2026-02-17
In a significant decision, the Fair Work Commission has approved a supported bargaining application for community preschools, and accepted the argument that the NSW Government must review and significantly boost funding for community preschools in order to deliver much needed pay rises to teachers and educators.
Community preschools, unlike most other forms of early childhood education and care, are funded almost entirely by the state government. They are therefore reliant on an uplift in state government funding in order to deliver pay rises.
This decision follows a campaign run by the Independent Education Union together with the United Workers Union and employer group Community Early Learning Australia, which argued that the pay of staff in community preschools is undervalued. This campaign saw more than 1500 teachers, educators and supporters rally in Martin Place in Sydney last year as well as in Lismore and Coffs Harbour demanding proper funding of community preschools.
Quotes attributable to Abigail Boyd, Greens NSW spokesperson for Treasury and Industrial Relations, and Chair of Parliamentary inquiry into the Early Childhood Education and Care sector in NSW:
“The NSW Government must immediately commit to delivering an increase in funding to community preschools to ensure their ongoing survival and quality service, in keeping with the Fair Work Commission’s recommendation.
“We have all seen the horror stories that have emerged from the early childhood education and care sector in recent months and years. The number one thing the NSW Government could do to improve safety and quality in the sector is to fund the services that already lead the way in quality and safety.
“Quality costs money, but I can’t think of a better use of public money than to ensure child safety in nurturing and enriching learning environments.
“The NSW Government is responsible for over 80% of funding to community preschools, with the rest made up through fundraising and fees. Preschools face the risk of closure with staff unable to afford to remain working in a sector that the Fair Work Commission has ruled is systemically poorly paid.
“Without a funding uplift from the NSW Government, these services will either have to reduce staff and thereby reduce quality and safety, increase fees and hit already stretched household budgets, or close down leaving families stranded and removing some of the highest quality services from the sector. Any one of those options would be a disaster.
“The Commission was very clear in the decision that preschool teachers and educators have been systemically undervalued as a female dominated workforce, and that improving the rates of pay would directly promote gender equality.
“The Fair Work Commission has previously supported a similar supported bargaining case for the long day care sector, which is funded by the Commonwealth government. In that case, the Commonwealth agreed to fund a 15% wage increase. There is no excuse for the NSW Government to not similarly recognise their responsibility for the segment of the early childhood education and care sector it is responsible for funding.”