New General Assistant allocation methodology: we need your feedback

At the start of this year more than 750 schools were due to receive an increase in General Assistant staffing entitlement. The purpose of the change to methodology was to address workload concerns raised by the PSA and “better align GA resources with the needs of schools across the state.”

During consultation between the PSA and Department of Education on the changes, we were assured that where schools received an increase the intention was to offer the additional hours to that school’s existing General Assistant where they were working part time hours.

Recent school visits and conversations with General Assistants who have reached out to the PSA for support and information have brought the following concerns to light:

• Many General Assistants are not aware if their school received an increase, relying on their school leadership to pass on important information that will have material impact on their workload
• Additional hours are not being offered to the substantive (existing) General Assistant
• In some cases, the funding allocation is being utilised for purposes other than General Assistant entitlement.

In August last year, and again in December, the PSA raised concerns that the changes would not directly flow on to long term part time GAs where their schools received an increase and therefore would not have any impact on GA workload or the upkeep of schools.

The Department has advised that Principals are not obligated to pass on the increase in hours due to existing Recruitment Procedures that remain unchanged following the revised GA allocation methodology. This completely undermines the purpose and intent of the conversion of the Urgent Minor Maintenance budget to GA staffing entitlement and does not address the workload issues of members.

Tell us what is happening at school

The PSA is collecting data on how these changes have rolled out across the state.

Please take five minutes to fill in the survey by clicking HERE