Workforce
The pay does not match the nature and the complexity of work .
Catholic and government school teachers marching on NSW parliament house on June 30 . Photo : Lisa Maree Williams
‘ We are bleeding teachers ’
A teacher explains why she joined the recent strike action .
By Emilie Lauer
Catholic School teachers across NSW and ACT have been on the picket lines recently , alongside their government colleagues , asking for better working conditions and a 10 to 15 per cent salary reset .
Among the strikers was Tina Ruello , a teacher of 35 years ’ experience in a Catholic school in western Sydney .
“ I ’ m deciding to go on strike to save my profession . We are bleeding teachers , we need our employers , and the government to staunch the flow ,” Ruello told Education
Review .
“ We need improvement in pay , working conditions . There ’ s a lack of work-life balance in teaching .”
According to Ruello , over the years teaching has become very complex and multifaceted .
Teachers are expected to cater to the needs of every student , differentiating teaching and learning patterns that have to be employed in the classroom .
In addition , Ruello said teachers have to deal with systemic and government impositions , compliance , accountability , programs and policies that they must implement in schools .
“ If something needs to be fixed in society , teachers will fix it . We are the panacea for all the ills of society . We will deal with the issues at a school-based level ,” Ruello said .
Ruello believes that teachers ’ working conditions have worsened since the Covid-19 pandemic started .
In addition to managing the health crisis in the classroom , she has observed mounting discipline and management issues of students .
“ There are also pastoral care concerns , one being the insidious and poisonous nature of social media that comes into the classroom .
“ All in all , teachers are just feeling unappreciated . They ’ re despondent because they feel that they ’ re not meeting demands .
“ And all of this is making a tremendous impact on teachers , especially younger teachers ,” Ruello added .
According to Ruello , younger teachers are the ones who need help the most as they are new to the job and can feel overwhelmed by the situation .
“ They need assistance , they need a reduction in their workloads , and they need more time to do things properly , effectively .
“ And frankly , the pay does not match the nature and the complexity of work that ’ s done by teachers .”
The experienced teacher not only took action over work conditions and a pay increase , she also wants to rebuild the image of the profession and attract more people to take on the job .
“ We need to be respected as professionals . Teachers have become picked on , victimised for being whingers just because we ’ ve got it good , we ’ ve got the holidays .
“ That ’ s not an argument with us because it is the weekend , and yet I know that I have to allocate time on my weekend to teaching , learning , marking papers , and doing some reading .
“ Teaching is more than just supervising students in a class and keeping them busy for six hours a day .”
Passionate about her job , Ruello said she takes the industrial action “ very seriously ” as she wants to protect teaching and education .
“ I think we ’ re the lifeblood of society , because teachers create the next generation .”
According to the Independent Education Union of Australia NSW / ACT branch secretary Mark Northam , staff working conditions , teacher shortages and unvalued work have taken a toll on the profession . Northam told Education Review the negotiations are undertaken in good faith but there is “ a major stumbling block with the rate of pay being put on the table of 2.04 %, which makes other discussions quite challenging ”.
Northam said the union is asking for a 10 to 15 % salary reset first , then a pay rise ‘ above and beyond ’ the 2.5 % salary cap that the New South Wales government has offered .
“ We ’ re confident that the employers have got the capacity to pay well above and beyond 2.04 %.
According to Northam , the current condition of the profession does not attract graduates to undertake teacher education which is “ an important issue that needs to be addressed ”.
“ University enrolments in teacher education plummeted by some 30 % … that would tell us that the conditions and pay structures are unattractive .
“ No one is coming into the profession , and students are no longer engaging with teachers and saying ‘ What ’ s it like to be a teacher ? How can I do this ?’
“ The federal government should respond to that ,” Northam said . ■
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