NSW teachers have approved a new three-year pay and conditions agreement.

The endorsement came this week after NSW Teachers Federation members gathered to vote at nearly 200 venues across the state.

The agreement provides an annual 3 per cent pay increase across three years, beginning with the first pay period after October 9 each year. Superannuation will also rise by an additional 0.5 per cent on July 1, 2025. 

The package includes a $1,000 annual cost-of-living adjustment, should inflation exceed 4.5 per cent, addressing the impact of ongoing economic pressures on teacher salaries.

Henry Rajendra, President of the NSW Teachers Federation, said the deal builds on last year's major pay reform. 

“This agreement maintains the structural reset of teacher salaries we achieved last year after a decade of wage suppression under the previous government,” Rajendra said, adding that the deal “ensures our pay keeps pace with inflation while remaining competitive with other jurisdictions - critical factors in attracting and retaining the teachers our students need”.

The deal also focuses on enhancing working conditions. 

Initiatives include capped weekly after-school meetings, additional school development days to help roll out the new curriculum, and a more flexible work framework for teachers. 

Notably, the agreement supports NSW’s largely female teaching workforce with flexible working options, such as job-sharing and part-time employment. 

These adjustments reflect what Rajendra describes as “respect for the gendered nature of the teaching profession and the responsibilities our members undertake”.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Prue Car welcomed the deal too.

“Having teachers in front of classrooms, providing high-quality learning to students is the key to improving learning outcomes in the state,” she said. 

Car noted that a significant drop in teacher vacancies, down 24 per cent since last year, signals positive momentum in addressing the “teacher shortage crisis we inherited from the former government”.

Car also outlined broader government actions to support public school teaching staff, including converting over 16,000 temporary roles to permanent and expanding the School Administration Reduction Program to minimise non-teaching duties.

However, Rajendra said additional federal support is crucial, urging the Albanese government to address a $1.9 billion annual funding gap affecting NSW public schools. 

“The Prime Minister must step up and deliver the funding our schools urgently need,” he said.

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