Tasmania’s public school students are missing out on NAPLAN testing this week after the state’s teachers’ union refused to lift its ban, saying the state government’s wage offer arrived too late and under unreasonable conditions.
The Australian Education Union’s (AEU) Tasmanian State Manager Brian Wightman said a government offer landed at 5:01pm on Friday, heading into a long weekend, with a response demanded by 10am Tuesday.
“The government asking us to act over a long weekend, and then by Tuesday, is utterly ridiculous,” Wightman told Pulse.
“It really shows that they don’t care about their workers.”
Wightman said the union’s elected representatives, who are themselves teachers and librarians, had to meet over the weekend just to consider the offer – which was subsequently rejected.
The union has now issued an ultimatum to Premier Jeremy Rockliff to bring a “decent offer on pay and conditions” to the table.
If that ultimatum is not met, statewide full-day strikes will be held on 24, 25 and 26 March – in Devonport, Launceston and Hobart respectively.
The current NAPLAN ban covers only public schools. Private schools are proceeding with tests as normal.
Wightman said students would not be disadvantaged by missing the assessments.
“Teachers, educators, schools know where their kids are at,” he said. “They use a range of formal assessment tools … [it] will have no impact on students.”
State government minister Eric Abetz expressed his frustration at the union’s reluctance to put the latest offer to members.
“It was disappointing that the Australian Education Union wouldn’t put the proposal to its members,” Abetz said. “I believe it should.”
Abetz acknowledged the government was notified of the planned action at 6:19pm on Friday and said wage disputes of this nature were a recurring pattern.
“It’s rinse and repeat,” he said.
He said parents relying on NAPLAN results to track their children’s progress would be disappointed.
Wightman accused the government of deliberately timing the Friday offer to prevent a member ballot.
“I have no doubt that was premeditated,” he said.
