Navigating your Wages and Funding
The Pay Parity opt-in scheme is designed to address the wage disparity between certificated teachers employed in education and care services and their counterparts in kindergartens.
The scheme offers higher funding rates to education and care services that confirm they pay their certificated teachers in alignment with the unified salary scales as specified in Appendix Four of the Funding Handbook. By the start of 2024 there will be three different scales available: Pay Parity, Extended Pay Parity, and Full Parity.
Since its implementation in 2021, Pay Parity has posed a number of challenges for providers. The assessment of initial salary steps, the attestation progress, recordkeeping and verification emerged as key issues at the start of implementation.
The mechanics of the policy and concerns around the funding gap and the financial viability of centres have been central to our work.
As well as being a strong voice to government and the sector on this policy, we want to empower members with the knowledge, strategies and support necessary to navigate the challenges and opportunities posed by Pay Parity.
Available Resources
Wages and Salaries Survey 2023 Full Report
ECC Funding & Staffing Compliance Tool
Member-only resources
Below is a sample of resources available free to members. Log in to the Member Portal to see the full list of templates, guidelines and other resources.
- Request for more information - staff letter template
- Pay Parity Steps 1-6 sample letter for staff
- Extended Parity Steps 1-11 sample letter for staff
- Full Parity - sample letter for staff
- Letter to agencies - attestation of certificated teachers
- Pay Parity and Extended Pay Parity Toolkit
Related news
View media and press releases from the Early Childhood Council related to this topic.
