Yesterday, public school teachers across NSW voted to accept the Minns government’s three-year award agreement, formally completing last year’s four-year pay deal.
The government says this agreement will mean the state’s 95,000 public school teacher workforce will continue to have highly competitive salaries, receiving a three per cent pay increase annually for the next three years.
Further, the agreement offers improved workplace flexibility to improve attraction and retention in the profession. This will include opportunities for job-sharing, part-time employment as well as full-time and part-time leave without pay where requested.
To maximise teaching time, regular after-school meetings will be capped at one hour a week and after-school events will need to be planned in consultation with teachers, with reasonable notice given.
Teachers will also be provided with additional school development days for the duration of the three-year agreement to assist with rolling out the new curriculum with a focus on explicit teaching, while the Department continues to address ongoing staffing challenges.
Today’s agreement follows the once-in-a-generation pay rise given to teachers last year which saw starting salaries lift from $75,791 to $85,000 and top of the scale teacher salaries increase from $113.042 to $122,100.
The Minns government says it was elected with a mandate to scrap the former Liberal National government’s wages cap and reinvest in the state’s essential workers. The agreement reached yesterday has been funded through the 2024-25 NSW Budget.
Other work to address the teacher shortage crisis includes:
- Converting more than 16,000 temporary teachers and school support staff to permanent roles.
- Banning mobile phones in public schools to improve student behaviour and focus in the classroom.
- Expanding the School Administration Reduction Program trial, to streamline the non-classroom work required of teachers.
The government says these efforts have helped reduce teacher vacancies to a three-year-low of just more than 1,600, with NSW public schools reporting 24 per cent fewer vacancies at the start of Term 3, 2024 than at the same time last year.
Respect for teachers
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said, ‘Since coming to government, we have been clear in our view that pay is a function of respect, and I am pleased to see teachers will continue to benefit from our once-in-a-generation pay agreement.
‘Teacher vacancies have fallen by 24 per cent year on year, and we are committed to continuing our work addressing the teacher shortage crisis we inherited from the former government.
‘Having teachers in front of classrooms, providing high-quality learning to students is the key to improving learning outcomes in the state,’ she said. ‘Offering better conditions and work-life balance will help us to attract new teachers and ensure those already teaching will stay on board.’
Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said, ‘This three-year award agreement with our public-school teachers reaffirms the Minns Labor Government’s new industrial relations framework is working.
‘It recognises not only the important work our educators provide but acknowledges and rewards their efforts and at the same time, helps address the teacher shortage crisis.’
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