NORTH-west teachers have vowed to continue industrial action until working conditions are improved.
Dozens of schools across Melbourne’s west closed last Wednesday as more than 40,000 teachers marched to the State Parliament.
Local schools affected included Melton Special and Coburns primary schools and Lakeview College in Caroline Springs.
The strike was led by the Australian Education Union to protest the state government’s offer of a 2.5 per cent annual pay increase.
The union wants a 30 per cent pay rise over three years, a 50 per cent reduction in the number of teachers on short-term contracts and maximum class sizes of 20.
Members also oppose the introduction of performance-based pay.
Lakeview College year 10 co-ordinator Marino D’Ortenzio said more than half the teachers at the school attended the rally. Although the school wasn’t closed, three-quarters of students were told not to attend.
He said his biggest concern was cuts to TAFE funding, which meant the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning was out of reach for many students.
“We’ve seen prices from courses at Victoria University jump from a couple of hundred to at least a thousand dollars; it’s completely out of reach for most of our students,” Mr D’Ortenzio said. “For some students pre-apprenticeship or specialised training is the only option.”
Higher Education Minister Peter Hall said demands for a 30 per cent pay rise were out of touch with community standards.
Mr Hall defended the government’s proposal to reward teachers based on individual performance.
“We need a system where talented teachers with new ideas and energy are encouraged, recognised and rewarded, not pushed into a one-size-fits-all and time-served mentality.”
