Local MPs and councillors have rallied behind Hunter teachers this morning, ahead of the sector's first 24-hour strike in a decade next Tuesday.
The Hunter is set to join 60,000 teachers and principals across New South Wales in walking off the job in protest of critical teacher shortages.
NSW Teachers Federation Regional Organiser Jack Galvin-Waight says teachers are at the end of their tether.
"Teachers are striking on Tuesday, because we have to," Mr Galvin-Waight said. "We've exhausted every available option."
"The teacher shortage in New South Wales and the Hunter is crippling our schools, they're crippling our students."
"Irrefutable evidence, including an independent inquiry, says the reason we have teacher shortages is uncompetitive salaries and excessive workloads."
Pay rises for teachers have been stuck at a cap of 2.5 percent for the past ten years, which has been described as an effective pay freeze.
Hunter Workers Secretary Leigh Shears told reporters we all need to stand in solidarity with teachers.
"We support our teachers right across our region and the State," Mr Shears said.
"They're fighting the save the future of their profession, and for quality education across New South Wales."
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp, Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison, Cessnock MP Clayton Barr and Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes joined union members at a Hunter Workers event earlier today.
Mr Crakanthorp says our teachers deserve our support.
"Our teachers get a raw deal," Mr Crakanthorp said. "Our teachers do so much more than teaching."
"Our teachers are unofficial sports coaches. Our teachers are unofficial nurses. Our teachers are unofficial counselors."
"When our kids walk through those gates at school, our teachers will do anything for those kids to get them through."
The strike is the latest in a series of actions undertaken by teachers across the Hunter over the year.
Mr Galvin-Waight says it's now or never for the teaching sector.
"The State Government's documents, in their own words, have said we're running out of teachers, we're going to run out of teachers in five years, and again in their own words, they've lied," Mr Galvin-Waight said.
"We're saying this to Mr Perrottet. If you don't care about the teacher shortages, you don't care about our kids."
 |
