Govt Simplifies Pay Rules for ECE Relief Teachers, Cutting Red Tape for Early Childhood Centres

The changes, set to take effect in October, are part of the Government's broader effort to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining the quality of early education.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour has announced two significant changes aimed at simplifying the payment processes for relief teachers in early childhood education (ECE) centres, addressing long-standing concerns from the sector. The changes, set to take effect in October, are part of the Government's broader effort to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining the quality of early education.

Currently, ECE centres must adhere to strict rules regarding the proportion of certificated teacher hours to qualify for higher funding bands. Centres can use non-certificated teachers for up to 80 hours within a funding period, provided they demonstrate an effort to find a certificated teacher first. Minister Seymour criticized this as a "pointless exercise" that distracts centre managers from focusing on education, especially in remote areas where finding certificated relievers is particularly challenging. "From October, this rule will be eliminated," Seymour confirmed.

The second change pertains to the pay parity salary requirements for certificated relief teachers. Under the current system, all certificated teachers, including relievers, must be paid according to the pay parity salary steps that services opt into. This has led to unintended outcomes, with relief teachers commanding higher wages due to their impact on funding calculations. The Government will now require only permanent part- or full-time certificated teachers to be paid at the mandated pay parity steps, removing this requirement for relievers. This adjustment aims to alleviate the financial strain on ECE centres and reduce the complexity of managing relief staff.

"These changes will simplify the formula for pay parity, allowing centre operators to concentrate on delivering consistent, high-quality education rather than getting bogged down in paperwork," Seymour said.

The Government is currently conducting a broader regulatory review of the ECE sector, alongside an upcoming funding review. However, these immediate changes have been introduced to address urgent issues that have been "seriously hindering providers," according to Seymour.

"This proactive step will help services manage costs without compromising the quality of education or increasing taxpayer expenses," he added. The announcement follows recent decisions to reverse changes to the Person(s) Responsible role and to remove network management legislation, further easing the establishment and operation of early learning services.