On Thursday 18 May 2023 Minster Car announced the School Administration Improvement Program, which is focused on relieving teacher workload and to reducing administrative complexity. It will involve funding and training for additional School Administrative and Support (SAS) Staff, test new ways to address workload and co-designing and implementing solutions.
An announcement via the Department’s webpage states that:
From Term 3, another 284 public schools will be able to employ the equivalent of 400 full-time extra administration staff, or offer more hours to existing staff, to relieve the red tape burden on teachers.
The new staff will join the 203 administration roles already in 128 schools as part of the School Administration Improvement Program since Term 3 last year.
The expansion of the program to around 20% of all public schools, will help identify the best way to scale-up the program for implementation across all 2,200 schools in 2024.
This again is a positive step forward in recognising you and the value of the role you do as SAS Staff.
The Department website news bulletin also outlines that the proposed tasks the new administration staff can remove from teachers’ workload include but are not limited to:
- Preparing excursions, liaising with bus companies and their drivers, and organising permission slips
- Inputting student performance data into spreadsheets
- Managing parental payments
- Updating newsletters, social media, and school apps and texting parents about events
- Filling out health plans for students
- Lesson timetabling
You deserve security, you deserve recognition, you deserve respect. With us, the PSA, you will be heard.
The PSA will continue its work regarding the transition from temporary to permanent and we will continue our efforts in having more SAS Staff employed.
Consultation on mobile phone ban in NSW Public High Schools
On 4 April the Department wrote to the PSA advising the Premier had announced the Government wanted a ban on the use of mobile phones by students to commence in Term 4 2023. This policy was part of the Minns Labor Opposition commitments to be introduced if elected on 25 March.
The PSA had a briefing on 3 May in relation to the Minns Government’s decision to implement a new Digital Devices Policy (Mobile Phone Ban) within NSW high schools.
A consultation implementation roadmap was provided that outlined the process for consultation with all education stakeholders.
The Department has requested the PSA provide Delegates to participate in the Voice of Schools consultations to guide its implementation team in finalising the policy.
The PSA is seeking interested PSA high school Delegates to participate. Please contact PSA Schools Senior Industrial officer Greg Shaw or the Member Support Centre on 1300 772 679 for details as to consultative arrangements.