The Hon Dominic Perrottet, MP
Premier of New South Wales
GPO Box 5341
SYDNEY NSW 2001
Dear Premier,
As Greens NSW Education Spokesperson and on behalf of Greens MPs in the NSW Parliament I write to request that you withdraw the current teacher’s Salary and Conditions Award application due to be heard on 12 October. I further request that you commit to a genuine process of negotiation with teachers and the NSW Teachers Federation to address the uncompetitive salaries and unsustainable workloads of NSW Public School teachers.
School communities are feeling the impact of worsening teacher shortages across the State. Schools report that the shortages are affecting the learning, well-being, and behaviour of students. In addition to the disruption to hundreds of classes, essential specialist learning programs are collapsing on a daily basis and professional learning for teachers cannot go ahead. It is becoming increasingly difficult to deliver high quality education with the current staff capacity in NSW Public schools.
It is reported that one in four teachers are required to teach subjects outside their area of qualification. Moreover, a recent survey found that 60% of NSW public school teachers plan to leave the profession in the next five years, and that pay and conditions are driving both the exodus from the profession, and the low rates of people entering the profession.
The proposed 2.53% pay increase in the Award will actually see NSW public school teachers at the back of the pack compared to teachers in other states and territories, and represents a pay cut in real terms in light of an expected inflation rate of 7.75% p.a. by the end of this year. Every student in every NSW Public school deserves to have a qualified teacher in every class, and every public school in every community across NSW must be fully resourced to meet the educational needs of every student in 21st Century classrooms.
Signed:
Tamara Smith, Greens NSW Education Spokesperson
Jenny Leong, Greens NSW Industrial Relations Spokesperson
Sue Higginson, Greens NSW Employment Spokesperson
Abigail Boyd, Greens NSW Children and Young People Spokesperson
Cate Faehrmann, Greens NSW Mental Health and Wellbeing Spokesperson
Jamie Parker, Greens NSW Premier and Cabinet Spokesperson
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