Share your story – What’s it really like to work in a community preschool?
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.
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.
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.
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The NSW Government must fund fair pay and conditions for community preschools!
After months of bargaining with your union, the IEU, the NSW Government has rejected our proposal for increased funding to help you get the wages you deserve. They refuse to take responsibility as the main funding body for community preschools in NSW.
The Expanding Quality Access program, announced by the NSW Government on 16 September, won’t fix the problem.
We need the NSW government to stand with community preschools and pay their teachers and educators what they deserve.
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NSW community preschools are in crisis
Community Preschools are not-for-profit services dedicated to inclusive early childhood education and care. They cater to all children, including children from backgrounds of economic disadvantage and children with additional needs.
Currently, they are facing a workforce exodus.
Poor pay and conditions have meant that community preschools have struggled to attract new staff to their services and are losing staff to other sectors.
Community Preschool teachers and educators are drowning under increasing workloads, and intense pressure to maintain a high standard of care. This can’t go on.
Community preschools set the standard for high-quality early childhood education and care
Community preschools provide high-quality early education and care. Around 52% of community-based preschools are rated as exceeding in the National Quality Standards (NQS ratings), compared to around 18% of long day care services.
They are the benchmark for ECEC services.
Why community preschools matter
There are around 710 community preschools across NSW, ranging from metropolitan areas to remote and rural regions.
Community preschools are managed by volunteer parent management committees and are 100% not-for-profit.
They provide a vital service to educate and care for children aged three to five years, their families and communities. These are the critical years before children commence primary school. The difference access to safe, high-quality early childhood education can make to a child’s educational development and wellbeing is transformative. To make sure these children start school strong, we need to make sure their teachers and educators are paid fair.
Over 95% of community preschool teachers and educators are female.
Low rates of pay are a result of systemic, gender-based undervaluation of the work they perform. If the NSW Government does not address the workforce crisis in community preschools, these highly qualified professionals will not be able to continue to provide a vital service to our community. We must continue to fight to ensure community-preschool teachers and educators get the recognition they deserve.
Find the full set of Campaign Updates here
October 13: Media Alert: Preschool teachers urge NSW Government to provide funding for fair pay
23 September: Letter to Employers
17 September: Media Release: Workforce crisis continues – NSW Government misses the mark on preschool funding
17 September: Letter to Parents
10 September 2025: Media Release: Community Preschools in crisis – Union demands action from NSW Government
18 August 2025: Urgent Call – Stand with community preschools
7 August 2025: Supported bargaining update
1 July 2025: Supported bargaining update
7 May, 2025: Supported bargaining update
2 April, 2025: Supported bargaining update
13 March, 2025: Supported bargaining update
30 October, 2024: Log of claims before the Fair Work Commission
30 September, 2024: Fair Work Commission issues Supported Bargaining Authorisation
23 September, 2024: Media Release – Fair Work Commission authorises bargaining for staff in over 100 preschools
9 September, 2024: ECEC Extra – Historic bid for better preschool pay
27 July, 2024: IEU lodges application for supported bargaining
4 July, 2024: Media Alert – Union files revolutionary pay-rise application for staff in over 100 preschools
9 April, 2024: IEU Preschools Campaign – Unite for Change
8 April, 2024: Media Release – IEU launches pay rise campaign for preschools
Stand strong with community preschools
We encourage you to invite your colleagues in community preschools to join the union, and help us strengthen our collective voice.