000 educators who work in public schools, colleges, early childhood and vocational settings in all states and territories of Australia. Members include teachers and allied educational staff, principals and administrators mainly in government school and TAFE systems. Teachers working in the private schools system are covered by the Independent Education Union of Australia
Independent Education Union of Australia
The Independent Education Union of Australia with a current membership of over 68,000, is the federally registered industry union representing all employees working in non-government schools and institutions across Australia...
(IEU). In some states the AEU shares coverage of some members with the NTEU
National Tertiary Education Union
The National Tertiary Education Union is an Australian trade union for all higher education and university employees. It is an industry union and the only union working exclusively in the Australian university sector.-About the NTEU:...
, CPSU
Community and Public Sector Union
The Community and Public Sector Union is a national trade union in Australia.- History of The CPSU :...
and LHMU. Through the Federation of Education Unions, the AEU works closely with the two other Federal unions which cover educators in non-government schools and universities. The AEU is also internationally affiliated to the Education International
Education International
Education International is a global union federation of teachers' trade unions. Currently, it has 401 member organizations in 172 countries and territories, representing over 30 million education personnel from pre-school to university...
, which the AEU claims is "the largest non-government organisation in the world."
National organisation
The AEU and its associated state bodies collect around $45 million in membership fees which are directed to representation of members’ interests including the employment of around 450 organisers and other staff in all capital cities and in major provincial centres. The Federal Office sees its core business as, "the maintenance of comprehensive industrial protection and representation through industrial awards and agreements in all industrial tribunals in Australia. This involves industrial research, negotiation and advocacy over a wide range of matters including salaries and teaching and learning conditions."History
In the 19th century the Colonial governments, which would later form the Commonwealth of Australia as states, established a variety of state schools. These schools were both demanded by the Australian trade union and labour movement, for the free educationFree education
Free education refers to education that is funded through taxation, or charitable organizations rather than tuition fees. Although primary school and other comprehensive or compulsory education is free in many countries, for example, all education is mostly free including...
of the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
, and also used as a way to control the education and free time of the children of the Australian working class. Schools systems were highly stratified, with most children only receiving infants or primary education. Selection for Technical or Academic high school was highly competitive, and biased towards the children of agriculturalists, industrialists, business owners and professionals. Teachers were low-paid government employees and controlled by a series of moral codes that restricted their professional, personal and sexual conduct. Teachers were primarily educated in Technical colleges, fully funded by the governments, and indentured to Government employment in rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
or remote districts for a long period. Buildings and teaching materials were notoriously bad, and often resulted in injuries to teachers or children. University educated teachers were a rarity, and tended to go into the private schools system.
The private school system itself was split between two main groups: a British-style system of schools for the elite, and a massively underfunded Catholic church run system. The Catholic education system usually shared the poor working and teaching conditions of the state schools. See the IEU for a history of trade unionism in the Australian Catholic education system.
During the 1950s teachers in the state school system became more unionised and better organised. These women and men had received free University education on the condition that they teach in the state school system, or had received University training as a result of their status as Second World War veterans and had chosen to teach. These teachers, and those following them, campaigned to increase teacher's salaries, to transform the structure of Australian education, and to improve the curriculum.
This militancy achieved its peak in the 1970s when teachers won salaries equivalent to state parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
backbenchers, a massive and systemic initiative for building improvements, and massive curriculum reform.
The Australian Teachers Union was established in 1984, and changed its name to the Australian Education Union in 1993.
Indigenous Education
The AEU has a designated Indigenous position on its Federal Executive, an Indigenous observer position on the AEU TAFE Executive, and runs an annual seminar on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education.In 2010, the AEU made a submission (authorised by Angelo Gavrielatos, AEU Federal President) to the Australian Government's draft Indigenous Education Action Plan 2010–2014. The submission included 40 recommendations on improving Indigenous education, and stated:
'The realistic timeframe that should be considered to achieve outcomes for Indigenous people equal to the rest of the community is to focus on the outcomes that should be expected for the children to be born in 20 to 25 years from today'.
External links
- Official AEU Federal Office Website
- Official AEU Australian Capital Territory Branch Website
- Official AEU Northern Territory Branch Website
- Official AEU South Australian Branch Website
- Official AEU Tasmanian Branch Website
- Official AEU Victorian Branch Website
- Official NSW Teachers Federation Website
- Official Queensland Teachers' Union Website
- Official State School Teachers' Union of Western Australia Website
- Public Education Campaign site