Ensuring country educators & students thrive

As a country educator, I understand the importance of stability in our regional and remote communities. Stability is vital to the health of the broader community, the work and wellbeing of our colleagues on site, and the lives of our students.

This is why the AEU is prioritising attracting and retaining educators at country sites through enterprise bargaining and policy development with the Department. We know it isn’t enough to get educators into the country - we need to find ways of keeping them there, by helping them to feel at home.

Enterprise bargaining is happening now. We’re fighting to:

+ Extend country incentives to ancillary staff. We want to ensure every educator feels valued at our country sites

+ Increase the quantum of country incentives and doubling those incentives in the sixth year of country service

+ Create a new ‘Country Educator Leave’ that would function similarly to retention leave

+ Increase the total number of PRT positions in country regions and making all PRT positions ongoing. In addition to improved conditions for country educators, we’re fighting for more time for quality teaching and learning, more support for students, and a salary increase that reflects the value of your work for every educator in South Australia.

In term two, your Country Conditions Standing Committee will host a Country Education Roundtable with Chief Executive Professor Martin Westwell to discuss the benefits and challenges we experience living and working in the country, with a focus on what needs to change to ensure our country communities thrive.

What you need to know

+ The AEU is prioritising both attracting and retaining country educators

+ The AEU is fighting for improved conditions for country educators in enterprise bargaining at policy development

+ Country educators are invited to an upcoming roundtable with Martin Westwell