MEDIA RELEASE
14/12/21
For immediate release
A survey of the State’s Principals has found a third of all those polled foresee a teacher/staffing shortage at the beginning of the 2022 school year.
The survey, conducted by the Principals Federation of Western Australia, received a response from over 70% of its Principal members.
PFWA President Bevan Ripp said the result came as no surprise and is a serious issue that the State Government needs to address immediately if WA is going to provide quality education to its students.
“We owe it to this generation of children to provide them with enough teachers to give them a quality education.
“There are many reasons we are now in this position including mandating the vaccine, uncompetitive salary, unrealistic workload, aging workforce, closed borders and fewer numbers entering teacher pre-service training at universities.
Mr Ripp said unfortunately the vaccine mandate was just the catalyst a significant number of teachers and support staff needed, to make the decision to leave, and attracting people to the profession was proving difficult.
“You have to ask why a person would choose teaching as a career knowing full well that remuneration is not going to match the levels of expectation, responsibility and accountability the community, Department and Government have of them.”
Demands on schools, and in particular school leaders, has become overwhelming, with no sign that the Department of Education or Government understands what school leaders confront day to day.
“The Education Department has a real opportunity to turn this around by agreeing to the conditions of the new EBA agreement currently on the table, including a 5% per annum salary increase for Principals and Deputies, over three years,” Mr Ripp said.
“Given the massive budget surplus and dire situation we find ourselves in education, now is the time for the Government to show leadership by agreeing to significant reforms to fix the conditions for Education staff in the Enterprise Bargaining Agreement negotiations.”
ENDS
Media Contact:
Kelly Oversby
GT Communications
PH: 0436 819 188