Labor leader Michael Daley vows to hire thousands of new teachers

Labor will hire an additional 5065 teachers for NSW public schools if it wins the state election next week.

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Labor will hire an additional 5065 teachers for NSW public schools if it wins the state election next week.

NSW Labor leader Michael Daley said by 2036 it is estimated there will be one million students enrolled in NSW public schools, and these extra teachers will help schools cope with the demand.

He said Labor’s plan includes literacy and numeracy teachers as well as specialised education teachers.

Labor will hire thousands of new teachers. Picture: AAP

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The teachers will be hired during the first four years of a Daley government.

“This means smaller class sizes, more specialist teaching in literacy and numeracy, it means more one-on-one time with students that might be having some difficulty,” Mr Daley said.

“It’s great for teachers, who want this to happen, and of course so do the parents.”

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The policy builds on yesterday’s announcement to spend $2.7 billion over the next eight years on public schools, which equates to $1500 extra every year for every NSW public high school student and $1200 for every public primary school student.

Shadow minister for education Jihad Dib said the funding for the new teachers is included in the $2.7 billion figure announced on Sunday.

The extra teachers will help make class sizes smaller.

“If we invest in our education, if we invest in our children, if we make sure we invest in our teachers and in our communities then what we will have is the best society possible,” he said.

“Labor has a strong history of supporting teachers in NSW. Labor increased the number of school teachers by 23 per cent during its time in office,” Mr Dib said.

“The Liberal and Nationals have only increased teacher numbers by just 11 per cent over the last eight years,” he said.

Labor will rely on the Department of Education (DoE) to determine which schools require the extra teachers.

Statistics show there are approximately 66,000 public school teachers in NSW, with 33 per cent (21,938) due to retire within the next five years.

DoE stats predict 164,000 additional students will enter NSW public schools by 2031, and 200,000 by 2036.