VCEA’s latest offer unpacked
There’s real movement in the latest offer from the VCEA - but also a lot to be concerned about. We’ve combed through it to ensure that members know what’s on the table!
Nick Cowall: Music belongs to everyone
Nick Cowall, Head of Choral Music at Xavier College and an IEU Rep in two schools for over 14 years, jokes that he gravitated to unionism because of his ‘bolshie background’ – he has Russian heritage and studied at the Moscow Conservatory.
Dr Johanna Selleck, A life in music, a life of teaching
Like so many high-achieving musicians who teach, IEU member Dr Johanna Selleck is motivated by love.
Karman Melitsis: Making music part of school life
Karman Melitsis believes music is more than an ‘extra-curricular’ subject, helping students develop skills and qualities that enrich their education and last well beyond the classroom.
Sarah Nieuwkerk: From the concert hall to the classroom
Sarah Nieuwkerk says music is ‘fundamentally good for your mental health and wellbeing’.
Kylie De Calmer: Why music belongs in every classroom
Kylie De Calmer believes we have lost sight of the benefits of music. She says, ‘The arts hold us together, but they’re the first things we lose’.
Music is more than an optional extra
Most people hold music dear, yet music is often treated as a specialist subject available only where resources allow.
Rep profile: Toby Nash, Building a stronger voice at Korowa
Toby Nash became a Rep at Korowa Anglican Girls’ School just three years into his teaching career.
Teacher-designed AI puts learning first
Perri Winter, an art teacher and Digital Learning Coordinator at Presbyterian Ladies’ College, has explored how AI tools designed by educators can support effective teaching.
AI in learning: ‘It’s a reality. We cannot avoid it anymore.’
IEU member Charles Neave, Director of Innovation at St Leonard’s College, says schools embracing technological changes must ‘keep teachers at the centre of the educational experience’.
Privacy and technology: Watching the watchers
The Victorian Government has committed to new laws requiring employers to consult workers about workplace surveillance, while restricting AI, biometric monitoring and automated employment decisions.
Be careful with staff and student images
The eSafety Commissioner has issued an online safety advisory to Australian schools, urging them to think twice before posting student and staff images online, as AI makes it easier for photos to be copied, manipulated and turned into harmful deepfakes.
Achieving better leave provisions in independent schools
IEU members have steadily improved annual leave for general staff through organisation, strong sub-branches and persistent enterprise bargaining.
Better bargaining training for independent schools
The IEU’s Better Bargaining training is practical and participatory, treating Reps’ experience and knowledge as a resource rather than something separate from the formal content.
IEU highlights housing crisis for workers
IEU members joined workers from across Australia at the ACTU Housing Summit in Canberra in August to share their experiences of the housing crisis.
A brief guide to using AI responsibly
Use AI to save time and support your work, but never at the expense of privacy, professional judgement or student trust.
Rep profile: Gary Topham, St Virgil’s College, Austins Ferry, Tasmania
Gary Topham decided to become a Health and Safety Representative because throughout his career, he has witnessed too many accidents that were ‘preventable with foresight and planning’.
IEU President: Consistency matters for independent schools
One phrase has become familiar during enterprise bargaining negotiations across the independent sector: ‘Independent schools are different’.
When employers ignore the union
When an employer suddenly sidelines union Reps during negotiations, it is unlikely to expedite negotiations with staff.
Your growing union – 1250 members stronger!
The IEU is growing in size and strength – and that’s good news for every member!