The Palaszczuk Government and the Queensland Teachers' Union (QTU) have reached in-principle agreement on a new pay deal for the state's educators, Education Minister Grace Grace announced today.
Ms Grace said the three-year agreement would provide Queensland teachers with some of the best pay and conditions in Australia.
"Our teachers do a tremendous job each day helping to shape Queensland children in the global citizens of tomorrow," Ms Grace said.
"The Palaszczuk Government backs them 100 per cent. We want them to have secure, rewarding and meaningful careers in the Queensland state education system.
"That we have been able to reach agreement before the expiry of the current agreement shows the shared desire of both parties to value the work our teachers do."
Ms Grace said the new certified agreement delivered a range of benefits including:
- annual pay increases of 2.5 per cent per year over the life of the three-year agreement
- a one-off $1250 sign-on bonus
- a range of additional workload management initiatives, including increased non-contact time for primary and special school teachers;
- improved conditions for parental leave for primary care givers;
- improved gender pay equity for part-time teachers, the overwhelming majority of whom are working women;
- simplifying and enhancing the classification and progression process for Senior Teachers and Experienced Senior Teachers;
- boosting incentives for beginning teachers in rural or remote locations by providing them with a one-off $1000 payment on commencement in the position, available from the start of the 2020 school year; and
- a new classification structure for school leaders, such as principals and deputy principals.
"By the end of this agreement, our top teachers will be earning $110,500 per year. In addition, they can also apply to be recognised as Highly Accomplished Teacher or Lead Teacher, with salaries for these classifications rising to over $117,000 and $128,000 respectively from July 2021," Ms Grace said.
"On top of this, the new classification structure for school leaders will see Queensland state school executive principals among the highest paid public school principals in the country.
"This is a significant reform that reflects the increasingly complex nature of their jobs and recognises the work that state school leaders do in leading communities right across Queensland."
The new classification for school leaders follows a three-year review of this part of the Department's classification and remuneration structure.
"This landmark agreement acknowledges and rewards the work that teachers do every day, in every classroom, in every Queensland state school," Ms Grace said.
"These negotiations have seen major gains for our state school teaching workforce and will give our system even greater strength over the three years of the Agreement.
"I acknowledge the work of officers from the Department of Education and the QTU for their efforts to settle this agreement and I look forward to having the agreement certified over coming weeks so that teachers can begin to benefit from the significant reforms that this Agreement delivers."
