NSW public school teachers have endorsed a new three-year salary and conditions agreement that builds on last year’s historic wage reset and is seen as a positive way to help tackle the current teacher shortage in the state.
The agreement, endorsed by teachers meeting at more than 200 venues across NSW, will deliver annual increases of three percent over three years, with additional 0.5 percent superannuation increases in 2024 and 2025. The deal includes protection against high inflation through annual $1,000 cost-of-living adjustments if inflation exceeds 4.5 percent.
“This agreement maintains the structural reset of teacher salaries we achieved last year after a decade of wage suppression under the previous government,” says NSW Teachers Federation President Henry Rajendra.
“It ensures our pay keeps pace with inflation while remaining competitive with other jurisdictions – critical factors in attracting and retaining the teachers our students need.”
The agreement also delivers significant improvements to working conditions, including additional school development days from 2025, a new consultation framework for teachers’ work and changes to assessment and professional learning practices, amongst other significant measures.
‘‘The Federation is delighted with this agreement which acknowledges and respects the gendered nature of the teaching profession by delivering on working conditions which address the gender pay gap and value the multiplicity of work, family and care responsibilities our members undertake,’’ Rajendra says.
“These improvements show greater respect from the employer – respect that has been absent for far too long.
“They begin to address the unmanageable workloads that have driven resignation rates above retirement rates and exacerbated the teacher shortage crisis.”
But Rajendra also emphasised that securing the teachers needed for every classroom requires the Albanese Government to close the $1.9 billion annual funding gap facing NSW public schools.
“When some private schools receive over $6,000 more per student in government funding than public schools, it’s clear the system remains lopsided,” he says.
“The federal government reported a $15.8 billion surplus. They have the financial capacity to ensure every child gets the resources and support they need to succeed.
“The Prime Minister must step up and deliver the funding our schools urgently need. Our children’s future depends on it.”
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.
The additional school development days given for the duration of the three-year agreement will assist with rolling out the new curriculum with a focus on explicit teaching, while the NSW Department of Education continues to address ongoing staffing challenges.
Monday’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.
