Western Australian public school teachers and leaders last week received their pay rise of five per cent, backdated to 6 December 2023, as part of an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement struck in July 2024.
Under the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement, public school teachers and leaders will receive a 12 per cent pay rise over three years.
Specifically, they will receive a five per cent increase effective on and from 6 December 2023, four per cent effective on and from 6 December 2024, and three per cent effective on and from 6 December 2025.
The agreement will see a graduate teacher’s starting salary increase by $9,781 to $88,178, and a senior teacher’s salary increase by $14,704 to $132,557.
Experienced Level 3 teachers will earn up to $147,077 and a senior school principal up to $206,662.
In addition to increased wages for public school teachers, the agreement includes a number of initiatives to address workload issues, enhance career pathways, and attract more quality teachers to regional and remote areas.
Summary of benefits
Attraction and Retention:
- Increasing the graduate allowance to give new teachers more financial support;
- Paid time for new starters to complete professional learning;
- Reclassification of several principal positions;
- Improvements to long service leave, personal leave, and compassionate leave entitlements;
- The introduction of a district allowance for eligible employees;
- Additional travel concessions for staff in the Pilbara, Kimberley and Goldfields; and
- Continuation of the extended air conditioning subsidy for eligible employees.
School Leader and Teacher Supports
- A new workload taskforce to support staff with workload management;
- Resources to support students who need it most, including more staff to help with complex behaviour and to run small group tuition focusing on literacy and numeracy; and
- Helping classroom teachers meet the individual needs of students with disabilities and learning challenges.
Improved Career Pathways
- Creation of a new Senior Teacher Level 2 classification;
- Trial deployment of experienced teachers and school leaders to regional schools; and
- Trial temporary deployment of exemplary teachers to newly created Level 3.3 positions in schools of most need.
The Department of Education is continuing to work with the State School Teachers’ Union of Western Australia and Principals’ Federation of Western Australia to implement these initiatives.
“We value the work of public school teachers, and I am pleased this payment has been fast-tracked so it can be in their bank accounts as they start Term 4,” WA Education Minister Dr Tony Buti said.
“We are committed to enhancing the quality of education to ensure that all students have the best learning opportunities to succeed.
“We continue to address workload issues and implement a range of strategies to attract and retain quality teachers who are so instrumental in preparing our young people for the future,” he said.
