IEU members reveal the biggest issues in Tasmanian Catholic schools
Members shared their time and thoughts generously in the recent survey, providing valuable insights into the key issues the union must address in upcoming negotiations.
Workload and burnout
Members describe workloads that have become overwhelming and unsustainable, driven by constant administration, documentation, behaviour management and the growing complexity of student needs. Experienced teachers are stretched thin supporting new staff, while many part-timers have reduced their hours due to stress, leaving remaining full-timers carrying even more of the load. Staff routinely work through breaks, planning and reporting spill into nights and weekends, and the emotional load of the job is described as relentless. Despite deep commitment to their students, many say their goodwill has been exhausted and they can no longer recommend teaching as a career.
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ES staff: undervalued and underpaid
Education Support staff in Tasmanian Catholic schools describe chronic underpayment, unfair classification caps and no holiday pay, despite working with the highest-needs students and taking on duties well beyond their roles. Many report effectively living on poverty-line wages, doing unpaid overtime, managing growing behaviour issues and intervention groups without proper recognition, training or a real voice in decisions. They are calling for living wages, pay parity, holiday pay, safer workloads, caps on group sizes, and an overhaul of support staff and library classifications so their work is properly valued and sustainable.
We’ve heard them and through the Log of Claims we’ll make sure that employers do too.
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Complexity, staffing and student needs
Members describe classrooms that are increasingly complex and overcrowded, with multiple teachers and TAs cycling through a single class, high numbers of students with additional needs, and behaviour issues that are not properly supported. This churn undermines student outcomes and heaps extra coordination, planning and emotional labour onto teachers, whose time release hasn’t kept pace with rising student numbers, admin, assessment and out-of-hours activities. Without smaller classes, clearer limits on face-to-face teaching, proper support for high-needs students and fewer pointless meetings, teachers say burnout will continue to soar and their core work of teaching will remain unsustainable.
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Positions of Leadership: administration, ‘job creep’ and burnout
Members in positions of leadership report relentless “job creep”, with ever-expanding administrative, compliance and staffing demands piled on top of full teaching loads and inadequate time release. Middle leaders describe inequitable workloads between faculties, unpaid out-of-hours work as the norm, and being used as “fall guys” for poor decisions from above – all while receiving little recognition, support or real say in how schools are run. Many say the role has become unsustainable, driving high turnover, damaged wellbeing and a steady retreat back to classroom-only roles.
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Safety, allegations and camps
Members report feeling increasingly unsafe and unprotected, particularly in relation to false or vexatious allegations from parents and students. They say CET’s use of clause 10 leaves staff stood down and under intense psychological stress for matters that were previously resolved at school level, while little or nothing happens when claims are found to be false. At the same time, camps and out-of-hours excursions are described as massively underpaid, with staff working through the night without proper breaks, overtime or days in lieu, despite the heavy preparation, admin and responsibility involved.
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The IEU listens to members, and our continued consultation will drive the development of a log of claims that will make sure employers listen too.
