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Question and Answer Tracking Details

3600 - TEACHER SHORTAGES

Donato, Philip to the Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Early Learning, and Minister for Western Sydney

In addressing our state's teacher shortage:

(1) Does the Government plan to continue to raise the wages of teachers to ensure they are competitive to like professions?

(2) What is the State Government's plan to ensure it is able to attract and retain teachers and school counsellors to ensure no child is without a qualified teacher in their class?
Answer -
TEACHER SHORTAGES

The Minns Labor Government made the decision to provide the biggest uplift in teachers' salaries in a generation from October 2023 as part of the Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award. This moved NSW teachers from among the lowest paid in Australia to among the highest paid in Australia.

We continue constructive discussions with the NSW Teachers Federation in the context of the upcoming 'Teachers Award' negotiations. The Government is committed to attracting and retaining teachers in the public education system.

The Minns Labor Government is also committed to increasing the School Counselling Service by 250 positions. To support this, the Minns Labor Government abolished the former Liberal National Governments’ unfair wages cap and delivered a pay rise to school counsellors and psychologists, which saw starting salaries increase from approximately $76,00 to $95,000. As a result, NSW public schools began Term 3 with about 40% fewer counsellor vacancies than the same time last year.

Our government is also committed to retaining NSW teachers. That is why we are delivering our election commitment to reduce the significant admin burden on teachers.

We have already taken significant steps including:

  • Listening to teachers, principals, and the non-government school sector by providing more time for the successful and effective implementation of new curriculum, in line with the recommendations of Masters Review.
  • Expanding the trial of the safe and secure, Department of Education-developed AI application NSWEduChat to every NSW teacher to help with tasks such as lesson planning.
  • Streamlining the teacher accreditation maintenance process.
  • Removing restrictive professional development requirements and ensuring teachers can undertake the PD that will add value to their practice.
  • Reducing policy-related workload through cutting and consolidating the policy documents that schools need to comply with.

Following the historic pay rise provided to NSW public school teachers, we are seeing positive improvements in teacher vacancies. Schools in NSW began Term 3 this year with teacher vacancies at a three-year low, with fewer resignations and more experienced teachers staying in the profession. In the electorate of Orange, schools began Term 3 with 22% fewer teacher vacancies than the same time last year.

Question asked on 17 September 2024 (session 58-1) and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 70
Answer received on 22 October 2024 and printed in Questions & Answers Paper No. 81

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.