Education workers across the country were acknowledged for their extraordinary efforts during another testing 12 months at the final Education Ministers Meeting (EMM) for 2022.

Ministers from across the Commonwealth met virtually on Friday, recognising teachers’ dedication to students and their school communities following a year impacted by COVID-19 and weather disasters.

Despite unprecedented levels of absence for both staff and students throughout the year, national education results remained steady.

“Ministers thank the teachers, support staff, leaders, students, parents, and the wider education community for their continued efforts and success,” the Ministers said in a joint statement.

“These results show that the important work that is happening in schools and within the classroom every day is ensuring Australia is on the best footing for continued success.”

For 2023, the EMM determined that the three priorities were to implement the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan, strengthen Early Childhood Education and Care, and work towards the next National School Reform Agreement.

The Action Plan includes five priority areas: improving teacher supply, strengthening initial teacher education, keeping the teachers we have, elevating the profession, and better understanding future teacher workforce needs.

NSW Department of Education Secretary Georgina Harrisson said the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan, developed by a working group that included national principal and union representatives, provided a strong endorsement for work already underway in NSW.

“Our dedicated $125 million Teacher Supply Strategy is an evidence-based plan to grow the teacher workforce by making the profession more attractive, upskilling teachers to specialise in high-demand subject areas, and providing targeted teaching support in the places it is needed,” Ms Harrisson said.

The Australian Government has committed to working with State and Territory Governments to get every school to 100 per cent of its fair funding level.

Nationally, work is also underway to address workforce shortages in early childhood education, the Australian Government tasking the Productivity Commission to undertake a comprehensive review into the sector.

And the EMM noted that there were updates on mechanisms to ensure the perspectives of students and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities were considered in education decision-making.