Public school teachers across New South Wales will see the latest pay rise reach their bank accounts this week, with the state government saying tens of thousands are now up to $20,000 better off.
Under the Minns Labor Government’s pay deal, starting salaries for NSW public school teachers lift from $75,791 to $92,882. Top-of-scale teacher salaries increase from $113,042 to $133,422. The government says the latest increase continues the most significant uplift of public school teacher pay and conditions since the 1990s.
The rise follows the abolition of the previous Liberal and National government’s wages cap. The government says the pay increase was a key measure to address teacher shortages, by lifting the status of the profession and restoring competitiveness with other states.
“When we invest in teachers, we invest in students,” said Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car.
“Better pay, better conditions, and fewer vacancies means more consistency in classrooms and better education outcomes for students.”
The government says its reforms are attracting more teachers into NSW public schools and helping keep those already there. It says teacher vacancies are at a 12-year low, and the rates of teacher resignations and retirements continue to fall.
More than 25,000 teachers and school support staff have already moved from uncertain temporary contracts to permanent employment.
The pay rise sits alongside curriculum reforms the government says are delivering meaningful improvements in academic results across NSW public schools. That work includes early literacy and numeracy checks, targeted intervention, ambitious learning targets, and evidence-based support for teachers rolling out the new NSW Curriculum.
The government is also undertaking what it describes as the largest school infrastructure build in the state’s history. A record $9.2 billion investment is delivering new and upgraded schools across NSW, so every student can access a high-quality public education close to home.
Ms Car also took aim at the Liberals, the Nationals, and One Nation.
“For 12 years the Liberals and Nationals chose to suppress the wages of essential workers, and a consequence of that decision was teachers resigning at an unprecedented rate,” she said.
“New South Wales teachers cannot afford a Liberal-National-One Nation coalition, which risks a return of the wage suppression policy and the threat of mass job cuts.”
“The Minns Labor Government has reduced teacher vacancies by more than 70 per cent by paying teachers properly and rebuilding the workforce,” she said.
Got something you want to say about this story? Have your say on our opinion and comment hub, New England Times Engage