To the Perth Waldorf School Council,

We, the undersigned members of the Perth Waldorf School staff, parents and wider community, respectfully petition the School Council to take immediate steps to ensure the school’s paid parental leave entitlements are brought into alignment with those provided in the public and Catholic education sectors in Western Australia.

Perth Waldorf School stands for the holistic development of the human being. We ask that commitment to extend to employment policies that support our educators and their families. Current research—and the philosophical foundations of Steiner education—affirm the critical importance of early parent-child attachment in human development.  Mothers, who may also be women with careers and financial responsibilities, are particularly intimately intertwined with their baby's early growth and development. The first months and years of life are a sensitive and formative period during which strong, secure bonds may be established. Paid parental leave is an initial support towards providing the necessary time and space for those bonds to form, ensuring the emotional, social, and developmental wellbeing of both child and parent.

Paid parental leave is also a matter of equity and staff wellbeing. While the government provides a minimum wage maternity leave pay for all Australian workers, Independent Schools determine their maternity leave conditions at or above award standards (12 months unpaid). Currently, staff at Perth Waldorf School receive significantly less paid parental leave ($0 from PWS) compared to their counterparts in public and Catholic education, where a minimum of 14 weeks full pay is standard. 

We therefore respectfully call on the Perth Waldorf School Council to:

1. Acknowledge the current disparity between Perth Waldorf School’s paid parental leave entitlements and those of the public and Catholic sectors; and
2. Instruct the School Administrator to review, draft, and implement an updated parental leave policy that provides no less than 14 weeks of fully paid parental leave, in alignment with both educational sector standards and the school's developmental ethos.  

This change would reflect a genuine commitment to social responsibility, family life, and the lifelong impact of the earliest stages of human development.

Please sign this petition in support of parity and a caring, consistent approach to paid parental leave at Perth Waldorf School.