Educators from across Australia and the Pacific converged in Brisbane last November for the 2025 National New Educators’ Conference, hosted at Brisbane State High School. The Western Australian delegation joined early career teachers from every state and territory, alongside colleagues from New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa, for two days devoted to learning, solidarity and professional growth.

On the first day, participants heard from international delegates. For WA delegates, the session reinforced how vital Australia’s hard-won working conditions are and our ongoing responsibility to protect and strengthen them. Additionally, workshops on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and using story-telling to build solidarity and collective action provided practical approaches to relevant professional and industrial challenges.

Award-winning writer and social commentator Van Badham delivered both an entertaining keynote and a workshop on disinformation. Her sessions, “Combatting Disinformation in the Modern Age” and “Identifying and Dealing with Disinformation in the Classroom”, were timely, practical and met with enthusiasm.

Day two’s program featured a powerful presentation on cultural safety in the workplace by Michael Beale, Queensland Teachers’ Union First Nations officer and chair of Yalukit Yulendj. His session encouraged teachers to consider their role in fostering culturally respectful environments for students and colleagues alike.

Lastly, before the conference concluded, delegates shaped their own learning through a series of nine unconference sessions. Each was proposed, chosen and facilitated by participants, reflecting the diverse interests and emerging priorities of Australia’s newest educators.

While the formal program offered rich professional and industrial insights, many WA delegates pointed to the informal moments, including coffee breaks, shared meals and dinner on the first night, as the heart of the experience. These opportunities to connect with peers from across the region helped forge friendships, strengthen professional networks and reinforce the collective spirit that underpins the work we all undertake as teacher unionists.