On 23 April, SSTUWA members stood together to bring home to the employer the seriousness of members in their pursuit of better working conditions and an improved salary. 

Whether you joined us at Gloucester Park, marched across the Matagarup Bridge, attended a regional event, designed and made a poster, supported your colleagues/staff to link in with an event or met wherever you could to watch the livestream event – thank you! 

Collectively, we attracted over 12,000 members across Western Australia, and we were joined by many community and public sector union supporters. The message to the state government that teachers and school leaders are overworked, underfunded and over it could not have been louder. 

Your efforts on 23 April prompted significant improvements in the department’s third offer, including major steps forward in workload and management of class sizes, that offer strong foundations for future gains.

Some of the items worth noting that were secured in the third offer include: 

Senior Teacher 

Creation of new classification for Senior Teacher Level 2, for Senior Teachers performing two negotiated duties as listed in the Agreement. (Senior Teacher 1 currently states to perform one negotiated responsibility.)

Class sizes

Agreed changes to how class sizes will be configured have been achieved. The notional size of the class, the number of students known to need a documented plan and the need for additional support to be provided are included in these changes.

Documented plans

Significant changes built into the General Agreement clearly describing which students should, and do not, require a documented plan. Progress maps to now be recognised as documented plans.

Long service leave

An amendment to the Teachers (Public Sector Primary and Secondary Education) Award 1993 (Award) permitting access to pro rata long service leave during the first accrual period after completion of seven years continuous service.

Small group tuition 

A targeted initiative (TI) to address classroom support and workload reduction. The TI will provide small group tuition to 13,000 students in the 350 schools. Schools will receive between 0.1 FTE and 1.0 FTE to appoint additional teacher FTE, commencing in 2025. 

Complex behaviour management 

Additional 64 FTE will be shared across 192 schools for the life of the Agreement as complex behaviour support coordinators within schools, alongside the development of a framework to support schools. The department will consult with the parties to the Agreement on the development and implementation of this program. 

Professional learning

Conditions related to choice and consultation will be built into the new General Agreement. Categories clearly describing professional learning and its purpose related to school and classroom needs also included.

Extended aircon subsidy

From 1 January 2024, the air conditioning subsidy will commence 15 days earlier and finish 15 days later than the applicable dates identified in the Government Regional Officers’ Housing – Government Housing Air Conditioning Policy. The subsidy will apply for three calendar years.

Workload Ministerial Taskforce 

The department will establish with parties to the Agreement a Workload Ministerial Taskforce that will report to the Minister for Education. The taskforce will operate for the life of the Agreement. 

The Taskforce will focus on the priority areas of classroom support, complex behaviour management, professional learning, compliance and individual student documented plans. The purpose will be to identify opportunities and evaluate initiatives which support the management of school leader and teacher workloads. 

Right of return for school leaders

Right of return for principals who are appointed to system level positions, 
at level, for a period not exceeding 12 school terms.

The points above are some of the new and/or improved items presented in the third offer. To view the complete Agreement in Principle, head to sstuwa.org.au/GA2023.

Please take the time to read and understand the contents of the third offer, join a Zoom video meeting or attend a worksite briefing.