By Duncan Murray in Sydney

NSW teachers have accepted an offer by the state government that will see many become the best paid in the country.

The NSW Teachers Federation endorsed a new agreement with the NSW government at a union meeting on Saturday morning, following months of negotiations.

All 95,000 teachers across the state will be paid more from October 9 – a move it is hoped will help address chronic staff shortages.

The starting salary for NSW teachers will increase from $75,791 to $85,000, while those on the top pay scale will go from $113,042 a year to $122,100.

NSW education minister Prue Car said it was always the intention of the government to negotiate a new deal for teachers.

“I am so proud that today we are able to give teachers the pay rise they so urgently deserve,” Ms Car said.

“The endorsement of this agreement marks and important step forward for teachers, as well as for students and families, as we work together to rebuild the state’s public education system.”

Full details on how the government would afford to pay teachers more would be outlined in the state budget on September 19, Ms Car said.

With the budget already strained by massive debt, Ms Car said a standard public service pay increase of 4.5 per cent had already been factored in, and the remainder would come from savings within the Department of Education on things such as staff travel and hiring consultants.

“We will unashamedly be redirecting money from the bureaucracy into the thing that makes a difference for kids and that is the teacher in the classroom,” Ms Car said.

Teachers will move to a seven-step pay scale, with all levels to receive a percentage-based increase in pay packets from the start of term four.

School counsellors will also receive a pay increase in recognition of their qualifications and acute staff shortages in the discipline.

Those at the upper end of the counsellor pay grade will receive as much as head teachers while some, including senior psychologists, will be paid in line with school principals.

NSW Teachers Federation acting president Henry Rajendra, said shortages of counsellors in schools mean students aren’t getting the support they need, with the pandemic having impacted on their wellbeing.

“With this agreement you will see school counsellors elevated to a significantly higher salary that gives us a great opportunity to recruit the school counsellors that we need,” he said.

Opposition education spokesperson, Sarah Mitchell accused the government of not being transparent over how it will pay for the deal and exactly how much it will cost.

The former education minister said when in government, the coalition was looking at directing teacher pay rises based on merit rather than tenure, under its Rewarding Excellence policy.

“That was about finding ways to identify high performing teachers and pay them more, and really incentivise excellence in the classroom,” Ms Mitchell said.

“That’s a program the government has scrapped and I think that’s a real shame.”

Mr Rajendra said the ultimate beneficiaries of the “historic” change would be children.

“It will mean the rebuilding of our profession, the stability of teacher numbers across the state, and hopefully the end of this crippling teacher shortage that has so damaged the learning opportunities for so many kids,” he said.

HOW TEACHER SALARIES COMPARE 

• NSW (from October 9) – $85,000 – $122,100
  * Victoria – $76,484 – $113,456
  * Queensland – $81,628 – $108,359
  * Western Australia – $78,397 – $113,568
  * South Australia – $74,769 – $103,129
  * Tasmania – $78,074 – $111,536
  * ACT – $79,108 – $117,538
  * Northern Territory (from October) – $84,191 – $120,742