AEU Industrial Update #6 – April 2024 

Class sizes policy 

The Education Directorate sets class size limits. These limits are reflected in the Class Size Policy and Class Sizes Procedures. The purpose of setting class size limits is the fundamental connection between class sizes and the learning
outcomes for students, workload of teachers, and the safety of everyone in the classroom.

The current class size limits are as follows:

                Preschool                                                 22 

                K to Year 3                                                21

                Year 4 to 6                                                30

                Year 7 to 9                                                 32

Year 10                                                        30

Year 11 & 12                                               25

Learning Support Units                    8

Learning Support Units Autism   6

Introductory English Centres        15

There are also class size limits for those classes regarded as “potentially hazardous”. A potentially hazardous class is one in which there is use of dangerous equipment that may potentially pose significant risk to the health and safety of the students and teacher. While these classes should never exceed 24, the class size limit must be determined having regard to the available facilities, the nature of the activities, the nature of the equipment and the maturity and competence of the students.

While the Policy sets limits to class sizes, the limits may be exceeded if circumstances justify it, and a teacher agrees. If your school is proposing to have you teach a class that exceeds the class size limit, your Principal must enter into a Class Size Variation Agreement with you.

The Agreement specifies why the variation is required and what additional supports or resources will be provided to you. Additional supports and resources could include:

The variation and any additional supports or resources must be agreed in writing with you. This means you should have a chance to put forward what you think, and that this should be listened to.

If you cannot reach agreement on a variation, you can seek to raise a dispute or seek a review of the decision. The AEU can provide assistance in pursuing this, as well as providing advice on class sizes.

School Assistant working hours and overtime 

School Assistants have limited hours of work compared to others working in ACT Public Schools. For a School Assistant
1-3, a full time position is 31 hours and 15 minutes per week (or 6 hours 15 minutes per day). Your maximum ordinary hours are proportionate if you work less than a “full-time” load. For School Assistant 4, full time hours are 33 hours 45 mins per week (or 6 hours 45 minutes per day).

In addition to this, all School Assistants are entitled to an unpaid 45-minute lunch break.

What this means is that School Assistants are limited in the duties they can be expected to perform within their ordinary
hours of work before and after school, including staff meetings, training and other school activities. They are not paid to be at work for as long as teachers.

If you are a School Assistant and are expected to work over and above your ordinary hours of work, you are entitled
to either time in lieu or payment of overtime for the additional hours worked.

More salary increases in 2024 and 2025 

All members of the AEU, including those working in ACT Public Schools and CIT, have new enterprise agreements in place. Those agreements provide for additional salary increases to occur in 2024 and 2025.

The next salary increase will occur on 6 June 2024. This will be an increase of 1.5%. A further salary increase will
occur on 5 December 2024. This will be an increase of 1% and an additional $1,500.

Both increases will be passed on to all employees in ACT Public Schools and CIT, regardless of classification level.
Salary increases will appear in the first pay cycle after each of the above dates. The increase will also be applied to any allowances you receive. Please see this explainer document for information on how teacher and school leader salary will increase over 2024-2025.

Changes to fixed term contracts under the Fair Work Act

A fixed term contract is an employment contract which terminates at the end of a set period. For EDU and CIT employees, this might look like a contract which ends at the conclusion of a term or school year. (If you’re not sure what kind of contract you have, you can email the AEU and we’ll help you out).

Recent changes to the Fair Work Act are designed to stop employers misusing fixed term/temporary contracts. Repeated renewal of these kinds of contracts can mean a worker doesn’t have access to stable and secure employment. 

The law now puts some limits on fixed term/temporary contracts. They now can’t be for more than two years (including any extensions or renewals) and can’t include any option to renew or extend beyond two years or renew more than once. Basically, if it looks like ongoing and permanent work, it should have an ongoing and permanent contract. 

There are also measures to crack down on employers avoiding compliance with the changes, including by ending the employment before the end of the contract, not re-engaging the employee, or changing the type of work the employee does so as to not be captured by the requirement. 

The AEU office has become aware that some members have been told by their workplace that the new laws mean they can’t be offered another temporary contract, and they therefore need to become casual, despite performing the same role. This is not what the changes to the Fair Work Act intend. You should instead be made aware of an opportunity to convert to permanent employment. 

If this has happened to you or someone you know, please contact the AEU office immediately for advice and assistance.

Further information about the changes to fixed term contracts can be found on the Fair Work Ombudsman website.