A proposed real-terms pay cut for public school principals could force school staff to strike in the ACT unless the government develops a better pay and conditions offer, the Australian Education Union has said.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Education Minister Yvette Berry will also write to her federal counterpart to highlight the issue of principal's experience violence and workload pressures.
The Australian Education Union's ACT branch president, Angela Burroughs, has welcomed "significant" pay increases proposed for classroom teachers but said negotiations would continue on the pay offer for staff in school leadership positions.
"ACT public school teachers have been working tirelessly to deliver quality education to their students, often at great personal cost. Teachers have reported feeling overwhelmed by their workload, which has led to stress and burnout," Ms Burroughs said.
"While the government's offer recognises the hard work of teachers, it falls short in addressing their concerns around workload."
Ms Burroughs said the pay component of the offer for principals and other staff in leadership positions was not good enough.
"Principals play a crucial role in the education system and are leaders in their communities. Principals have incredibly high workloads and shoulder immense stress. They deserve a pay package that reflects their responsibilities and workload," she said.
"Teachers have made clear their willingness to stand in solidarity with school leaders to achieve an equitable outcome, including being ready to take strike action if their concerns are not addressed."
The union's branch council had called on the government to continue negotiations for a "fair and equitable" pay and conditions offer from the ACT government.
The union will meet with the government's bargaining team on Friday.
The pay offer includes pay increases of between 8.6 and 25.9 per cent for staff at different levels over the life of the agreement to December 2025.
First-year teachers would have a starting salary of $91,396 in December 2025, a 19.3 per cent increase from the current $76,575 salary.
A top-paid classroom teacher would be paid an annual salary of $129,106 in December 2025 in the ACT, ahead of Victoria ($118,063), Queensland ($116,729) and NSW ($113,094), a government analysis, seen by The Canberra Times, showed.
Principals in the ACT would have pay increases of between 8.6 and 9.1 per cent, with the top-paid principals to earn $220,762 in December 2025, up from $203,135 now.
The consumer price index rose 7.8 per cent in the year to the December 2022 quarter, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said in January.
The government will also face pressure on Thursday to support the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry into the high rates of violence reported by principals in the territory, along with workload levels.
Three-quarters of ACT principals faced physical violence and threats of violence in 2022, the highest rates across Australia, an Australian Catholic University survey showed.
Forty-four per cent of principals across Australia reported being subject to physical violence, compared to 73.2 per cent of school leaders in the ACT, the survey of 2500 school leaders showed.
The Canberra Liberals' education spokesman, Jeremy Hanson, said Ms Education Minister, Ms Berry, could not turn a blind eye as the union, principals, teachers and parents cried out for more action to address the significant concerns.
"The Canberra Liberals are very concerned about the workload and levels of violence against principals in the ACT and the Labor-Greens government must act now," Mr Hanson said.
MORE A.C.T. POLITICS NEWS:
The motion, if passed, would refer the issue of principal workloads, violence and threats of violence to the Assembly's standing committee on education and community inclusion, with a report due before June 29.
Ms Berry in question time on Wednesday said she would write to federal Education Minister Jason Clare to put the issue of principal workload and school violence on the agenda of the next education ministers' meeting.
"With regards to all our school principals, of course we place their health, safety and wellbeing as a priority, as leaders within our school communities and we'll work very close with them to ensure that they feel safe and that they can go to work in a safe and health work environment," Ms Berry said.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
Jasper Lindell
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
Jasper Lindell joined The Canberra Times in 2018. He is a Legislative Assembly reporter, covering ACT politics and government. He also writes about development, transport, heritage, local history, literature and the arts, as well as contributing to the Times' Panorama magazine. He was previously a Sunday Canberra Times reporter.
