Policy makers need to know: What’s it really like to work in community preschools?
Community preschool wages are amongst the lowest in the education sector, despite consistently achieving high-quality ratings and parents having to endure long waiting lists. Preschool teachers and educators are being forced to choose between the jobs they love and a livable wage.
One in five educators are planning to leave the early education sector in the next 12 months. The ones who stay face an underfunded, understaffed struggle to preserve an early childhood education model beloved by families across the state.
The NSW Government has ignored our demands for increased funding for better community preschool wages to fix this problem.
We know the dire situation that community preschools are facing. We know how important you and your services are to your communities.
NSW policy makers need to know too, and we need you to tell them.
Help us fight for fair funding. Share your stories of working in community preschools; your experiences and the challenges you have faced in this workforce crisis. Your story is a powerful tool to wield and drive forces of change.
Share Your Story – complete the form below.
Don’t know what to say? Here are some prompts to get you started.
- Do unjustifiably low preschool wages make it difficult for you or your service to hire and retain qualified staff? How does that affect your day-to-day work?
- How has your community preschool contributed to the community and become an integral part of the early childhood education sector?
- Are you receiving low pay compared to your colleagues in schools? Has your low pay or workload ever made you consider leaving your preschool or early childhood altogether? If so, why?
- How has the recent NSW Government changes to Start Strong funding affected you working in early education and care sector?
Find out more about the Start Strong, Pay Fair campaign in community preschools.
Not a member? Stand strong with community preschools. We encourage you to join the union and help us strengthen our collective voice to get the fair pay and conditions you deserve.