In response to the worsening teacher shortages in public school classrooms and what they say is a slow response from the state government, members of the NSW Teachers Federation (NSWTF) will once take strike action across the state on Wednesday 4 May.

This will be the second 24 hour strike in a decade and less than six months after the first, which was held in December last year.

NSWTF President Angelo Gavrielatos said acting on uncompetitive salaries and unsustainable workloads was the only way to stop more teachers leaving the profession, attract more people into the profession and address the teacher shortage crisis.

“The government and the premier are failing children and their teachers,” Mr Gavrielatos said.

“One of the most fundamental roles of a government is to ensure there is a qualified teacher in every classroom with the time and support to meet the needs of each child.”

“The government’s workload reduction plan didn’t reduce teachers’ workloads by a single hour in 2021. Their failure to address the real problems will make the profession less attractive and only increase the number of teachers who resign."

The announcement of the strike comes at the same time as the release of a poll where more than 10,000 teachers across the region were surveyed, the vast majority expressing dissatisfaction with their profession.

73 per cent indicated their belief that their workload was unmanageable while 70 per cent said they were reconsidering their position as teachers.

"If you were in a staffroom of 24 teachers, that's 14-18 of them who are considering leaving their profession, which is crazy," NSW Teachers Federation Organiser for the Central West Tim Danaher said.

"Currently in regional NSW, staff are dropping like flies – the discussion with most staff and our members is that the situation got significantly worse as far as shortages go since the last strike. We cannot continue the way it is."

ABOVE: Hundreds of regional teachers were in Dubbo at the end of last year during a strike about the same issues. Image courtesy of Tim Danaher.

In the central west, a strike has been organised in Dubbo with teachers from across the regions, including Brewarrina, Goodooga, Coonamble, Lightning Ridge expected to attend in a unified movement.

"Last time, we had around 700 teachers attend and this time, I do believe will peak at 1000 at minimum," Mr Danaher said.

"I think the reason teachers are taking action is because the care is there for their students and currently, we can't staff schools in rural and remote areas."

According to the federation, the staff shortage in the region is caused by two main issues; first, an unsustainable workload – some teachers are reported to work around 60 hours a week – and the lack of a good financial incentive to enter the profession.

Currently, the government has offered a 2.04 per cent salary cap increase, which Mr Danaher called a "slap in the face" when comparing it to inflation now running at 5.1 per cent and growing cost of living expenses.

"We gave (the government) a chance to come to the table and negotiate fairly and put measures in place to help the situation and they have blatantly refused to address the problem," he said.

The Dubbo strike will take place at the local theatre and convention centre from 9.45am.

According to Mr Danaher, the day will entail speeches from principals and teachers followed by a broadcast from the main Sydney strike and the chance of a local march, weather depending.

ABOVE: Public marches in the streets are also expected to take place across the state. Image courtesy of Tim Danaher.

Because of the distance to Dubbo and Broken Hill, the Cobar Teachers Association will be holding its own strike in town.

Association President Andrew Coffee said members from the local primary school and high school would be spending most of the day at the local bowls club.

"We will be watching the broadcast there and a few of us will be going down the street for an hour or two to talk to people just so the community can understand why we're doing what we're doing," Mr Coffee said.

"Here in Cobar, our industrial art teacher left at the end of last year and left two Year 12 classes – the Year Advisor had to organise a rescue package and go through so many hoops to do those subjects.

"It has also meant our Year 11 subjects for industrial timber and metal couldn't go ahead this year and were dropped from the timetable."

The NSWTF has also placed an immediate ban on all new government (Department and NSW Education Standards Authority) policies/initiatives due for implementation on and from day one of Term 2.

In addition, should NSW Government MPs seek to enter school grounds, NSWTF members have been authorised to walk out for as long as they remain on-site.