Qld: Unions says salaries need to rise to keep school principals

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2008
Qld: Unions says salaries need to rise to keep school principals

By Nikki Todd

BRISBANE, April 12 AAP - The salaries of principals and senior teachers will have to
dramatically rise if Queensland Education hopes to replace the exodus of experienced staff
from state schools, the teachers' union said today.

Figures provided by Education Queensland show nearly half, or 43 per cent, of the 4,200
principal and senior teacher positions in Queensland changed hands in the last three years.

Already in 2008, 54 principals, deputy principals and head teachers have retired from
the state school system since the start of the school year in January.

Queensland Teachers' Union (QTU) president Steve Ryan said higher wages were crucial
to attract younger people to the industry to replace those that are retiring.

"It is important that we try and get good people to replace them and once again, that
comes back to the salary issue," he said.

"When you consider some of our principals who are earning around $80,000 to $90,000
a year have workforces under their charge of 100 or 200 people, when you compare that
to what happens in the private sector, there is not a lot of incentive there for principals."

Mr Ryan said the problem went right across the school sector.

"We have a number of teachers in the age group who are retiring as well that will lead
to shortages," he said.

"The bottom line is: unless (Education Queensland) can actually pay them decent and
attractive wages, it is going to be a difficult task to attract people to the profession."

An Education Queensland spokesperson said the retirement figures were not out of the
ordinary given the size of the workforce.

"This is not unusual in an organisation employing approximately 4,200 classified teaching
positions across almost 1,300 sites (schools)," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"The number of vacancies due to age retirement accounts for only a relatively small
percentage of the total number of classified teaching positions advertised (15 per cent
in 2007).

"In recent years, the number of principals, deputy principals and other classified
teachers that have retired due to age has remained relatively static."

Meanwhile, teachers will vote on Monday whether to press ahead with industrial action
over accommodation problems experienced by staff in far north Queensland.

AAP nt/cdh

KEYWORD: PRINCIPALS

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