Interim results finds teachers feel unsafe and have no confidence in the Gunner Government’s concern for their wellbeing

SIXTY-SIX per cent of Territory educators feel extremely or somewhat unsafe about schools being open in Term 2, according to the interim results of a union survey

SIXTY-SIX per cent of Territory educators feel extremely or somewhat unsafe about schools being open in Term 2, according to the interim results of a union survey.

ALMOST 70 per cent of Territory educators who participated in a union survey feel extremely or somewhat unsafe about schools being open in Term 2, according to the interim results.

The survey, begun by the Australian Education Union NT (AEU NT), asked union members how they felt about current plans for schools and what their recommendations were for Term 2.

The interim results also found 55 per cent were “not confident at all” the Gunner Government or the Department of Education were taking into account the safety and wellbeing of school staff in making decisions.

Eighty-two per cent of members said their workload had increased since the onset of coronavirus, and only 20 per cent agreed schools should open in Term 2.

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AEU NT president Jarvis Ryan said more than 700 members had responded since the survey opened on Tuesday night, which indicated how concerned educators were.

“Government ministers can’t just glibly be saying that school is back to normal next week,” he said.

“It’s very apparent with teachers, parents, staff, there’s still very high levels of anxiety

and it seems obvious that even with the calls for school to resume as normal that a significant portion of parents probably won’t send their kids to school next week.

“It appears based on the response from our members that they would support a model around either all students doing online or distance education or schools open to a restricted number of students for the time being.”

AEUNT president Jarvis Ryan faces media regarding educators returning to work at the start of erm 2 during the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: Che Chorley

Mr Ryan said the union was frustrated by the lack of clarity from the Department of Education and Education Minister Selena Uibo.

“We put a series of questions to the Minister yesterday and she had no answer for them,” he said.

“If the health advice is schools are safe, why are you giving parents the option to keep their children at home? And she couldn’t answer that question. How does that make teachers feel when they’re told you have to turn up to work but parents can keep their kids at home? It’s just a slap in the face.”

One survey respondent said there was too much inconsistency with information and recommendations.

“Forcing students onto crowded buses every day to travel to and from school and then we are faced with them in already overcrowded classes due to 27 students in class is going against everything we are being told to do every day,” they said.

“I too would like for this to all go away and just work as normal but I do not want to be going to work every day and spending five minutes sanitising desks before lessons and feeling unsafe.”

Education Minister Selena Uibo maintained schools would be open in Term 2.

“It’s important to remember that the top health experts continue to advise that schools are safe and that there are vulnerable Territory children who need schools to remain open,” she said.