NSW teacher pay gone from bad to worse
Professor John Buchanan
Lead author Professor John Buchanan said the situation for NSW teachers is 鈥減articularly acute鈥�, and increasing salaries and cutting workloads is essential to address teacher shortages and create a more sustainable and attractive teaching profession.
On top of a continuing decline in teachers鈥� salaries compared to the average of all professions, the report found real earnings fell by about 5.7 percent between 2020 and 2022 due to salary increases that were far below inflation increases.
鈥淩eal earnings today are essentially as they were 10 years ago. NSW teachers鈥� pay has gone from bad to worse, with the situation set to deteriorate further,鈥� Professor Buchanan said.
The release of the report comes as a NSW parliamentary inquiry into teacher shortages begins hearings today.
The research, produced in collaboration with the聽Brain and Mind Centre鈥檚 Mental Wealth Initiative, found in recent years there had been a continuation of the 30-year decline in teachers鈥� salaries compared to the average of all professionals, with male teachers earning only 83.3 percent of the average professional salary in 2021 and females 93.5 percent.
The report found teachers were not only underpaid but also under-resourced. Pictures: Adobe Stock
The gap had also widened with other occupations that did not require a degree, such as financial brokers and real estate agents.
鈥淭he situation for NSW teachers is particularly acute. Not only do they now face the challenge of falling real earnings, this comes on top of a historic decline in relativities that has been underway for decades,鈥� Professor Buchanan said.
The report recommends a phased approach, including a salary increase of 10-15 percent to address the gap between teaching and other professions, and a further 5.5-8.5 percent increase to address inflation, totalling between 15.5-25.5 percent within the next seven years.
鈥淚鈥檝e come to that quantum reluctantly,鈥� Professor Buchanan told .听
It鈥檚 not a reckless figure that鈥檚 been put out there. That is a sign of how broken our wages system is.
The report warns changes in technology and teaching practices, teacher shortages, a rise in insecure work, and the under-resourcing of public schools has put the teaching profession under unprecedented pressure.
鈥淎s teaching work has become increasingly demanding more teachers than ever are leaving the profession. Just as significantly, fewer are joining the profession,鈥� Professor Buchanan said.颅颅颅
鈥淭he challenge is not just to increase teachers鈥� pay. An effective wages policy must also nurture a more sustainable teaching profession. In a nutshell, fair pay levels 鈥� along with decent working arrangements 鈥� need to be integral to a reconstruction of teachers鈥� work.鈥�