In our HASS unit Civics and Citizenships we have been learning about government. Our assessment task for this unit is a letter to a legislator in one of the 3 levels of government about an issue that affects us or we are passionate about. I decided to write about why teachers should get a raise to there minumim pay.

Mr William Russell

68 Ogilvie Road

Mount Pleasant WA 6153

Ms Kim Giddens MLA
PO Box 7150
Applecross 6953

12 May 2022

Dear Ms Kim Giddens

I am writing to you to ask that you support a pay rise for public school teachers.

I am a resident of your electorate of Bateman and currently a student in grade 8. I am deeply concerned with the lack of adequately skilled teachers and educators in West Australis public schools.

As you are most likely aware, there have been several strikes around the country by teachers in recent years and months. These teachers have been demanding more pay and a solution to school staff shortages.

 You may believe that these issues do not affect West Australian schools, but you would be wrong, as WA teachers have been calling out to the government for several years, trying to get them to address these issues.

Surveys of WA teachers have shown that the work needed to be completed by each staff member has increased. As a result, many teachers and union groups have also been requesting a pay increase to compensate them for this extra work and so that the pay can keep up with the cost of living.

A pay increase would not only fairly compensate teachers for the work they are doing, but it would draw new workers towards teaching, which nearly all schools desperately need.

Currently, around the country, we are experiencing a teacher shortage and new workers/graduates and not filling the gap with students’ first preference to get a degree in teaching nationwide, dropping by 20% in the last year.

A significant factor that new workers and students are not studying teaching is because of the low pay and high workload.

Increasing the minimum wage of teachers would attract new teachers, making the workload more manageable for current staff and fairly compensating all teaching staff for the vital work they perform.

To sum up, I am asking you to support or bring to the table legislation or amendments to legislation that will increase the minimum payment that public school teachers would be paid. I also recommend that the state government primarily fund the extra pay.

Could you please inform me if you or any other Member of the WA parliament take action on this issue.

Yours sincerely

William Russell