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3 September 2025

IEU Federal Council delegates from across the nation have come together to develop a bold reform agenda to deliver safer, fairer and more equitable schools and workplaces.

The IEU Federal Council is the governing body of our national union, made up of delegates from each of the IEU state and territory Branches as well as elected federal officials.

At the 2025 Council meeting recently held in Sydney, delegates set the direction of our union across a number of key priority areas. These positions will guide our campaigns to win the changes needed at both federal and state levels.

• Countering gendered violence in schools: the growing threat of tech-based abuse
• Universal access to paid reproductive health leave
• Updating and modernising anti-discrimination exemptions for faith-based schools
• Addressing the impact of education policies and reforms on teacher workload

These initiatives, alongside collective bargaining campaigns, and advocacy for further industrial reforms to end punitive employer lockouts, underpin the work of our union nationally and locally.

The federal Labor government is to be commended for the education and workplace reforms delivered over the past three years – these positive gains must continue and now move into the next phase of union wins.

New protections against gendered violence, and the removal of outdated discrimination exemptions for faith-based schools, will help build safer and more respectful school communities.

Universal access to paid reproductive health leave will provide vital support for school staff managing serious health conditions, helping to retain experienced teachers in classrooms.

And a full roll-out of the Teacher Workload Impact Assessment Tool is critical to guard against the relentless growth of administrative paperwork and excessive compliance imposed on teachers.

Real action is needed – from governments and, most importantly, from school employers – if we are to rebuild a sustainable, high-quality education workforce.