‘More than thanks’: Education Minister Sarah Mitchell slams NSW Teachers Federation campaign

Dozens of teachers have circled politicians’ offices in regional NSW to protest a “statewide teacher shortage” however, the Education Minister has slammed the union campaign as being misleading.

Dozens of teachers have circled politicians’ offices in regional NSW to protest a “statewide teacher shortage” however, the Education Minister has slammed the union-led campaign as being “deliberately misleading”.

The NSW Teachers Federation recently held a rally outside Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman’s office with representatives from eight local schools – including Mulwaree High School, Bradfordville Public School and Goulburn Public School – to protest what they say is a worsening “teacher shortage” and its anticipated impact on regional schools.

Similar rallies were held in Wagga Wagga, Nowra and Wollongong as part of the ‘More Than Thanks’ campaign.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell. Picture: Gaye Gerard

NSW Teachers Federation deputy president Henry Rajendra said the number of teachers would continue to decline due to unsustainable workloads and a 30 per cent drop in people studying the profession.

“If the NSW Government doesn’t act now, the teacher shortages will only get worse and it’s country kids who will pay the price,” he said.

“Liberal MP Wendy Tuckerman needs to make clear whether she supports the government’s one-size fits all salary cap which is contributing to shortages, or whether she supports a greater investment in country teachers.”

Around 30 Goulburn teachers gather for the ‘More Than Thanks’ rally at Belmore Park.

In response, Goulburn MP Wendy Tuckerman said she believed the state government was addressing the union’s concerns.

“The NSW Government is committed to improving strategies to achieve ongoing success in our education system. This includes meeting the needs of students, school communities and teachers,” she said.

Country organiser for the Goulburn rally Waine Donovan said teachers were “underpaid, overworked, and understaffed.”

“The status of the profession has declined over the years,” he said. “It’s not an attractive profession.

“We’ve got students going into teacher training courses in universities, and then leaving after the first year because once they do their practice in schools and see what the workload is, they’re freaking out saying, ‘this is too much, I can’t do this’.”

The Department of Education has been in award negotiations with the NSW Teachers Federation, offering teachers a 2.5 per cent salary increase a year – the highest rise possible under the public sector wage cap imposed by the government.

However the union is asking for higher salaries for teachers which are reflective of their positions and the amount of work they undertake.

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Minister Education Sarah Mitchell said the ‘More Than Thanks” campaign was based off misinformation.

“The campaign is designed to deliberately mislead communities and it’s incredibly disappointing, she said.

“We all know attracting quality professionals to regional areas can be challenging, and often schools will have individual challenges. However, classing this as a statewide problem ignores the reality that at any point a school may be hiring for a permanent position or have it filled with a temporary teacher.”

The NSW Government recently released its $125 million Teacher Supply Strategy which aims to encourage more teachers into the workforce, and includes rural and remote incentives.

“For the first time in 100 years, we are completely rebuilding how we support and attract teachers in the regions,” Ms Mitchell said.

Ms Mitchell also pointed to the fact that the Department of Education have recently added over 1500 assistant principal roles in all primary schools to assist with literacy and numeracy.

They have also filled almost 5000 teaching positions for 2021, and since 2017 it have appointed more than 26000 teachers.