Educational Leader Under VECTEA 2020: Clause 45

THIS CLAUSE EXPIRED IN SEPT 2024, UPDATE THIS ARTICLE TO REFLECT THAT!!!!

At first glance, Clause 45 of the VECTEA might look like a small administrative detail: One hour per week for Educational Leader duties. But if you’ve ever stepped into this role, you know: it’s anything but small. Being an Educational Leader is one of the most important, and most demanding, positions in a sessional kindergarten service. It’s a role that blends pedagogy, leadership, mentoring, and deep collaboration with families and community. So let’s unpack what Clause 45 says, what the expectations really are, and what you can do if you feel under-supported or overlooked in the role.

What the VECTEA 2020 Says

Clause 45 of the VECTEA (2020) outlines some key entitlements and conditions:

• Services must provide one hour per week to employees who agree to take on the roles of Educational Leader and/or Nominated Supervisor.

• That time can be:

• A reduction in face-to-face teaching time, or

• An increase in non-contact time

• Time allocation can be structured weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, but the employee’s total hours must not exceed 38/week.

• The roles can be shared between staff, and employers must consult with educators on how time and duties are allocated.

• Employers can agree to provide additional time and/or payment, and educators in these roles since 1 Oct 2020 retain any pre-existing arrangements.

Important: This clause ended on 30 September 2024, meaning it may change in the upcoming VECTEA 2024. We’re hoping it will be amended to better reflect the effort, expertise, and leadership that this role demands.

What Being an Educational Leader Actually Looks Like

The role of an Educational Leader goes far beyond one extra planning hour. Under the National Law, National Regulations, and Schedule 4 of the VECTEA, Educational Leaders carry broad, complex, and vital responsibilities that touch every part of a high-quality early learning environment. This isn’t just a title, it’s professional leadership that shapes pedagogy, supports teams, and drives outcomes for children, families, and communities.

Here’s what that really looks like in practice:

• Lead the pedagogy and practice of the educational program and the full assessment and planning cycle

• Promote and build a strong organisational culture, professional learning community, and shared team vision

• Mentor and coach colleagues to strengthen confidence, skills, reflective practice, and innovation

• Create a culture of continuous quality improvement, where creativity, inquiry and growth are encouraged

• Foster ethical and respectful relationships that build trust, honour staff strengths, and support team collaboration

• Facilitate reflective conversations and navigate professional differences to reach shared understanding and action

• Engage in meaningful partnerships with families, listening deeply and working alongside them with cultural responsiveness and respect

• Connect with and contribute to the broader community, including local schools, services and networks

• Model inclusive, equitable leadership that fosters belonging, fairness, and wellbeing across the service

• Champion the profession, advocate for colleagues, and uphold high standards of curriculum and care

In other words: it’s big, relational, skilled work. And yet, many Educational Leaders are doing all this while juggling full teaching loads, often with no additional pay, no extra time, and little structural support.

One Hour Isn’t Enough, And That’s the Problem

While Clause 45 offered a base entitlement of one hour per week, we all know that’s rarely enough to:

• Run reflective team meetings

• Analyse learning documentation

• Mentor new or provisionally registered teachers

• Develop quality improvement strategies

• Engage with families in culturally respectful ways

• Stay across NQF and regulatory changes

• Actually lead pedagogy, not just manage admin

Especially in sessional kindergarten settings, where staff often work part-time and have limited non-contact hours, the expectations placed on Educational Leaders can become unsustainable and unrecognised.

Wait, Isn’t VECTEA Supposed to Be Superior to the Award?

Here’s the part that doesn’t sit right with a lot of educators, and for good reason. If you work under the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020, and you're appointed as an Educational Leader under Regulation 118, you're entitled to a financial allowance, currently $4,567.31 per year, or a pro-rata amount if you're part-time. This is paid on top of your regular pay and in addition to any Director’s allowance. Educational Services (Teachers) Award clause 19.4 reads:

An early childhood/preschool teacher who is appointed as an Educational Leader is entitled to an allowance of $4,567.31 per annum… payable in addition to any Director’s allowance.

Meanwhile, under Clause 45 of VECTEA 2020, no such allowance exists. All it guarantees is one hour per week, and even that isn’t always consistently implemented. This means:

• A teacher under the Award may receive more tangible recognition, in the form of a recurring allowance

• While a teacher doing the exact same role under VECTEA may not be financially recognised at all

And this is despite VECTEA being marketed as a “superior agreement” to the Award. That doesn’t add up!

What Happens After 30 September 2024?

Clause 45 expired over a year ago in September 2024 and, unless renegotiated in the next VECTEA, the right to protected time for Educational Leaders may disappear, even though the role itself is a mandatory regulatory requirement under National Law and Regulations.

The question is: How can a one-hour per week position realistically fulfil the extensive and complex duties expected of an Educational Leader? It simply can’t.

What Needs to Change: The Next VECTEA Must

• Recognise that one hour per week is nowhere near enough for Educational Leaders’ real workload

• Enshrine a meaningful, protected time allocation based on actual duties, not a token hour

• Introduce a fair financial allowance to recognise leadership responsibilities

• Provide structural support so Educational Leaders aren’t left juggling full teaching loads on top of leadership roles

• Commit to transparent consultation with educators on how time and duties are allocated

What You Can Do

• Talk to your union, speak up for the protections and recognition Educational Leaders deserve

• Share this post with your team,  awareness is power

• Advocate for a better Clause 45 that reflects the reality of the role

A Final Word from VSKEA

At VSKEA, we’re hearing from educators who are:

• Doing Educational Leader work on weekends or after hours

• Struggling to mentor provisionally registered teachers with no time allocated

• Taking on Nominated Supervisor duties without support

• Feeling overwhelmed, and invisible, in these roles

Leadership in early childhood isn’t just a title. It’s complex, skilled, relational work. It should be respected, supported, and resourced, especially if we want to attract and retain high-quality educators. If you’re navigating Clause 45 in your workplace and not sure where to start, you’re not alone.

Reach out. Share this article. Keep advocating for yourself, and for each other.