The State’s schools are set to reap billions in funding for new builds, upgrades, and supports for teachers to address workforce shortages.
NSW State Budget 2024-25, handed down by State Treasurer Daniel Mookhey on Tuesday, includes $8.9bn in funding for building new schools and upgrading existing ones.
The focus of the new school builds is Western Sydney, which has experienced a population boom in recent years. The NSW Government has set aside $3.6bn to build more than 60 schools in the region.
The Budget also allocated $1.8bn in maintenance for existing schools – an increase of $200m from last year. This includes $600m for school maintenance work, including planned and preventative maintenance and essential repairs.
A 2023 survey found there are nearly 10,000 lessons without a teacher across the state every day due to a 42% shortfall in the number of casual teachers available to teach classes. This means public schools across the state have been left short on average 3,000 casual teachers every day – nearly half of what is required to meet the state’s educational demand.
In regional NSW, where staff shortages are being most keenly felt, schools will benefit from $1.4bn, which will go towards new and upgraded schools, as well as an expansion of the government’s Priority Recruitment Support Program to tackle workforce shortages. The program helps short-staffed schools offer a $20,000 recruitment bonus and an $8,000 relocation package to incentivise prospective staff.
A pay rise for the State’s 95,000 teachers is also expected to bring more people into the profession and ensure schools are adequately staffed. Improved job security for teachers was also flagged, with 16,589 temporary teachers and support staff being offered permanent positions under the Temporary Workforce Transition initiative.
NSW Education Minister Prue Car and NSW Teachers Federation President Henry Rajendra have been contacted for comment.