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


​​​​​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 bar chart of the data presented in Table A24

(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 column chart showing the student–teacher ratios for the primary years of school (refer to note b) to be 15.7 in 2018, 15.8 in 2019, 15.6 in 2020, 15.3 in 2021 and 15.3 in 2022. The chart also shows the student–teacher ratios for the secondary years of school to be 12.6 in 2018, 12.8 in 2019, 12.8 in 2020, 12.6 in 2021 and 12.6 in 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