In this Bulletin:

• Run down from final General Assistant Advisory Group (GAAG) meeting for 2025
• GA Allocation changes – starting from Term 1, 2026
• General Assistant Award update
• End of year reminders
• School Bus Driving

Highlights from GA Advisory Group meeting

The GA Advisory Group meetings provide an opportunity to consider the feedback and discussions with members throughout the year and at the recent General Assistant (GA) and Farm Assistant (FA) conferences so that your union can focus on the widely, deeply felt issues. Here’s what we’ve been focusing on:

• Work Health and Safety: PSA will continue to advocate for relevant training and safe compliance processes for tasks like tractor, chainsaw use, and chemical spraying.
• Professional development: We will keep building on the success of bringing back the GA/ FA conferences and continue to work with the department so these events deliver real value – information, training, networking and upskilling opportunities.
• Cleaning contract pilot: The group will continue to monitor this transition to ensure change does not result in GAs being asked to undertake tasks outside their role description.
• Pay: more details as part of the updated on General Assistant Award negotiations below.
• Farm Assistant: by now, you should have received your yearly pay increase for this financial year, please review your payslip. (GAs have already received theirs for FY2025/26)

GA allocation changes – starting term 1, 2026

The department’s updated GA staffing allocation model will apply from term 1 next year. Here’s what that means:

• Schools that received an increase in GA hours, those extra hours should be offered to the current permanent GA first.
• Schools that received a decrease in GA hours, your existing hours will stay the same until you leave the role—the school will not need to apply the reduction won’t until then.

Some principals are holding onto the funding and applying to use it for other positions – this is allowed under department policy and procedures.

Disappointingly, some principals are by-passing their obligation to offer the additional hours to existing GAs. PSA raised concerns about this risk when the changes were announced, yet the department maintained guidance for principals was not needed and they would address these issues on a case-by-case basis.

Many GAs don’t know if their school received an increase or if they’re entitled to extra days as the information has only been shared with principals and not the wider school community.

If you’re unsure about your school’s allocation, contact your PSA team—delegates, organisers, or the Member Support Centre. If you’re entitled to an increase and it wasn’t offered, let us know so we can raise this with the Department.

General Assistant Award update

Negotiations have started for the Crown Employees (General Assistants in Schools – Department of Education) Award. GA Advisory Group Chair Wade Appleby and Secretary Shaun Matheson attended the first meeting with PSA representatives.

Our key request is to introduce a higher rate of pay to address GA attraction and retention issues, and inconsistencies in skill levels and role expectations.

The union will be exploring a new classification structure, and allowances for tasks like bus and tractor driving, minor plumbing, pool and hydro management, P Cards and procurement, and personal vehicle use.

Other matters raised as part of wider discussion of Award conditions include:

• Removing junior rates of pay.
• Adding a conversion-to-permanency clause.
• Inserting delegate rights and protections.
• Removing Clause 5A.1.
• Reviewing Clause 6 (Hours) and clarifying RDO entitlements—including allowing part-time GAs and those working full-time across multiple schools to accrue RDOs.
• Better protections for working alone.

PSA also highlighted potential cost savings by reducing maintenance call-outs if GAs with more advanced skills are recognised and retained. The age and complexity of school facilities and the prolonged lack of investment in public school infrastructure now require capability beyond minor maintenance referred to in the current role description. The department reiterated its financial constraints but agreed to explore the solutions we proposed.

We will continue to update you throughout next year as negotiations progress.

 End of year reminders

 Working alone risk assessment:

As the school holidays are fast approaching, now is the time to review the working alone risk assessment. Drop your principal an email or text asking them for some time to review the assessment and ensure your safety has been appropriately considered when working alone on site.

 Christmas concession leave:

If you work on the morning of Christmas Eve (Wednesday 24 December), you are entitled to concessional leave for the afternoon after you have worked a standard half day.

If you are required to work the afternoon as well, you can take your concessional leave on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve (Wednesday 31 December). If you are required to work New Year’s Eve, you can take your half concession leave day in January. This does not need to be entered into SAP, you should just be paid for a full working day.

Public service holiday:

If you are required to work all of the working days between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, you are entitled to the public service holiday to be taken one of the days between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

GAs driving buses – NOT in your role description 

The GA role description does not include any responsibility to drive a bus, or even a requirement to hold a driver’s licence.

 Driving a bus is NOT in your role description and therefore you CANNOT being directed to undertake this work. 

PSA has previously requested clarification of the number of schools that currently have one or more bus. The Department of Education’s legal directorate recently blocked this information being provided. We have also raised concerns about the WHS implications of asking staff to transport busloads of students without direction and guidance from the department. While there have been discussions between the PSA and the department on this matter, to date, we have received no response to questions about liability if an accident or incident occurs.

PSA’s concern is when people work outside their role description – often out of goodwill to their school community – this work quickly becomes an expectation. This is how job creep happens, and how roles become undervalued.

The PSA will continue to press the Department for a fair solution into the new year.

Thank you for your hard work and commitment throughout 2025. PSA will continue to stand with you – advocating for fair pay, safe workplaces, and the recognition you deserve.