The overhaul comes as Australia’s education ministers prepare to meet on Friday to discuss chronic teacher shortages that are plaguing the public,private and Catholic school sectors across the country.
“NSW has some of the best teachers in the world,but they often leave the classroom and move into management roles to secure higher pay and career progression,” Mitchell said.
“The structure of our teaching profession should reflect our teachers,by being innovative,ambitious and modern,keeping more of our best teachers in the classroom.”
Salaries for NSW teachers start at $73,737,and hit a maximum of $117,060 if they are accredited as a “highly accomplished” or “lead” teacher (HALTs). Pay jumps to $126,528 if they take on more responsibilities and become an assistant principal.
To earn higher salaries,many teachers abandon the classroom to become principals,deputies,take head office jobs or leave the profession entirely.
Mitchell said expanding the “career path for classroom teachers[to] better reward excellence in teaching” was the key to modernising the NSW education system. The state will need an additional 3800 teachers to meet demand to 2027.