Education Minister Jo Palmer says she is “beyond disappointed” the teachers’ union has rejected the government’s latest pay offer, confirming public schools will close across the state next week.
Schools in the north-west will shut on Tuesday, in the north on Wednesday and in the south on Thursday as Australian Education Union (AEU) members walk off the job for 24-hour rolling strikes.
Palmer said the closures were unavoidable.
“Our priority must be keeping children safe and so we have no choice but to close down our schools,” she said.
“That is the only way that we can guarantee the safety of our children, which is my priority.”
It is the second offer the union has knocked back and Palmer was particularly critical that the AEU’s elected leadership rejected it without putting it to a vote of members.
“I am beyond disappointed that they haven’t put it to our teachers for them to have a vote,” she said.
Palmer talked up the deal as addressing the key concerns teachers had raised with her over the past year, including more school psychologists, pay rises for most teachers, teaching assistants and assistant principals, increased allowances and incentives and funding for professional learning.
“We have worked on this deal for months and months now, hand in hand with the union,” she said.
But the AEU sees it differently. President David Genford said the offer included a requirement to discuss public service cuts while failing to properly address workload and fair pay.
“It beggars belief that this government thinks it is acceptable to make an offer to educators that seeks to include a requirement to discuss public service cuts,” he said.
Genford pointed to unsafe workloads, rising school violence and a recruitment and retention crisis as issues the government was ignoring.
He accused the government of prioritising “short-term political interests” over long-term improvements for students.
Asked whether the timing of the dispute was politically motivated ahead of her election in Rosevears, Palmer deflected.
“I am just completely focused on the outcomes of our students,” she said.
The strikes are set to begin on Tuesday.
