BEWA (Business Educators of Western Australia Inc.) is the voluntarily run professional members’ association for business educators in Western Australia. BEWA provides a forum for discussion on its Facebook page.
At the national level, BEWA is an affiliate of BEA (Business Educators of Australasia Inc.) which represents similar professional teacher associations in all Australian states and territories.
BEWA began its life in 1965 as The Commercial Teachers’ Association of Western Australia, representing educators in shorthand, typewriting and bookkeeping in WA schools, technical colleges and business colleges. As the landscape of business education significantly changed, The Commercial Teachers’ Association of Western Australia was replaced by the new incorporated association of Business Educators of Western Australia Inc. in the late 1980’s.
Today, the business educators represented by BEWA are mainly school teachers in the government sector, the Catholic Education system and the Independent Schools system. The majority of BEWA members teach in the following curriculum areas:
- Accounting and Finance (Years 11-12)
- Business Management and Enterprise (Years 11-12)
- VET (Vocational Education and Training) courses (Years 11-12)
- Economics and Business (Years 5-10).
The BEWA Committee is a voluntary committee of between 5-12 people who oversee BEWA’s administration and organise its activities. It is a constant challenge to balance members’ expectations with the association’s resources. Consequently, those services most demanded, for which BEWA has the resources, are those that are currently offered. As a response to members’ requests, BEWA currently offers two main services:
- the opportunity to purchase, at a nominal price, fully editable examinations in the WACE courses of Accounting and Finance, and Business Management and Enterprise, thus saving the significant time it takes members to write these
- an annual conference, to give members professional development opportunities as well as the opportunity to network with colleagues and be part of the unique identity of ‘business educators’ in the increasingly complex education landscape.
In addition, BEWA administers the WA section of the national Plan Your Own Enterprise competition.
In the future, as demands and/or resources change, so too will be the activities BEWA undertakes.