Schools New educators network: celebrating union wins

Balancing study, work and life commitments is a challenge for everyone, but pre-service teachers are acutely affected during placement periods. The ramifications of juggling unpaid placements, university studies, and possible caring responsibilities, leaves little time for paid employment to meet basic living costs.

The AEU has been calling for paid placements for some time. This campaign was driven by pre-service teacher and early career members, who emphasised the huge barrier that unpaid placements create. Some pre-service teachers reported delaying their course completion date, or not completing it at all, while others decided against education as a career due to the requirement of unpaid placements. This is not only an issue for pre-service teachers but also adds to the broader teacher shortage crisis. 

Last year, this campaign had some big wins, including the Victorian government’s introduction of paid placements in rural, regional and specialist schools. Then we had a big win in the most recent federal budget, with the announcement of financial support of up to $320 per week for pre-service teachers doing mandatory placements from 2025. This is a significant achievement – secured thanks to union campaigning. With cost-of-living pressures on the rise and major workforce shortages, we cannot afford to lose any more potential teachers from the system. 

While paid placements are part of the picture, they don’t, and won’t, fix all the issues related to initial teacher education and employment. Excessive workloads and student debt remain critical barriers to entry and to longevity in the profession.

The Albanese government has also committed to wiping $3 billion off student debts by changing the way HECS is indexed. These debts will now be based on wage growth or inflation, whichever is lowest. Again, this overhaul has only occurred due to pressure from the AEU and other unions.

These announcements show what we can achieve when we stand together. Whether signing a petition; sharing your story on TV, radio, social media or with politicians; attending forums; writing letters – it all makes a difference. The federal government’s announcements are positive steps in the right direction but, so far, they are just announcements. We won’t stop campaigning until they are passed through parliament and become legislation. 

So, when talking to your colleagues, tell them what we’ve achieved lately and ask them to join, because together we are making a difference.