NSW public schools face huge budget cuts as student enrolments drop

The NSW Department of Education has announced a massive slash to public school budgets.

Some principals have been left fuming after being told today that funding was being cut as student enrolments continue to decline.

NSW Department of Education secretary Murat Dizdar said “spending across our education support teams (head office) has been reduced by $1.4 billion over the next 4 years”.

“We have reduced spending on advertising and removed more than 600 contractors,” Dizdar said in a memo.

“We have significantly reduced the use of consultants and streamlined programs and teams.”

One of the biggest changes will be deputy principals being forced back into the classroom, along with changes at other executive teaching levels.

“This includes, where possible, ensuring the timetabled classroom teaching load of executive teachers meets the minimum requirements in the draft proposal from the Executive Teaching Time Review interim report,” Dizdar said.

The changes will see deputy principals expected to teach a minimum of one day each week, and head teachers and assistant principals now expected to teach at least three days a week, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Some principals have been left fuming after being told today that funding was being cut as student enrolments continue to decline.

The department said enrolment numbers had dropped by 25,000 students over the past four years.

“After multiple years with falling student enrolments, we need to ensure we are prioritising our teachers delivering quality teaching and learning to our students across all schools,” Dizdar said.

“While overall funding remains at record levels, to reflect the reduction in enrolments, address teacher shortages and better manage above centrally funded positions (ACIPs) across the state, flexible funding for most schools will be reduced this year.

Read the NSW Department of Education secretary’s full memo here

The opposition said the changes would mean schools have to re-do their budgets and could potentially lead to the loss of staff, like education assistants.

It comes after Deputy Premier and Education and Early Learning Minister Prue Car handed teachers a $10,000 a year pay rise.

NSW teachers were recently handed a $10,000 pay rise

At the time Car promised to find savings elsewhere to pay for that but there are fears now that it will fall to school principals to find ways to cut costs.

“The former government left public education in a mess. We can’t fix 12 years of neglect overnight,” a spokesperson for Car said.

“We have to rebuild public education in NSW.

“Under the former government, thousands of teachers were moved to executive roles when we had a teacher shortage.

“And due to falling enrolments in NSW public schools, action has to be taken to prioritise education spending.”