The Department of Education and the Australian Education Union (AEU) have been working together to reach agreement for the new Teachers Industrial Agreement.
The Agreement, which recognises the importance of teachers and their impact in student learning, has been negotiated following a series of meetings between the parties. I would like to thank the AEU for their part in the constructive nature of these negotiations.
The new Agreement will provide for a 2.35 per cent pay increase which is effective immediately (March 2022).
It also contains a new flexibility clause which will allow teachers to volunteer to work above their maximum instructional load per fortnight.
This new clause is particularly significant as it provides Principals an additional staffing flexibility to support them when managing staffing pressures that arise due to the impacts of COVID.
This option is designed to benefit the individual staff member, the broader staffing cohort and, importantly, the learners with a continuity of staff and by ensuring staff are remunerated for the work they undertake.
The parties will continue negotiations for a longer-term Agreement. I am confident that the future negotiations will be approached in the same constructive manner.
More Media Releases from Roger Jaensch
More Media Releases from the Minister for Education, Children and Youth