Around 3000 educational staff attended Thursday’s rally outside the ACT Legislative Assembly. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
The ACT’s public school teachers have officially walked off the job for the first time in 15 years, with thousands of education staff marching from Civic Square to Glebe Park.
The strike is the result of the Australian Education Union’s (AEU) ACT sub-branch and the ACT Education Directorate failing to negotiate a new enterprise agreement (EA), with the AEU requesting that the Directorate provide more staff and smaller class sizes.
AEU ACT Branch President Angela Burroughs said the action was about protecting the future of public education and ensuring every student can access a well-resourced local public school.
“The strike is about making sure teaching and school support remain attractive professions where staff are valued and can build rewarding careers,” she said.
“Educators have reached this point because they care deeply about their students and their schools. They have taken action to ensure every student gets the support and opportunities they deserve.
“The ACT Government’s own Public School System Resourcing Review confirmed what educators have been saying for years: schools are under increasing pressure and are struggling to meet growing needs with limited resources.”
While no EA offer has been presented to the AEU’s ACT Sub-branch, Ms Burroughs said she expects to hear from the ACT Minister for Education, Yvette Berry, with a formal offer on Friday (12 June).
“I don’t know what the offer will say, but I would hope that it is a commitment to our number one claim about minimum staffing guarantee for our schools, because so much hinges on getting the staffing of schools right,” Ms Burroughs said.
“When you get the staffing of schools right, you educate, and the workload becomes more manageable, schools become safer places, and students get the support that they need.”
AEU ACT Branch Secretary Patrick Judge, AEU ACT Branch President Angela Burroughs and AEU ACT life member Roger Amey said the union will continue to fight for a deal it believes is fair. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
The full-day strike follows a two-hour strike on 22 May. While there are no formal plans for a third strike, AEU ACT Branch Secretary Patrick Judge said the AEU will continue to push for a new, fair deal.
“Today’s turnout really shows the determination of teachers, school assistants, school psychologists and principals who work in schools to demand a better deal from the Barr government,” he said.
“We’ve got a lot of support from parents and community members for the action we’re taking, because it’s for the children in our ACT public schools. This is about getting them the resources that they need to have a successful public education system.”
Mr Judge said the turnout sends a clear message to the ACT Government about the union’s demands and what it expects from a new EA.
“What our members experience at the moment is that there are not enough teachers, school assistants and support staff to meet the needs of those students,” he said.
“Every day, we’re splitting, collapsing and cancelling hundreds of classes across the territory, which leads to class sizes of 50 plus, at least, to students who are being supervised, but they’re not learning anything, and it’s heartbreaking to see their students go down.
“The government can do better than this.”