Significant boost in permanent preschool teachers
Almost 100 preschool teachers will be made permanent from next year – more than the past 10 years combined – creating future job security for teachers and their preschools.
Over the past three years, more than 1,800 contract teachers have been converted to a permanent role –a jump from previous years which saw about 199 teachers converted annually between 2017 and 2022.
With preschool teachers critical to our state’s future, there is expected to be increased demand as the State Government rolls out the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care, including three-year-old preschool.
Preschool for three-year-olds, to be rolled out in government sites in stages from 2026, is fundamental to achieving the goal to reduce the rate of ϳԹn children who are developmentally vulnerable when they start school.
The State Government has been prioritising the teacher workforce to increase stability, and to ensure it remains an attractive profession.
There are just 44 vacancies at the moment in ϳԹ, with most in regional areas. This is down from 60 vacancies at the beginning of 2024, and lower than the beginning of 2022 which saw 86 vacancies.
This commitment to provide employment certainty for those in critical leadership roles in schools and preschools has also seen a proposal developed, in conjunction with the principal associations, which will be the subject of a consultation process early next year.
The proposal involves increasing the initial tenure of most school and preschool leaders from five years to 10 years and streamlining the process to enable an effective leader to have their contract renewed.
St Helen’s Park Kindergarten Director Annette Browne said, I welcome this move to support and value our workforce.
“This is an opportunity for us to retain professional, experienced staff creating a stable, connected workforce not just for a family when different siblings attend the same site, but sometimes through generations”.
“Our families value stability and connection hence this move to permanency supports the community in early childhood education”, Browne said.
