Cleaners in NSW public schools are transitioning to permanent employment with the Department of Education, marking a significant step away from more than three decades of outsourced cleaning contracts.
Restoring cleaners to permanent public employment will strengthen school operations and support safe teaching and learning environments and highlights the benefits of a stable, supported workforce for schools and the communities they serve.
Federation has been a strong advocate for the United Workers Union campaign to bring school and TAFE cleaners into direct employment — our policy recognises that a stable, publicly employed cleaning workforce is essential to supporting safe, well-maintained learning environments, particularly in growing and high-traffic schools.
Under outsourcing arrangements, many school communities raised questions about the sustainability of cleaning services and the pressures places on staff.
A Federation-supported P&C survey from 2022 captured feedback from parents, students and staff about the realities of maintaining school environment, including cleaning of high traffic areas and supporting staff to manage busy school sites.
As the change takes effect, schools including Wyong Public School and Francis Greenway High School, have celebrated cleaners’ new status as Department of Education employees with events welcoming them to the public education family.
This system level change follows earlier de-privatisation of school cleaning roles in the Hunter and Central Coast and signals a broader shift away from contracting service delivery in public education.