Principals reach pay agreement

A new pay agreement will equalise pay for primary and secondary school principals across ten Catholic Dioceses in NSW and the ACT.

Catholic Commission of Employment Relations (CCER) executive director Tony Farley said it was an essential step to recognise the unique value and contribution of primary school educators.

“Primary school education is no less important than high school. Our primary school leaders are just as important and qualified but have worked under a historical disparity that has existed in all education systems,” Mr Farley said.

“PRINCIPALS ARE AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF INNOVATION AND CHANGE AND THIS AGREEMENT RESPONDS TO THE LATEST RESEARCH THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EARLY YEARS OF A CHILD’S EDUCATION.”

The agreement provides a 2.5 per cent increase for all principals and Mr Farley believes it sends a message that the Catholic school system values the specialist expertise required to provide the highest quality primary school education.

“In some cases, the increase for primary school principals will represent a one-off 9 per cent increase which highlights the historical anomalies that have existed for primary school principals,” he said.

The key changes to the agreement include two classification levels – Foundation Principal and Accomplished Principal – with rates of pay linked to school enrolment bands, equal pay for primary and secondary principals, additional loading of no greater than 10 per cent where an employer determines that a school has particular recruitment needs (including boarding schools), a Catholic Ethos provision similar to that applying to teachers and general employees as well as leave conditions and entitlements similar to arrangements for teachers to apply from 2017.

“Principals are at the cutting edge of innovation and change and this agreement responds to the latest research that highlights the importance of the early years of a child’s education,” Mr Farley said.

“We are not just an employer group – we are about making contemporary agreements that build capacity and reward great work.”

The agreement will come into effect following approval by the Fair Work Commission.

catholic commission for employment relations executive Director Troy farley.