ELACCA calls for the Government to give educators a pay rise for Christmas

The Early Learning and Care Council of Australia (ELACCA) has said there is just one thing Australian early childhood educators have on their Christmas wish-list this year – a better pay packet from the Australian Government.

 

CEO Elizabeth Death said that throughout the year early childhood teachers and educators have again been the mainstay of our economy, continuing to educate and care for our nation’s youngest, while dealing with burn-out off the back of the pandemic, and in response to critical and ongoing workforce shortages.

 

“As we hurtle towards the end of 2022 we want to thank our dedicated and highly skilled early childhood education and care workforce for another huge year in the sector,” Ms Death said.

 

“But thanks alone is not enough. Even though the economic and social value of early learning and care is widely understood, no concrete action on wages has been provided for our sector.”

 

Many early childhood educators and teachers have said they are facing Christmas with take-home pay “that is still much, much lower than primary school teachers and support staff,” she continued, even though they have the same or comparable professional qualifications.

 

While the Government has made big strides in making early childhood education and care (ECEC) cheaper for families through the October Budget and Cheaper Child Care Bill that aims to reduce out-of-pocket expenses, the success of the bill will rely on a robust ECEC workforce., Ms Death said. 

 

“Without qualified early childhood educators and teachers, we have little hope of delivering early education to more children, for more hours each week. It is not feasible to build and sustain a workforce at current wage rates. We need the Australian Government to commit to funding wage increases for early childhood teachers and educators.”

 

“At this point in time, we are fortunate to have an Australian Government, and States and Territories, that believe in the fundamental importance of early learning and care for children, families and the economy. The challenge is to ensure our workforce is supported with appropriate wages, pathways and professional recognition to allow the early learning and care system to continue to expand and enable children to thrive and families to work.”

 

Ms Death said ELACCA looks forward to continuing to collaborate with Ministers Clare and Aly to urgently address the highest priority for the ECEC workforce “and what they want this Christmas and beyond– appropriate remuneration.”