IEUA: Tackling teacher workload by clarifying compliance
15 August 2024
Tackling teacher workload by clarifying compliance
The IEU collaborates with federal agencies to develop official advice for teachers in schools and early childhood education
Teachers take their responsibility to adhere to compliance requirements seriously and devote many out- of-work hours to engage with professional development, plan and prepare quality learning experiences, and maintain documentation that reflects child and student learning and progress.
However, over time, compliance requirements have increased exponentially, driving a recruitment and retention crisis in our schools and early childhood centres caused by excessive workloads.
In an effort to clarify what is, and is not, required for compliance, the IEU has recently engaged with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, (ACECQA) to develop fact sheets that clarify the policy intentions of the Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework in schools, (the ATPDF) and the Educational Program documentation needed to satisfy the requirements of the Assessment and Ratings process in Early Childhood Education and Care settings.
The resulting fact sheets retain the important rigour intended by both federal agencies, while emphasising respect for professional judgement. The fact sheets also clearly define practices and processes that are duplicative and excessive, encouraging teachers to determine the type and quantity of documentation that best suits their professional needs and the needs of the students and children in their care:
The AITSL Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework Fact Sheet
These fact sheets join the NCCD Evidence Fact Sheet, developed in collaboration between the Federal Department of Education and the IEU in 2021, as part of a suite of resources that aim to clarify compliance workload requirements.
Evidence for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on Students with Disability (NCCD)
The time has come to make meaningful changes to the unnecessary workloads that continue to discourage new teacher recruitment and have been such a driver of the retention crisis in our schools and ECEC services.
In consultation with school leadership, teachers can use the official advice in the fact sheets to review current practices and move towards more manageable and sustainable workloads, thus allowing them to concentrate on their core work – teaching.
If you any concerns regarding workload, contact us – 8410 0122 or enquiries@ieusa.org.au
