According to the United Workers Union, the number of people leaving the education field at an alarming rate each week is a record because of factors such as burnout, excessive workload, and inadequate remuneration.
According to the UWU, there are 375 centers located all around Australia that are taking part in the closure. While some of these centers will participate for just a portion of the day, others will remain closed for the whole of the working day. It is projected that 70,000 households would be impacted.
On Wednesday, members of the United Workers Union (UWU) who work in early education will take action around the country to demand substantial change in the early education industry.
The union is requesting that parents who have children participating in early learning programs keep their children home from their centers on Wednesday.
Members of the United Workers Union are requesting that the next administration of the federal government devise a strategy to improve the childcare industry. Part of this strategy should include giving early education the same weight as traditional education.
It wants educators to be treated like “professionals, not babysitters,” and it wants decent compensation for educators. “Children before profit” is another goal of the organization.
The early education industry was deemed to be “near breaking point” and “on the edge of collapse” in a study that was published by UWU the previous year.
In a study of 7,000 educators, 70% said that they “often or sometimes” concerned about their financial condition, 65% of educators believe that their services are already understaffed, and roughly 50% of educators would not suggest early education as a vocation.
