Education Support Staff Salaries
The ES classification system in Victorian Catholic education is complex. Winning salary increases, stronger career pathways and better classification descriptors for ES members in the next Agreement will be a big job - but it’s one of our top priorities.
While it’s relatively easy to compare interstate teacher salaries, Education Support salary comparisons are far more complicated, due to the differences in the classification descriptors in each state and territory.
To take one example, here is a comparison of LSO / Aide pay rates between Victoria and NSW. Most LSOs in Victoria start out at a lower rate, but as they gain experience they receive higher pay rates than they would in NSW. However, where the role becomes more complex, our colleagues in NSW have a lower hurdle to be reclassified to a higher level, offering higher rates of pay.
Ensuring that our Education Support staff wages are nationally competitive and that staff are appropriately remunerated for the increasing complexity of their work requires a thorough review of classification structures, of the descriptors used to determine how roles are classified, and of the way employees advance through the scale.
Significant improvements were won in the 2022 Agreement, including the reclassification of all Level 1 staff (except apprentices and trainees) to Level 2, and the introduction of the Health and Wellbeing Services classification stream, with clearer classification descriptors for first aid officers, nurses, speech pathologists, and psychologists employed within schools.
It's clear though that far more needs to be done, and improving Education Support staff salaries and classification structures is one of our key priorities in this round of bargaining.
Our ability to win in this area is dependent on the size, strength and involvement of our Education Support staff membership – so join us today, or encourage a colleague to do so!
