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Inequality is one of the most urgent challenges facing Australian schools. For decades, governments have invested billions of dollars in schools with the promise every child should have the opportunity to succeed.

I became a member of the SSTUWA in mid-2024, inspired by the industrial action taking place prior to the new lecturers’ award being won and was then voted in as the branch representative earlier last year.

Clause 47 – Bereavement Leave of the Western Australian TAFE Lecturers’ General Agreement 2023 deals with a member’s entitlement to leave on the death of a family member or member of the household.

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.

SSTUWA member and union scholarship recipient Trish Chapman reflects on how deeper study strengthened her teaching and community connections.

Excessive workloads, administrative burdens and lack of support continue to drive public school teachers and leaders away.

I am honoured to have been elected as the new general secretary of the SSTUWA and grateful for the trust members have placed in the new Executive team.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this article contains names of deceased persons. Kaya! Welcome back members to the new year – a year of new beginnings and, as always, new challenges.

Welcome back and happy new year to you all. I am honoured and deeply grateful to have been elected as the new senior vice president of our union.

There is constant change in education and as educators we are built to sustain and manage that evolution. In fact, as history continues to show, our members are heavily leaned upon to manage these changes and those that impact our community.

Australian teachers are more likely to be using artificial intelligence than their counterparts around the world, according to a new international survey.

The 2025 State of Our Schools survey was conducted throughout August and September. A total of 561 surveys were completed by 34 principals, 495 teachers and 32 support staff across Western Australia.

The Australian Education Union (AEU) has released the Investing in Australia’s Future (2025) report, alongside new WA specific findings from the AEU State of Our Schools survey, revealing increasing student complexity, escalating workloads and critical shortages of counsellors and wellbeing staff across WA public schools.

Reports of teacher shortages in many countries around the world raise questions about teachers’ wellbeing and job satisfaction.

In October this year, the federal government released its rapid review into school bullying.

Read this TAFE Know Your Right sheet on "Activities Related to Delivery Time" to find out more about how much time TAFE lecturers should dedicate to preparation, marking and planning, as outlined in Clause 37 of the WA TAFE Lecturers’ General Agreement 2023.

For Simon Joachim and Ellie Aldred, 2025 has been a busy year.

UnionsWA, including the SSTUWA, has joined the union movement and ACTU in the It’s For Everybody campaign.

November State Council Conference was held again at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre last month. See the photos.

The work of an SSTUWA senior officer is varied and all-encompassing. We directly manage multiple portfolios, participate proactively in a wide range of meetings, including with Department of Education executives and government ministers, and of course, we work directly with and for members.