Hundreds of South Australian school and preschool leaders will receive significant pay rises under a major $36.2 million reform package announced today by the State Government.
Next year, a new six-level structure will replace the existing nine-level system currently used to classify schools and preschools, better reflecting the complexity of the work of leading modern schools and preschools, rather than relying solely on the size of schools.
The reform will see 699 principals and preschool directors receive a pay increase in addition to four per cent increases in 2024 and 2025 and a three percent increase next year.
It will deliver an average annual pay increase of $8,679 for leaders across the public education system.
Developed in close collaboration with the Australian Education Union and key stakeholder associations, the new model delivers greater equity across the public system, especially for leaders at more complex sites.
Under the changes, principals and preschool directors will be remunerated based on the complexity of their site, recognising the additional challenges these leaders manage and ensure we attract the best staff to change lives in these schools and preschools.
The system will also bring more stability, removing the uncertainty of the current model that can see up to 40 per cent of sites move up or down classification levels each year.
It follows a suite of new initiatives to support school leaders, including 10-year contracts, reduced administrative burden, and new powers to address aggressive parent behaviour, and our record $1.6 billion investment in the most recent enterprise bargaining agreement.
As put by Peter Malinauskas
High-quality leadership is a significant determinant in building high-quality schools which improve the outcomes for students and set them up for life.
This reform will result in an average annual pay increase of almost $9,000 for 700 leaders across the public education system, and will result in a fairer system across the board.
This is needed as we roll out three-year-old preschool from next year.
Supporting teachers and students across our education system has been a priority for my government, with a record-breaking $1.6 billion enterprise agreement, $50m for 100 additional mental health support staff, and $28m for an Autism Inclusion
Teacher in every primary school all part of our commitment to giving students the best possible opportunity to succeed beyond the classroom.
As put by Blair Boyer
Strong school leadership is the single biggest factor in improving student outcomes after quality teaching.
We know that a great principal is the key to a great school, and I'm proud that we are making this investment to ensure we are attracting and keeping the best leaders in the South Australian education system.
This delivers on a key agreement of the Enterprise Agreement.
As put by Lockleys Children's Centre Director Nadia Carruozzo
While there is a salary impact for preschool directors through this process, it's not all about the money – it's about the recognition of the value of the work done in the early years of children's learning.
The introduction of the new classification structure is great news for preschools because the current structure doesn't accurately reflect the complexity of sites.
After nearly 40 years in early childhood education I'm passionate about achieving equity for all sites and leaders. I've seen tremendous change over the decades I've worked in this area and I'm pleased to see changes that support all leaders.
I believe that greater equity and cohesion across the public education system will lead to better outcomes for children and their families.
