A Labor government in NSW would employ 5,000 more teachers, the opposition leader promised this week.
Michael Daley brought his big red bus to Lapstone Public School to make the announcement today, flanked by Blue Mountains MP, Trish Doyle, the shadow education minister, Jihad Dib, and Labor candidate for Penrith, Karen McKeown.
He said the announcement was about providing students with "their best chance".
"Five thousand more teachers means smaller class sizes and more one-on-one time with students who might be having difficulties."
Ms Doyle, herself a former teacher, said she had repeatedly heard from parents, teachers and students who wanted "fairer funding" for schools.
"This will reduce stress and workload and improve students' educational outcomes," she said.
Shadow education minister, Jihad Dib, also a former teacher, said the pledge was about "making sure that every single school is well funded and properly funded".
"This is ensuring there are specialists in the classroom and making sure we attract the best and the brightest [to teaching]."
Mr Dib said Labor had a "strong history" of supporting teachers in NSW and increased the number of school teachers by 23 per cent during its last time in office.
The announcement followed Mr Daley's promise at the campaign launch on Sunday to inject $2.7 billion over the life of the current Gonski funding agreement.
Labor has also pledged to replace 1,000 ageing demountable classrooms, make TAFE free for courses in skill shortage areas and ensure every child can learn a second language.
It will air-condition every school in the state, give free glasses to disadvantaged students and allocate $5,000 to P&Cs.
The Liberal-National government has also promised extra teachers - 4,600 in its case - will also replace 1,000 demountables and will spend $500 million on air-conditioning.
It has said it will ensure before and after school care is available to all parents with children at public primary schools by 2021, and has committed to deliver another 39 new or upgraded schools.
It will clear every maintenance job currently outstanding at the state's 2,200 public schools, and will ensure that every public high school has two dedicated experts to ensure students have access to mental health support.
The government has also promised to provide subsidies to all three-year-olds to attend community preschool.
