WA teachers’ strike plan ‘unnecessary’: premier

West Australian Premier Roger Cook has suggested parents should still send their children to school on Tuesday despite planned strike action by teachers, labelling the move as unnecessary.

Teachers across many of the state’s public high schools and primary schools will abandon their posts over a recent “insulting” pay rise offer – 5 per cent in the first year, followed by 3 per cent in each of the following two years.

The State School Teachers’ Union WA has said the strike action would only be cancelled if the offer was increased to 7 per cent in the first year and 5 per cent the following year.

But on Thursday morning, the Premier had choice words about the planned strike.

“We think it is totally unnecessary,” Cook said.

“In the event that the industrial action does take place the Department of Education has matters in hand – operational arrangements to ensure that we can look after those children.

“If we can’t provide for the duty of care, then obviously we’ll be forced to close those schools, but the understanding I have at this stage is that all schools will be able to look after the children albeit under some adjusted arrangements.

“Every parent should be aware that they should send their child to school next Tuesday, and the principals will work with their teachers and with the Department to ensure that we have the resources we need to look after the kids.”

Curtin University’s School of Education senior lecturer Saul Karnovsky said teachers had been pushed to the brink, and it was critical the state government take their claims seriously.

“No teacher enjoys walking off the job, but the profession has reached crisis point: our teachers are overworked, underpaid, undervalued and ready to call it quits,” he said.

“If pay and conditions don’t improve, we won’t be able to attract the best teachers and we will continue losing those we have.

“In a state so rich in human and resource capital, the WA government should do everything it can to value teachers and provide better workloads, conditions and pay.”

Union president Matt Jarman said his members felt the pay offer was “a little on the insulting side”.

“Our members are absolutely out of patience,” he said.

“They feel as if they are being overworked and that the school system itself is underfunded, and they are over it.”

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