Yes, school teachers dont earn a lot of money to be able to take a week off. Unfortunately, you are going to be a lot more out of pocket if you wait until the next election to take some action. What makes you think you are going to be better off under another government, especially considering the liberal governments track record in shutting down the state system. They are just only going to come up with the same excuses as the present government regardless of whether they promise to give you any pay rise.
I've never said we'd be better off under another government, we weren't before so why would we be next time? I think you missed where i said I CAN"T AFFORD TO TAKE TIME OFF. The money needs to be in my account. I understand it
needs to happen but personally for me it
can't happen.
Yes, school teachers dont earn a lot of money to be able to take a week off, and care about their students, feel compelled to take catch up the work they missed etc(there wont be any work to catch up on if the students are sent home and there are no sub teachers, if you dont get paid, dont do any catch up work, its that simple).......but that's the very sentiment Brumby is relying on in continuing to exploit you.
Can tell you aren't a teacher. It certainly isn't that simple. If i leave the department WILL find some eager graduate to fill my spot because out of uni the wage looks pretty damn good to them. But can you imagine all the underpaid experienced teachers leaving and our schools being run by graduates?
There is indeed work to catch up on. I still have to do the paperwork. Believe it or not i could be busy at school for weeks on end even without the kids there. Unfortunately actual teaching seems to be about 20% of the job now.
From what I can gauge, there is enormous public support for the teachers on this matter. Call his bluff, if they government doesnt fold after a week of no school,(free babysitting) Id be very surprised. It wont even be the teachers that have to be "in his face", it will be all the concerned parents and the media that will give him an absolute flogging.
Like i said above, if i can't afford it then i doubt everyone will drop work for a week.
That said i would hate to think how the kids would end up if that happened. It runs far deeper than you could imagine.