By Lucy Carroll
Parents have been told there will be minimal supervision at public schools on Monday morning as up to 58,000 teachers are removed from classes to attend a union stop-work meeting.
The state’s teachers will meet at about 200 venues to allow NSW Teachers Federation members to hear details of a new three-year pay offer and conditions from the government.
Some schools have asked children stay home until at least 10am, while others have cancelled planned year 9 and 10 exams. HSC exams will not be affected.
NSW Teachers Federation president Henry Rajendra said members will hold a stop-work meeting on Monday to hear details of award negotiations.Credit: Rhett Wyman
Many schools have told parents there will be “minimal supervision arrangements” until 10am, while several schools said normal lessons will only resume from 10.30am. Gosford High told parents classes will start from 11:30am.
Dulwich Hill Public School principal Linda Wickham told parents in an email on Thursday that “extremely minimal supervision” would be available between 8.45am and 10am.
NSW Teachers Federation president Henry Rajendra said teachers will meet in person from 8.30am on Monday to hear details of award negotiations, with the union to recommend a member vote.
Rajendra said the time classes resume will depend on the travel time for teachers returning from the venues. “This important matter should be held during work hours as has been our long-standing practice,” he said.
Killarney Heights High deputy principal Katie Rose told parents there would be minimal supervision available in the morning, with regular classes to resume from period two.
“Although minimal supervision will be available we are advising students to arrive at 10am if possible … to allow teachers time to return to school,” she said.
Eagle Vale High and Finley High told parents year 9 and 10 exams would be cancelled, with a new exam timetable to be distributed to students.
NSW teachers became among the highest paid in the country last year when the union and state government reached a historic pay deal that gave new graduates a $10,000 pay rise.
Under the one-year agreement, a teacher’s starting salary increased from $75,791 to $85,000, and the salary for a top-of-the-scale teacher would increase from $113,042 to $122,100.
The NSW Education Department and union agreed to negotiate a new three-year award when the varied award expired.
The agreement committed the government to reviewing teacher workload, including the nature of the work, flexible arrangements, the right to disconnect and teaching loads.
A NSW Department of Education spokesperson said there would be some minor disruption to the beginning of the school day, with students to resume classes before 10am.
“Students sitting their HSC exams will not be impacted as invigilators are not covered, and there is a long-standing convention class teachers will be there for students as they go into their exams,” they said.
NSW Education Minister Prue Car said last year that she would find savings to help fund the pay boost for 95,000 teachers.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Central Coast Council of P&Cs president Sharryn Brownlee said parents were surprised they only received two days’ notice.
“We recognise the right to meet with the union but with schools it is challenging when there is little notice. It’s also disappointing to have disruption when there is a huge driver around lifting student attendance. Some kids won’t go to school at all that day,” she said.
A spokesperson for Education Minister Prue Car said there was “a long-standing democratic process by which teachers can vote about their pay and conditions, and we respect their rights”.
“We expect minimal disruption to classes and no disruption to exams,” the spokesperson said.
In May, the Herald reported teachers are being offered $30,000 bonuses to lure teachers to hard-to-staff schools as the state continues to face chronic teacher shortages.
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