ACT public school teachers will be the highest paid in the nation, after a new deal was reached between the education union and the ACT government.
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Teachers at Canberra public schools will receive a more than 12 per cent pay rise over the next four years.
The deal comes after almost a year of negotiations between the ACT branch of the Australian Education Union and the territory government.
The union's secretary, Glenn Fowler, said the deal was a win for the more than 3700 public school teachers across Canberra, which was the lowest paid jurisdiction eight years ago.
"Back in 2011 we were being paid $6000 less than people working in the same position over the border in Queanbeyan," Mr Fowler said.
"These increases are now well above the average nationally, and are the sort of increases that people doing this sort of job should expect."
The new bargain struck between the government and the union will also introduce a cap on the maximum number of students in a class.
Mr Fowler said maximum number of students in classes would now be mandated, as opposed to average class sizes.
The new maximums would allow up to 22 students in each pre-school class, 21 for kindergarten to year 3 and up to 30 students for years 4 to 6.
Maximums of 32 students for years 7 to 9, 30 for year 10 and 25 for years 11 to 12 would also apply.
"Capping the number of kids in classroom makes a serious difference in the learning outcomes and the capacity to manage workload," Mr Fowler said.
ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said the new agreement between the government and the union was about recognising the work of teachers.
"The ACT government will work with the education union and the teaching workforce and all schools to make sure that teachers' classrooms aren't overloaded," Ms Berry said.
"It's about providing a great outcome for students and making sure the classroom gives an opportunity for teachers to do that great teaching.
A limit on digital communication outside of work hours has also been placed in the new agreement.
The new limit comes in response to teachers' concerns about being contacted by students and parents at all times of the day and night before and after school.
Mr Fowler said the ACT was the first state or territory to have the measure placed in an enterprise agreement,
"We've had stories of teachers being contacted late at night on their mobiles by parents, and that's completely inappropriate," he said.
"We know plenty of young teachers out there who try to do it all and then find out they can't and then we lose them [in the profession]."
The union says it would be looking to build upon how the digital limit would be implemented, but said it expected individual schools to provide advice on the subject to teachers and parents.
An occupational violence clause has also been placed in the agreement for the first time, although the union's secretary said the clause did not stem from the ACT government's inquiry into school violence.
"We need to stop pretending that issues like this aren't in our schools and we'll maturely deal with it," Mr Fowler said,.
Primary school teachers will also get a 30 minute reduction in face-to-face teaching each week from July 2020.
The reduction is expected to mean 40 new teachers are employed across ACT schools next year.
A panel of principal mentors will also be made available to school heads for support at times of the principal's choosing.
Mr Fowler said out of the 36 claims made by the union during the negotiations, 34 had been met.