Education Minister Prue Car could not say how much the deal would cost the government when asked at a press conference on Saturday,but she flagged that cuts to the bureaucracy were on the table to fund at least part of the wage increase.
“There are savings to be had. Under the previous government,the bureaucracy was left to proliferate. We will unashamedly be redirecting money from the bureaucracy into the thing that makes a difference for kids and that is the teacher in the classroom,” Car said.
Asked if that meant jobs were going to roll,she said she had ordered that any cuts should focus on items that did not have an immediate benefit to children in the classroom – such as travel and external consultants. She said the government had already budgeted a 4.5 per cent pay rise for teachers in line with a broader public sector wage deal.
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As part of the pay deal,early career teachers will get the biggest jump in salary followed by the most senior teachers who stand to get about $9000 a year before tax.
NSW public school counsellors’ pay will rise by 25 per cent to $95,000. Senior Psychologists Education will have their salaries adjusted to the same level as senior school leaders.
A right-to-disconnect clause has been inserted into the agreement that takes effect on October 9.