MORE than 200 public education workers have rallied in the heart of Mount Gambier demanding the State Government engage in “genuine” negotiations and maintain school funding safeguards.
Grasping placards and chanting slogans, public educators – dressed in the education union’s trademark red – appealed to both the government and education department.
The Australian Education Union (AEU) SA organised march weaved its way from the city’s rail lands to the public education office on Commercial Street West.
The protest coincided with half-day closures of some public schools across the region amid an ongoing impasse over new enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations.
Thousands of students across the region were displaced yesterday morning due to the strike action with affected schools opening their doors at 12.15pm.
The AEU is calling for more funding and support for every student and better classroom arrangements to meet the needs of students.
Mount Gambier High School teacher Matthew Cherry told the vocal rally education workers were striking out of “necessity” and teachers took no enjoyment from the rally.
“We have marched here outside of our district office because what we really need as a group, as teachers, school support officers and community members, is that we need our education director to take the message back and speak on our behalf,” Mr Cherry said.
“We need support not just from our union, but our department in negotiating our conditions.”
In response, the crowd chanted “respect, respect, respect”.
“Hopefully, what we are doing today is enough of a message to the department and to the government that we do not need to do this again in the future,” Mr Cherry said.
“But it does seem that we are in the midst of a pretty big fight – I would not be surprised if we have to go a little bit further later on.”
He claimed the government had an agenda to dismantle work conditions and lessen the say of teachers.
The regional union delegate said public educators believed strongly in the principles of “social justice, equity and every child’s right, regardless of where they come from, to an education”.
“We are here because governmenvt negotiators are pressing policies that would severely impact on public education in the name of what they say is flexibility,” Mr Cherry said.
He said the government was attacking conditions and the student learning difficulties grant.
“This source of funding is worth $4m this year and is designed to provide resources to students who need increased support to ensure their learning success,” Mr Cherry said.
He said this vital funding stream was at risk in the name of “flexibility”.
“How can our schools support students if this funding is reduced or removed?” he questioned.
Lucindale Area School principal Adrian Maywald – a member of the AEU leadership team – said South Australia had the best system, but was not being “treated with any respect”.
He called on the government to instead cut money to private schools and put it back into the public sector.
“I used to have a lot of faith in governments, I use to think we had really fair and equal, transparent systems,” Mr Maywald said.
“But if we do not fight for them, they will not exist. So I thank you for having the courage, commitment and short term sacrifice with a bit of pain to hopefully endure and come out with much better conditions,” he told his public education colleagues.
“So then we do have a world-class public education system that we can all be proud of and appreciated in.”
He said he also worried about the region’s SSO and ancillary staff, who did not get any of those conditions, but were expected to do the “hard yards”.
“We are stressed out of our minds because our conditions keep changing – we never know where we are going to stand year to year,” the veteran public educator said.
Millicent High School teacher Kristie Williams vowed to fight to maintain the “hard won” conditions achieved over decades.
“I will fight for more funding and support for every child for access to professional development for country teachers, safe and secure jobs and improved country provisions,” Ms Williams said.
“Be prepared for a long hard fight. We have a conservative government who wants to cut costs and will fight us all the way.”
