Teachers across the state have overwhelmingly voted in favour of the State Government’s $1.6 billion Enterprise Agreement offer – the largest offer ever made to teachers in South Australia.

Under the offer, teachers will receive pay increases of 4 per cent in the first year, backdated to May 2023, followed by a 3 per cent increase each year for the following three years.

Principals and preschool directors will receive a 5 per cent pay rise in the first year, also backdated to May 2023, followed by a 4 per cent increase in 2024 and 2025, and a 3 per cent increase in 2026.

Seventy-six per cent of those voting, voted in support of the agreement.

The enterprise agreement will now be lodged with the South Australian Employment Tribunal for approval of the agreement terms to come into effect, as required under the Fair Work Act 1994 (SA).

Among other elements of the deal, teachers will also receive an extra hour of non-instructional time by 2028, the ‘right to disconnect’ for non-urgent after-hours communication, three additional days for mentoring early-career educators, the Country Incentive Zone Allowance will become ongoing for all regional teachers and the biggest shake-up in disability funding worth more than $50 million.

Supporting teachers and our students across our education system has been a priority in the first 18 months of the Malinauskas Labor Government with significant action already taken including, a $50m investment in 100 additional mental health and learning support staff being introduced, as well as $28m for an Autism Inclusion Teacher in every primary school.

Quotes

Attributable to Blair Boyer

The record-breaking $1.6 billion deal takes into account a number of issues teachers and principals have raised with us including salary, workload, classroom complexity and supporting country educators.

This offer is the largest ever offered to the school and preschool workforce and goes above the over $700 million in investments delivered in our first two budgets.

My father was a public school teacher for more than 40 years and I have seen first-hand the impact that our teachers and leaders have on their students’ lives – that’s why I’m so pleased that we are now able to provide teachers with the salary increases and the workload reductions they desperately deserve.