IEU President: Consistency matters for independent schools

One phrase has become familiar during enterprise bargaining negotiations across the independent sector: ‘Independent schools are different’.

It is usually raised when comparisons are made with Agreements in the government or Catholic sectors. Funding models differ, school structures vary, and each employer has its own financial circumstances. Those are all valid points.

Yet it raises an interesting question. If independent schools are too different to compare when discussing salaries and conditions, why are comparisons so readily made when it comes to workload?

When the discussion turns to meetings and administrative tasks, many IEU members in independent schools are told, ‘Teachers in the government sector do this, so we should too’.

The same reasoning should apply whether the issue is salaries and conditions or workload.

The education landscape has changed considerably over the past decade.

Independent schools are no longer simply competing with one another for talented teachers. Every sector is drawing from the same pool of qualified professionals, and teachers are weighing the complete employment package when deciding where to build their careers.

For years, many independent schools attracted staff by offering higher salaries that reflected additional responsibilities and expectations. Today, as negotiations in government and Catholic schools improve salaries while also addressing workload, face-to-face teaching hours and other conditions, many teachers are reassessing where the best balance lies.

This is not to suggest that every school should look the same. Independent schools offer unique cultures, programs and opportunities that teachers value deeply.

Nor is it about importing another sector's Agreement wholesale.

If the independent sector is genuinely different, then it is worth asking what those differences mean for the people who work in it. Do they mean greater professional autonomy, richer opportunities, smaller classes, higher salaries, or stronger recognition of the additional expectations often placed on staff?

Ultimately, consistency matters. If differences are real, they should be reflected in both remuneration and workload. If comparisons with other sectors are appropriate, they should be applied fairly rather than selectively.

Every independent school wants to attract and retain outstanding teachers. In an increasingly competitive employment market, that means considering not only what makes schools different, but what makes them places where excellent educators choose to stay.