Teachers in the Northern Territory are set to become the highest paid in Australia.
The new pay deal negotiated between the government and the Australian Education Union (AEU) NT will see wages rise by 12.9 per cent over three years.
NT Education Minister Jo Hersey says the agreement – supported by more than 90 per cent of teachers – will make it easier for the region’s schools to recruit more teachers.
“The territory must be competitive if we are going to attract and retain excellent teachers and this deal delivers the country’s best pay deal.”
According to the AEU NT, graduate salaries will be $7,000 above NSW, $13,000 above Victoria, and $20,000 above SA. NT Teachers at the highest level – CT9 – will exceed their NSW counterparts by $9,000, Victoria by $14,000, and SA by $26,000.
The deal was struck to help tackle the chronic workforce shortage currently facing NT schools.
“By focusing on salaries now, we aim to bring more teachers into the system,” AEU NT branch president Michelle Ayres told members in an online post.
The deal also includes an increase to the financial incentive to attract teachers to Katherine and Alice Springs, now worth $4,500 a year.
Class sizes also set to be cut
Class sizes will be reduced from 27 students to an average of 25 in years 11 and 12.
“Reducing class sizes will have a direct impact on reducing workloads, improving classroom management, and enhancing the quality of education we provide,” says Ayres, who calls the agreement a “long-term win for all of us”.
“Higher teacher salaries mean more teachers next year, and that’s a key step forward reducing workloads and creating a better working environment.”
The Commissioner for Public Employment will now lodge the agreement with independent workplace relations tribunal the Fair Work Commission for approval.
