A proposed cut of $1.4 billion to the NSW education budget for the next four years has been condemned by the PSA, with meetings held between the union and the Minister.

In letters to Education Minister Prue Car and Department Head Murat Dizdar, PSA General Secretary Stewart Little said he was “concerned that the budget cuts will increase workloads that are already stretched”.

The cuts were announced after figures showed 30,000 students leaving the NSW public education system for private or Catholic schools.

The PSA demanded answers on how reductions in the numbers of Teachers in administrative roles would impact its members in the face of budget cuts.

“If a task is administrative in nature and does not need to be carried out by a qualified Teacher, who do these tasks go to?” wrote Mr Little. “It is the position of the Association that these tasks will be returned to our members, which again exacerbates current workloads, placing greater pressure across all areas of school administration.”

Mr Little, accompanied by PSA CPSU NSW Vice President Juliette Sizer, Industrial Manager Julie-Ann Bond and Senior Industrial Officer Greg Shaw, visited the Minister in May 2024 to discuss the budget reduction and its effect on members.

The delegation also quizzed the Minister on how these developments affect the roll-out of more permanent roles.