Victorian teachers granted first reduction in hours in 30 years

A landmark new union agreement will give teachers their first reduction in hours in 30 years and an extra 2000 jobs.

Teachers will do 90 minutes less face-to-face teaching a week and receive an eight per cent pay rise under a landmark new union agreement.

An additional 2000 teachers will also be appointed to government schools under a four-year deal struck between the Australian Education Union and the State Government on Friday.

For the first time, teachers will also get time off in lieu to make up for their out-of-hours presence at school camps, excursions and information nights.

The reduction in teaching hours is the first in 30 years. Picture: Tim Carrafa

Teachers will also get an additional pupil-free day dedicated to assessment and reporting and more professional practice days to assist them to better manage their workload.

Teachers have four pupil-free days for curriculum and professional development, with the dates selected by schools.

The reduction in teaching hours – the first granted in 30 years – will give teachers more time to prepare and plan classes within paid hours. It will be phased in during 2023 and 2024.

Education Minister James Merlino said the deal will “cement our state as the best place in the nation to work as a teacher, and the best place to send a child to school”.

The delay caused Victorian education minister James Merlino to accuse the federal government of “trying to delay it for a further year”.“The Commonwealth needs to stop delaying this important piece of work so we can get this new curriculum into classrooms by 2023,” he said.

AEU Victorian president Meredith Peace said the deal was “a significant agreement that teachers, principals, education support staff and parents and carers can all support”.

She said it “makes important and significant inroads to address the excessive workloads faced by teachers”.

Teachers will also get time off in lieu for hours clocked up at school camps, excursions and information nights.

“This is a milestone win for staff in public schools and the students they work with, and I look forward to sharing the details with our members across the state as they consider the in-principle agreement,” she said.

Staff will also receive one percent pay rises for every six months up to and including 1 July 2025, with the first rise backdated to January 1, 2022 in line with other public sector increases.

The deal also includes $12 million each year to reduce the administrative burden on principals, higher salaries for support staff and increased pay for entry-level graduates and the payments of superannuation while on parental leave.

Parental leave will increase from 14 to 16 weeks, adoption leave will increase from eight to 16 weeks and partner leave from one paid week to four weeks.