Parents back teachers ahead of strike

Parents of students at public schools are being encouraged to back their teachers ahead of the first strike action in 18 years.

Australian Education Union members will stop work for 24 hours on Tuesday 24 March after eight months of unsuccessful wage negotiations with the Victorian government.

Ainslee Coleman has two children enrolled at Point Lonsdale Primary School and will be keeping her children home on the day of action.

She said her children have thrived under the guidance of their teachers and she is in full support of any action that will ensure teachers can continue to provide a positive education environment for students.

“Our kids have absolutely thrived throughout their whole education, and I would 100 per cent put it down to the teachers that the school has on board,” Coleman said.

“The turnover is low, there’s so much stability. We’re forever grateful of who they’ve had see them through their education.”’

Coleman said in a volatile period with increasing prices and outside pressure, if wages don’t keep up, more teachers will be driven out of the profession.

“If they’re pushed out because it’s not the right working conditions we’re going to lose them and that’s the biggest fear, that we won’t be able to retain the great teachers that we’ve got because the conditions don’t match what they need to survive,” she said.

Coleman said teachers should be actively involved in discussions about fair working conditions, warning that high turnover could affect students’ learning experience

She acknowledged the disruptions the strike might cause for some families but said she still supports teachers taking action.

Coleman said teachers play an important role beyond academics, helping shape children socially and emotionally, which is why retaining staff is so important to families like hers.

“My kids, genuinely, really enjoy the teachers they’ve got and who they’ve had,” she said.

“They’re grades 4 and 5, so they’ve been at school for a while now, and the teachers across the board that they’ve experienced have been great.

“We’re really fortunate in a small school that they know all the teachers and they feel comfortable to get support wherever they need if their usual teacher is not around.”

Parental support for the strike has been growing across the state, including through the Vic Parents for Public Schools social media page, which has garnered the support of Australian actress and singer Lucy Durak.