Something is seriously wrong with our public education system. Few voices can be heard to dispute this. But as the problems in public education grow, so too does the strength and power of the Australian Education Union. What sort of beast is the AEU and how has it played its part in the growing crisis in education in Australia? The AEU has become one of the most powerful trade unions in Australia. Its 165,000 members contribute $45 million a year in membership dues alone. While overall union membership has been in virtual freefall now for a decade or more, with…