As staffing shortages affect public schools all around the state, the Victorian Teachers’ Union is advocating for a one-time cash payment to encourage teachers to remain in their positions.
Leaders claim that with more than a thousand open positions, a crisis is quickly developing.
It has been a challenging start to the school year for David Adamson.
The principal of Essendon Keilor College claimed that his staff had been understaffed the entire semester.
“The strain is beginning to become apparent. We just don’t have a teacher for one class, so the students had to complete it via remote learning, according to Adamson.
If we’re not careful, it’s moving closer to becoming a crisis.
Over a third of schools are being forced to expand class sizes to deal with shortages, according to a union study of 430 Victorian teachers.
The use of principals and assistant principals to help fill in the gaps in the classroom was reported by over 40% of respondents.
Meredith Peace, president of the Australian Education Union’s Victorian Branch, said that the government “must respond to this for the sake of our children’s education and for the education of our children.”
“The issue won’t go away”
Adamson claimed that because of the shortages, he is currently back in the classroom.
Since the session had to be scheduled on a Friday since his part-time food teacher didn’t show up, he explained that he was now teaching food technology.
On Victoria’s recruitment portal, hundreds of teaching posts in public schools are now posted as open.
The union emphasizes that the pressure is felt throughout the state, but particularly in Wyndham, Hume, and Casey council districts.
They are requesting a one-time retention payment, comparable to the $3000 payment that was previously given to medical staff.
However, that has been stopped by the state administration.
Premier Daniel Andrews stated, “We did not make any such pledge in relation to teaching.
