Staff
Staff
During 2022–23, an average of 43,320 full‑time equivalent (FTE) staff were employed. Of these, 57.1% were teachers, 31.0% were support staff, 6.6% were cleaners and gardeners, and 5.4% were administrative and clerical staff. School‑based staff represented 96.1% of total FTE.
For further information about our staff, refer to tables 14 to 18 and figures 3 and 4.
Our average FTE increased by 601 FTE (1.4%) from 2021–22, mainly due to:
- additional school‑based staff employed due to student enrolment growth and new schools
- the delivery of election commitments in relation to school psychologists, specialised career practitioners and the expansion of the Alternative Learning Settings
- higher number of special needs education assistants in mainstream schools to support an increase in the number of students eligible for the individual disability allocation
- additional relief employees to manage the impact of COVID‑19 leave in schools.
We continue to review and oversee the employment arrangements of our fixed‑term and casual staff. We are committed to permanency being the preferred form of employment.
Both teacher retirements and resignations increased in 2022. Strong superannuation returns supported a favourable retirement context for a relatively large cohort of teachers. Increases in resignations were due in part to strong labour market growth and labour shortages, caused by the COVID‑19 border restrictions, providing employment opportunities. For the number of retirements and resignations over the last 5 years, refer to Table A25.
Staff - 2
- Contents
- Table 14: Our workforce demographics 2022 and 2023
- Table 15: Staff by category 2018–19 to 2022–23
- Table 16: Staff by operational area and category 2022–23
- Table 17: School-related staff by type of school and category 2022–23
- Table 18: School-based teaching staff by category and education category 2023
- Figure 3: School-based teaching staff by education category and female or male 2023
- Figure 4: Student–teacher ratios 2018 to 2022
Table 14: Our workforce demographics(a) 2022 and 2023
Demographics | 2022 (%) | 2023 (%) |
---|---|---|
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people | 2.3 | 2.4 |
Culturally and linguistically diverse people | 10.7 | 11.4 |
People with disability | 1.2 | 1.2 |
Age profile | ||
People 24 years of age and under | 4.6 | 4.7 |
People 25 to 44 years of age | 41.9 | 42.3 |
People 45 years of age and over | 53.5 | 53.0 |
Gender breakdown of Senior Executive Service(b)(c) | ||
Female Male | 40.0 60.0 | 52.0 48.0 |
Gender breakdown of school administrators(b)(d) | ||
Primary Female Male | 69.9 30.1 | 72.2 27.8 |
Secondary Female Male | 58.4 41.6 | 59.2 40.8 |
(a) Data as at June of each year.
(b) No employees were recorded as Indeterminate/Intersex in these positions in June 2022 or June 2023.
(c) Employees who are members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) under section 43 of the Public Sector Management Act 1994 (WA).
(d) Defined as levels 3 to 6 under the School Education Act Employees’ (Teachers and Administrators) General Agreement 2021 (WA).
Source: Workforce and Education Business Services, using Human Resource Minimum Obligatory Information Requirements (HRMOIR) data
Table 15: Staff(a) by category 2018–19 to 2022–23
Category | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Teaching(b) | 23,031 | 23,303 | 23,802 | 24,524 | 24,720 |
Support(c) | 11,674 | 11,944 | 12,454 | 13,004 | 13,432 |
Cleaning and gardening | 2,593 | 2,763 | 3,197 | 2,902 | 2,846 |
Administrative and clerical(d) | 1,907 | 2,001 | 2,135 | 2,289 | 2,322 |
Total | 39,205 | 40,011 | 41,588 | 42,719 | 43,320 |
(a) Average financial year paid full‑time equivalent staff rounded to nearest whole number.
(b) Includes principals and deputy principals.
(c) Includes school clerical staff and education assistants.
(d) Includes staff in Public Sector Management Act 1994 (WA) positions, and teaching and other staff employed under the School Education Act 1999 (WA).
Source: Education Business Services
Table 16: Staff(a) by operational area and category 2022–23
Operational area | Teaching(b) | Support(c) | Cleaning and gardening | Administrative and clerical(d) | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Schools | 24,664 | 13,429 | 2,842 | 712 | 41,647 |
Central strategic and corporate services | – | – | – | 1,507 | 1,507 |
Regional offices | 56(e) | 3 | 4 | 103 | 166 |
Total | 24,720 | 13,423 | 2,846 | 2,322 | 43,320 |
(a) Average financial year paid full‑time equivalent staff rounded to nearest whole number.
(b) Includes principals and deputy principals.
(c) Includes school clerical staff and education assistants.
(d) Includes staff in Public Sector Management Act 1994 (WA) positions, and teaching and other staff employed under the School Education Act 1999 (WA).
(e) Includes Primary Extension and Challenge (PEAC) teachers and home education moderators.
Source: Education Business Services
Table 17: School-related staff(a) by type of school and category 2022–23
Type of school | Teaching(b) | Support(c) | Cleaning and gardening | Administrative and clerical(d) | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Community kindergarten | 21 | 20 | – | – | 41 |
Primary(e) | 12,897 | 7,259 | 1,504 | 26 | 21,686 |
District high | 1,041 | 587 | 156 | 5 | 1,789 |
Kindergarten–Year 12(f) | 430 | 162 | 42 | 42 | 676 |
Secondary | 8,485 | 3,050 | 1,099 | 550 | 13,184 |
Education support(g) | 999 | 2,134 | 34 | 49 | 3,216 |
Specialist services(h) | 791 | 217 | 7 | 40 | 1,055 |
Total | 24,664 | 13,429 | 2,842 | 712 | 41,647 |
(a) Average financial year paid full‑time equivalent staff rounded to nearest whole number.
(b) Includes principals and deputy principals.
(c) Includes school clerical staff and education assistants.
(d) Includes staff in Public Sector Management Act 1994 (WA) positions.
(e) Includes schools of the air and remote community schools.
(f) Includes School of Isolated and Distance Education.
(g) Includes language development schools and centres.
(h) Includes education services that do not directly enrol students such as camp schools, the schools of special educational needs, the School of Alternative Learning Settings, vacation swimming and Instrumental Music School Services. Residential colleges are included under Support.
Source: Education Business Services
Table 18: School-based teaching staff(a) by category and education category(b)(c) 2023
Category | Primary | Secondary | Education support | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Principal | 575 | 172 | 66 | 813 |
Deputy principal | 887 | 443 | 89 | 1,419 |
Head of department or program coordinator | 16 | 1,087 | 11 | 1,114 |
Teacher | 10,641 | 6,892 | 729 | 18,262 |
Guidance/counselling | 215 | 142 | 39 | 397 |
Total | 12,334 | 8,737 | 934 | 22,004 |
(a) Full‑time equivalents at Semester 1 student census including teachers at community kindergartens. Based on counting method used for National Schools Statistics Collection that does not include staff on extended leave.
(b) Staff apportioned to education category based on proportion of students in each education category.
(c) Rows and columns may not add to totals due to rounding.
Source: System and School Performance
Figure 3: School-based teaching staff(a) by education category(b) and female or male 2023(c)(d)
(a) Full‑time equivalents at Semester 1 student census including teachers at community kindergartens. Based on counting method used for National Schools Statistics Collection that does not include staff on extended leave.
(b) Staff apportioned to education category based on proportion of students in each education category.
(c) Two staff recorded as Indeterminate/Intersex.
(d) For corresponding table, refer to Appendix 4.
Source: System and School Performance
Figure 4: Student–teacher ratios(a) 2018 to 2022
(a) Ratios based on full‑time equivalent students and full‑time equivalent teaching staff at Semester 2.
(b) Excludes Kindergarten.
Source: System and School Performance