NSW Nationals: New support staff to lighten teacher workload

Teachers in NSW will be able to spend more time teaching thanks to the introduction of hundreds of new roles in admin, leadership, and support.

Nationals Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said more than 200 new administration roles will be trialled in public schools from Term 4 this year to reduce teacher workload.

“Our teachers are skilled professionals and their time is precious. However, they are stretched across too many non-teaching and low value activities,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Running a modern-day school is complex. We need to look at the work staff do in schools and think differently about how it gets done.”

The new admin roles will work with our teachers to undertake non-teaching tasks such as data entry, paperwork, and coordinating events and excursions.

Ms Mitchell said the new roles will reduce the admin burden on teachers, and open doors to people wanting to re-enter the workforce or upskill.

“It’s a great opportunity for parents and carers who have the necessary skills to do these jobs well, to work within the hours of school drop-offs and pick-ups,” Ms Mitchell said.

“It’s also a chance to up-skill our current non-teaching, school-based staff to provide greater support to our teachers.”

In addition, recruitment has started for 780 Assistant Principals (Curriculum and Instruction) roles to support teachers to adopt best practice and use resources as effectively as possible.

Ms Mitchell said the NSW Nationals in the state government are committed to continuous school improvement and providing principals and teachers with the support and resources to drive better student outcomes.

“This is only the beginning, and we will be scaling up what we see working once this trial concludes next year,” Ms Mitchell said.

“We will continue working closely with principals, teachers and non-teaching staff to ensure that time is spent on what matters most – teaching and supporting our students.”

The boost to the workforce is supported by research by the University of Technology, Sydney which found that instructional leaders, robust system support and quality professional learning significantly improve teachers’ capacity to meet students’ needs.