Retired IEU member Richard Mucha on the rewards of education and unionism
Originally a reluctant unionist, Richard became a stalwart of our organisation over five decades and three schools, and his insights on teaching and union membership are inspiring and heartfelt.
Why did you choose a career in education?
I wanted to do something that was more than just about me and how much money I could make. I wanted a career with depth that was varied, interesting, challenging and in which my abilities and talents could be developed and utilised for the benefit of others, especially young people. I thought education fit the bill, and looking back 50 plus years to when I made the decision, I still do.
IEU stalwart Richard Mucha.
When did you join the union and why?
I started teaching in 1979 but didn’t join the union until the early eighties. As a teenager and into my twenties I saw myself as more of an individualist.
By the early eighties, however, my conscience wouldn’t allow me to take the pay rises and improved conditions the union won for us without belonging to it . Once I joined and got involved, the reality of the good a union could do became apparent to me.
Where did you work during your career?
I was at St Agnes’ in Highett for 3 or 4 years, then St John’s in East Frankston for 13 years, then St Mary’s in Hastings for about 20 years.
Which roles were most rewarding and why?
Over my career I was a classroom teacher, specialist teacher, coordinator, deputy principal and principal. I found all my roles rewarding.
Being a classroom teacher was very enjoyable. I loved getting to know each student and, as I became a better teacher, finessing the curriculum and my approaches to meeting the needs of my students.
The role of principal offered the chance to impact not only students, staff and parents at our school, but also, through collaboration, all early year services and primary schools within the town. Our Linking Schools and Early Years partnership lasted 15 years, lifting the academic, social and emotional outcomes of students at the five early years services and three primary schools in the town. Our philosophy was: It takes a village to raise a child. If a child lives in Hastings, they are our joint responsibility.
What has changed the most in schools over the course of your career?
School policies, practices and approaches, tools, staffing levels, state government curriculum, federal government curriculum, as well as our own system expectations grew and changed regularly throughout my time. Covid must have added enormously to the stress, difficulty and workload of educators. I was at the time, and remain now, in awe of what principals, staff and school communities did in support of students and parents over that time.
In 1979 schools were much narrower in their focus than they are today. Tasks once seen as parental responsibilities in 1979 are now routinely managed by schools. Often that is a good thing, but maybe not always?
An enormous difference from then to now, with huge impact on schools, is the range of issues, medical and other, that students and their parents present with, and schools are expected to manage and accommodate.
So, there are many issues. To help combat them, class sizes are generally far smaller, total staffing levels are higher, and teachers are more skilled at catering for individual needs. Access to psychologists and counsellors has also been a very important development.
Of course, technology is huge now - on my first day at St Agnes’, I was introduced to the highest level of technology in the school, the mighty Roneo machine (Google it!) and I went home purple.
The complexity and all-encompassing nature of the job grew exponentially from the time I began to when I officially finished. *
What is your advice for young people starting their careers in education?
If you are passionate about education and teaching, you are commencing on an exciting, exceptionally rewarding journey. You will change lives and one of them will be your own!
Work hard, be a team player and communicate. There will be ups and downs, and times where your kindness, skill, honesty and generosity of spirit will help others, and other times when your colleagues who display similar attributes will assist you to get through, to grow, to thrive.
Embrace your successes and your failures. The person who never made a mistake never did anything. If your mistakes are made in good faith, don’t sweat them, grow from them. Give yourself a mental pat on the back for things you do well.
It is very important to have a life outside of education. “Smell the roses” and make time for people, hobbies and activities that make you happy and make you the person you are. Not only will your life be richer, but you’ll be a better educator. You’ll be authentic.
And remember: Don’t take yourself too seriously!
Why did you remain a unionist so long?
Once I joined, I realised that it is an organisation with a bigger purpose. Of course, it fights for our wages and conditions, but it also has a social conscience and takes principled positions on social issues both within Australia and abroad. I love that about the union.
I also love the union for the fact that we’re all in it together: teachers, teaching assistants, office staff, cleaners, tech support staff, ground staff, principals - everyone employed in our schools. To me it comes back to the team approach that I mentioned earlier. Our union is not about agitating for one or two sections of schools’ workforces, with no regard for the others. Our union is not about me, it’s about we.
*Richard Mucha, who retired 8 years ago, still dabbles in education as a volunteer working with school leaders and teachers and the mentorship of a student.
IEU Victoria Tasmania Retired Member Network
Ongoing membership in the IEU supports unionism, education and the rights of workers in the industry you loved.
You may not have known it, but you can remain an IEU member post-retirement for just $28.20 a year! That’s just 50 cents per week to remain, as retired worker and active unionist Maxine Barry put it last year, “keenly interested” in education, union and political matters.
If you want to continue your support in retirement, please contact the IEU office on 9254 1860 / info@ieuvictas.org.au or contact your Organiser.
ACTU Retired Unionist Network
The ACTU’s Retired Unionist Network, a national network of retired union members who want to stay informed and active in the movement, is run by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).
To join the ACTU Retired Unionists Network, go to: rb.gy/wu1uww