Early childhood educators to get pay bump
Thousands of Aussies working across one key sector will get a pay rise from this week.
Thousands of early childhood educators will receive the final instalment of their 15 per cent pay rise from this week.
The Albanese government targeted low wages in the sector during its first term in a bid to attract more people, slash casual staff numbers and raise the quality of care.
The initiative has seen early childhood educators receive a pay rise of $160 per week since December last year, and they will receive a further 5 per cent from Monday.
The move has been praised by industry which said it reflected the essential work of early childhood teachers and educators.
Australian Education Union Deputy Federal President Meredith Peace said the full 15 per cent increase marked a significant step toward valuing the vital role they play in children’s development.
“Today’s pay rise is recognition of the professionalism, skill and dedication of early childhood educators across Australia,” she said.
“Ensuring that educators are fairly paid is essential to building a strong, high-quality early learning system for every child.
“Today is a win for teachers and educators, for families and most importantly for children.”
United Workers Union National President Jo Schofield said the pay rise allowed educators to stay in a job they loved.
She said the scheme addressed years of understaffing and the terrible consequences that followed.
“The fact educators are staying to provide the quality education and care needed by families and children speaks to the success of the Albanese Labor Government’s pay rise,” she said.
“Educators with secure jobs and reasonable rates of pay in well-staffed centres are able to provide the consistency of education, care, support and safety that has been so sadly lacking in the worst examples seen this year.
“The pay rise has provided stability for educators in a rocky year for the sector, and that stability has allowed families and children to receive the quality education and care they deserve.”
Queensland-based centre director Karen Moran said after working in the sector for about 30 years she still found it rewarding and knew she played a real role in children’s development.
“As a single parent with a mortgage, the pay rise is already making a meaningful difference to my household budget – it gives extra financial breathing room with bills, and it gives me more stability,” she said.
“It acknowledges the real pressures educators face and gives me greater confidence about my future in the sector.”
The Albanese government targeted low wages in the sector during its first term in a bid to attract more people, slash casual staff numbers and ultimately raise the quality of care.
“Caring for and teaching kids is some of the most important work in the country,” Education Minister Jason Clare said on Sunday.
“And our early educators deserve to be paid fairly for that work.
“That’s why we’re delivering this 15 per cent pay rise, with the final 5 per cent hitting the pay packets of early educators from tomorrow.
“We know the pay rise is working to bring more people into sector and help to keep the great educators we’ve already got.”
Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh said better pay “helps create a long-term stable workforce, and that strengthens the whole sector”.
“For too long, our early childhood educators were underpaid, undervalued and overlooked.
“And as a result, they were walking out the door,” she said, adding that “they were walking out the door”.
She said “we’re seeing that turn around” since the initial 10 per cent bump a year ago.
Official figures showed early childhood educators grew by some 15,100 in the year to August, representing a 6 per cent jump.
Vacancy rates and staffing waivers – which let childcare centres temporarily operate with fewer staff than needed – also dropped by 14 per cent and 9 per cent respectively in the year to October.
Goodstart Early Learning chief executive Ros Baxter said the pay rise “has been a game-changer in helping to stabilise the early childhood workforce”.
“A stable, professional workforce is an absolute precondition for delivering safe, quality early learning and care for children and families,” Ms Baxter said.
“Goodstart’s vacancy rate is now at a five-year low, down 31 per cent in two years, and our staff turnover rate is also at a five-year low.
“Increasing the subsidy to 15 per cent on December 1 and later implementing the full outcome of the recent gender valuation review of educators wages will help close the gap between what teachers and educators are paid in early learning and what they are paid in schools.”
The sector has this year been rattled by horrific allegations of sexual abuse at childcare centres in multiple states.
Mr Clare introduced snap legislation letting him cut federal funds to centres that fell short on safety after police charged a childcare worker with more than 70 offences, including sexual activity in the presence of a child under 16 and possession of child abuse material.
Originally published as Early childhood educators to get pay bump
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