Scholastic professionals throughout the Hunter were seeing “red” on Wednesday in response to being over-worked and under-paid.
Thousands of teachers and principals at Newcastle schools, including Belair Public, Shortland Public and Lambton High, joined colleagues across the state to protest the NSW Government’s neglect of the profession and local students.
Sadly, the situation is set to worsen, too.
The Newcastle Weekly understands many experienced staff will also retire at the end of the current term, citing “burnt out” as the main reason.
The frustrated educators – all wearing red shirts – rallied outside the NSW Industrial Relations Commission in Parramatta while similar action took place locally in front of MP offices and suburban schools.
NSW Teachers Federation regional organiser Jack Galvin Waight said members were upset by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet’s plans to push through a new three-year award that delivered a real wage cut.
“The government wants to lock in below inflation pay increases of 2.53% a year despite admitting salaries ‘become less competitive over a teacher’s career’,” he explained.
“At a time when there are growing teacher shortages, we need real action on uncompetitive salaries and unsustainable workloads.
“A real wage cut will only increase the deficiencies and make it harder to secure the teachers we need for our future.
“Right now, we have a crisis in our classrooms.
“Students in Hunter classrooms and across the state are missing out in public and private schools because of the shortages and teachers are burning out.
“Sixty per cent of staff want to leave in the next five years because of the crippling workload and uncompetitive salaries than don’t reflect their efforts or responsibilities.”
Mr Galvin Waight said the number of early career teachers leaving public schools was at a 13-year high, too.
“The government’s own briefings show NSW is ‘facing a large and growing shortage of teachers’,” he added.
“And, it’s only going to get worse with rising enrolments, an ageing workforce and 30% decline in the number of people studying to become a teacher.
“Our students and teachers in the Hunter deserve better. Premier, your time is up.”
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