Royal Australian Army Educational Corps
| Royal Australian Army Educational Corps | |
|---|---|
 Corps badge of the RAAEC | |
| Active | 1949–present |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Type | Military education |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Karina Jones |
| Colonel-in-Chief | Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester |
The Royal Australian Army Educational Corps (RAAEC) is a specialist corps within the Australian Army. Formed in 1949, the corps had its genesis in other services that existed within the Australian forces during World War I and World War II. It is currently made up entirely of commissioned officers and is responsible for the provision of education-related services within the Army.
History
[edit]The RAAEC was established in September 1949 as the Australian Army Educational Corps and was granted Royal assent in 1960.[1] Consisting of the Crown and a boomerang upon which the corps' initials are inscribed superimposed over a "fluted flambeau of flames", the current RAAEC corps badge was adopted in 1964.[2] It is the only corps badge in the Australian Army where the crown does not appear at the top and is based on the badge devised for the Royal Army Educational Corps by King George VI in 1949.[3]
The corps grew out of the Australian Army Education Service (AAES), which was established on 29 October 1943 during World War II,[1] under the command of Colonel Robert Madgwick.[4] Through the AAES, the corps draws its lineage from the Australian Army Education Scheme, which was established under Madgwick on 5 March 1941.[5] That scheme itself was based loosely upon a vocational education scheme that had been established during World War I within the Australian Imperial Force in 1918 under George Merrick Long, as part of the demobilisation and repatriation process.[5]
Throughout its history, the corps has deployed members to support Australian forces deployed on operations. Initially, they deployed to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, where they provided education support for service personnel and their children.[6] Later, members of the corps were sent to Korea during the Korean War, where they were attached at battalion level to provide soldiers with training in the field. During the Vietnam War, RAAEC personnel were deployed to support the 1st Australian Task Force at Nui Dat.[1][7]
Throughout its history, the corps has also provided short and long-term courses to enlisted soldiers. In Australia during the 1960s and 1970s, many education courses were provided to soldiers as a requirement for promotion to a higher rank. At the same time, in the (former) Territory of Papua New Guinea, Australian National Servicemen in the education corps provided courses in literacy, numeracy, and citizenship to non-commissioned ranks at various army barracks.[8]
Current role and structure
[edit]
The RAAEC is responsible for providing educational expertise to optimise learning solutions and systems in Army and the wider Defence environment. This involves applying contemporary theories and practices to enable:
- Instructor development
- Core skills development to increase employability of Defence personnel (includes literacy and numeracy)
- Learning product design, including online learning
- Quality assurance and evaluation of learning solutions, programs and outcomes
- Performance and workforce analysis
- Learning governance (doctrine, policies and procedures)
- Learning technologies and innovations
- International engagement and English language development.[9]
RAAEC Officers are specialist service commissioned officers in a professionally qualified stream that includes lawyers, doctors and other trained professionals.[10] Potential candidates for RAAEC are expected to have an initial teacher education qualification.[11]
RAAEC officers work in all Army Training Centres across Australia and a variety of other Army and Defence organisations, such as the Defence Education, Learning Training Authority and Headquarters Forces Command. RAAEC officers are occasionally deployed on operations to provide training support, and there are some overseas postings available to those with specific skills and Defence experience in teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL).
The current Colonel-in-Chief of the RAAEC is The Duchess of Gloucester.[12] The current Head of the Corps is Colonel Karina Jones.[13]
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c Dennis et al 1995, p. 513.
- ^ Jobson 2009, p. 140.
- ^ Anonymous (Spring 1987). "The RAAEC Corps Badge". Torch. 21 (1).
- ^ Spaull, Andrew (2000). "Madgwick, Sir Robert Bowden (1905–1979)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
- ^ a b Long 1963, p. 84.
- ^ Directorate of Army Education 1990, p. 99.
- ^ Directorate of Army Education 1990, p. 121.
- ^ The role of conscripted education corps staff in Papua New Guinea has been published in Chalkies: Conscript Teachers in PNG (National Library of Australia ID 3084181) Armi Wantoks (National Library of Australia ID 3377828) and at www.NashosPNG.com
- ^ "ADF Careers – Role details". www.adfcareers.gov.au. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Education Officer". Department of Defence. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
- ^ "ADF Careers – Role details". www.adfcareers.gov.au. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "The Royal Family—HRH The Duke of Gloucester". Burke's Peerage. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
- ^ AITD 2025. "AITD 2025 SPEAKERS - AITD 2025 - Sofitel Melbourne". AITD 2025 SPEAKERS. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
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References
[edit]- Directorate of Army Education (1990). RAAEC Corps History. RAAEC Information Bulletin 2/90. Campbell, Australian Capital Territory: Australian Army.
- Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; Prior, Robin (1995). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-553227-9.
- Jobson, Christopher (2009). Looking Forward, Looking Back: Customs and Traditions of the Australian Army. Wavell Heights, Queensland: Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9803251-6-4.
- Long, Gavin (1963). The Final Campaigns. Australia in the War of 1939–1945, Series 1—Army. Volume VII (1st ed.). Canberra: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 1297619.
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