Treasurer says closure of only one in five schools on Thursday makes union strike action a failure

The planned teachers strike on Thursday has already failed because only one in five public schools and preschools will close, the Treasurer says. SEE IF YOUR SCHOOL IS CLOSING

• Lucas tells teachers to come clean as 1000 set to rally on Thursday
• See the full list of schools that will close
• Public school teachers vote to strike

THE education union’s planned strike action on Thursday has already failed because only one in five public schools and preschools will close, the State Government says.

Union members have voted to walk off the job, insisting their battle is over conditions and funding for student support.

But the State Government says an interim 3.5 per cent pay rise demand by the union is the real catalyst for the strike action.

Treasurer Rob Lucas said the fact nearly 80 per cent of schools and preschools will stay open in some form during the half-day strike showed the Australian Education Union had failed to mount a convincing case.

Click here for the full list of schools that will close

On Thursday morning, 692 schools will open and 183 will be closed. Of those opening, 194 will run a modified learning program to cope with staff shortages caused by the strike.

When union members last took strike action a decade ago, close to half of schools and preschools shut down.

“Let there be no mistake, this is a resounding vote of no confidence in the union bosses whose ill-conceived rush to strike has been shown to be puerile in the extreme,’’ Mr Lucas said.

“The comprehensive lack of public support for tomorrow morning’s strike amongst schools and preschools, with the vast majority choosing to open their doors as usual or with a modified program, should be a wake-up call for the AEU.

“They’ve shown poor judgment and complete lack of regard for hardworking parents and grandparents in their race to industrial action.

“The last time teachers went on strike it was a full day and more than 400 schools and preschools shut their doors. This time round it’s for half the time (until 12.15pm) and with less than half of schools closing.”

AEU state vice-president Dash Taylor Johnson said the Government had pressured principals to keep schools open and doubted they would be able to run as normal.

“There has been significant pressure on schools to remain open. I’d like to delve a bit deeper into what sort of education program is going to run on that day,” he said.

Mr Johnson said the interim wage claim, which the Government rejected, was outside of the enterprise bargaining process.

“We have not established a salary claim beyond the interim one — tomorrow’s action is not about wages,” he said, adding teachers were at “breaking point” over excessive workloads and the strike was about conditions and student outcomes.

He said SA teachers were the second-lowest paid in the nation and “you cannot expect a world-class education without world-class conditions”.

Mr Lucas said the interim pay claim would cost $80 million a year. He also put a cost on other union demands including an extra hour of non-teaching time per week for “collaboration with peers” ($59 million), two more days sick leave ($15.3 million) and extra non-teaching time for student report writing ($28.8 million).

The next bargaining meeting will be held tomorrow afternoon, following the strike.