As public educators marked World Teachers’ Day last month, it was reminded that once again, teachers in Western Australia need more than thanks, they need full funding.

Despite a bilateral funding commitment between the Albanese and Cook governments, WA public schools have been denied a full 100 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) - the minimum funding per student required so that schools can have at least 80 per cent of their students achieving learning outcomes above the national minimum standard in NAPLAN for reading and numeracy.

AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said the reality for teachers in schools right now is unsustainable workloads, large class sizes and a lack of resources to cater for the needs of all students.

“[In September], a bilateral arrangement was signed between the WA and federal governments that does not deliver full funding – instead it is on track to reach 96 per cent of the SRS at most by 2027, with a sneaky clause that allows the state government to write off four per cent of funding for other non-school based costs never intended to be covered from the SRS,” she said.

That leaves WA public schools underfunded by $1.78 billion across the next five years, according to Department of Education funding and enrolment data provided through Senate Estimates.

In 2029, on average, students in WA will be underfunded by $976 each.

“On World Teachers’ Day, governments and politicians are happy to deliver platitudes but the reality on the ground is that public schools have been denied the resources that they need to deliver high quality teaching and learning, for more than a decade now,” Ms Haythorpe said.

SSTUWA President Matthew Jarman said: “Instead of giving WA’s teachers thanks, let’s fully fund public schools this World Teachers’ Day.”

“Teachers and students in WA deserve to have their schools fully funded, just as the Prime Minister promised in the lead up to the 2022 election.

“Anything less than full funding shortchanges our teachers and our children.”