Submissions
The AEU represents approximately 190,000 members across Australia, employed in government schools, public early childhood work locations, TAFE, Adult Multicultural or Migrant Education Service (AMES), and Disability Services centres as teachers, school leaders and education assistants or support workers.
The AEU takes an active role in public debates on education. We make submissions to inquiries that affect our members, and commission our own research into key issues in education. Below are our most recent publications, covering schools, TAFEs, early childhood education, and other issues.
2021
Submission to the Department of Education, Skills and Employment on the Review of Quality Initial Teacher Education - 23 July 2021
This submission will address each of the ten terms of reference in turn. It will also offer a number of recommendations for actions required to improve ITE and encourage the attraction and retention of high performing school graduates to the teaching profession.
Submission to the Reform of the Adult Migrant English Program - Discussion Paper - 14 July 2021
This submission answers all the questions set out in the Department of Home Affair’s discussion paper to the proposed AMEP reforms. It is informed by feedback and consultation with AEU members working in AMEP in TAFEs across the country.
Submission to the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority on the Review of the Australian Curriculum for Foundation to Year 10 (F10) - 8 July 2021
This submission is made on behalf of all AEU members and on behalf of the AEU’s committee of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members Yalukit Yulendj. It is made in regards to the application of the Australian Curriculum for all teachers and students in Australia, but it should be noted that the AEU is the largest educational representative body for First Nations educators in the preschool, school and TAFE sectors in Australia.
Submission to the National Indigenous Australians Agency on the Indigenous Voice Co-Design process - 31 March 2021
The AEU welcomes the opportunity to provide this submission on the Interim report to the Australian Government’s Indigenous Voice Co-design process.
House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training Inquiry into Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Problem-Solving Skills in Australia - 5 March 2021
In this submission, the AEU will demonstrate how many of the ‘reforms’, initiatives and assessment approaches of the last decade have damaged the literacy and numeracy of Australians.
Submission regarding the Automatic Mutual Recognition of Occupational Registrations: Exposure Draft Legislation - 12 February 2021
The Australian Education Union (“AEU”) makes this submission on behalf of its 195,000 members employed in public primary, secondary and special schools and the early childhood, TAFE and adult provision sectors as teachers, educational leaders, education assistants and support staff across Australia.
Submission to the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee inquiry into the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia's Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2020 - 5 February 2021
This submission focuses on the Bill’s reforms to casual employment and enterprise agreementmaking, reforms which will significantly affect AEU members in casual teaching roles in schools, Technical and Further Education (“TAFE”), disability day services, and early childhood education.
Pre-Budget Submission to the Department of Treasury on Priorities for the 2021-22 Budget - January 2021
This submission makes the case that properly funding and resourcing public education, from the early years through schooling to post-secondary education is essential to fairness, equity, opportunity and security in this country.
2020
Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Indigenous Cultural Competency in the Australian Teacher Workforce Consultation - 18 December 2020
The AEU supports The Uluru Statement and Voice. Treaty. Truth. Specifically, the AEU wishes to emphasise the importance of Truth-telling in schools through and in the curriculum and in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
Submission to the Climate Change (National Framework for Adaptation and Mitigation) Bill 2020 & Climate Change (National Framework for Adaptation and Mitigation) (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2020 27 - November 2020
The Australian Education Union (AEU) presents this submission on behalf of its 195,000 members who work in public education settings across the country.
Submission to the 2020 Review of the Disability Standards for Education 2005 25 - September 2020
The AEU welcomed the introduction of the Disability Standards for Education (the Standards) in 2005, particularly the intent that students with disability receive education on an equal basis to other students. We have welcomed the continued use of the Standards at each subsequent five year review and we now welcome the opportunity to contribute to this current review of the Standards.
Pre-Budget Submission to the Department of Treasury on Priorities for the 2020-2021 Budget - 24 August 2020
This submission supplements the AEU’s previous 2020-21 Pre-Budget submission, and focuses on the important and urgent need for investment in public schools, preschools and TAFE for Australia’s economic recovery, and the significant ongoing economic and social benefits that such an investment would bring.
Submission to the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs Inquiry into Family, Domestic and Sexual Violence - 7 August 2020
This submission will outline the current deficiencies in the delivery of RRE in Australia. Further the submission will highlight the Victorian model as a successful case study to demonstrate effective implementation for delivery of RRE.
Productivity Commission National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development Review Interim Report - July 2020
The AEU notes that the Productivity Commission National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development Review Interim Report (the interim report) and its information request questions contain numerous assumptions about the inherent superiority of markets and contestability that set out a predetermined view of how vocational education should operate in Australia.
Submission to the Senate Select Committee Inquiry into the Australian Government’s Response to the COVID19 Pandemic - May 2020
This submission will address our views of the impact of the Australian Government’s response on each of the school, early childhood education and TAFE sectors separately. We will detail how the issues raised by the AEU were subsequently handled by the Commonwealth Government and describe the measures that could have, and could still be taken to ensure that public schools, early childhood education providers and TAFEs have the support necessary to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and to assist with Australia’s recovery.
Submission to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee on the Australian Education Amendment (Direct Measure of Income) Bill 2020 (Provisions) - March 2020
This submission will demonstrate these changes are neither fair nor fiscally responsible, give the Commonwealth unprecedented control over school funding arrangements without legislative oversight and that the proposed methodology for the calculation of parental Capacity to Pay (CTC) does not make use of the best and most accurate available data and will not serve to improve equity in the funding of Australian schools.
Submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training Inquiry into the Education of Students in Remote and Complex Environments March - 2020
This submission will build upon the evidence presented in those previous submissions and will include a particular focus on the education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students living in remote and complex environments.
Pre-Budget submission to the Department of Treasury on priorities for the 2020-21 Budget - January 2020
This submission makes the case that properly funding and resourcing education, from the early years through schooling to post-secondary education is essential to fairness, equity, opportunity and security in this country.
2019
Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Skills and Workforce Development Agreement - December 2019
This submission draws on the views of our membership, AEU policy and is also informed by our work with leading academics.
Submission to the Review of Senior Secondary Pathways into Work, Further Education and Training - December 2019
This submission will focus on the following factors: 1) Pathways for all senior secondary students from school and the resources available to school systems and to individual schools to help students choose their post school pathway 2) The need to improve the available pathways for students of low Socio-Economic Status (SES) backgrounds and from rural, regional and remote backgrounds 3) The impact of current vocational education policy on students who pursue vocational education during and after senior secondary school 4) The current available pathways into initial teacher education (ITE) and the need to ensure that those who undertake ITE are properly supported by tertiary institutions.
Submission to the National Youth Commission Inquiry into Youth Employment and Transitions - November 2019
This submission draws on the views of our membership, AEU policy and is also informed by our partnerships with leading academics. The submission expands on the two meetings between the Commission’s Co-Executive Officers and the AEU.
Submission to the Senate Education and Employment Committees Inquiry into the VET Student Loans (VSL Tuition Protection Levy) Bill 2019 - October 2019
AEU welcomes the opportunity to submit our view on the VET Student Loans (VSL Tuition Protection Levy) Bill 2019, and to provide some additional context for our position on this Bill.
Submission to the Education Council Review of the Melbourne Declaration on Education Goals for Young Australians - June 2019
AEU strongly asserts that the Melbourne Declaration is an important and still valid document, and that the current focus of Education Council should be to ensure that the original and largely unfulfilled goals and priority areas for action detailed in the declaration are implemented, rather than subject to an unnecessary review.
