The Baillieu Government should use World Teacher’s Day to explain to Polwarth teachers why it has broken its promise to make them the highest paid in Australia, Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney MP said today.
Ms Tierney said UNESCO’s World Teachers’ Day will be celebrated this Friday October 28 in over 100 countries, and is a great opportunity to acknowledge the vital work of teachers in Polwarth.
“Instead of celebrating and rewarding our teachers in Polwarth, the Baillieu Government is insulting teachers in Victorian Government schools with its broken promise to make them the highest paid in Australia,” Ms Tierney said.
“The Baillieu Government’s offer of a 2.5 per cent pay rise is an insult to our hard-working teachers, with inflation running at 3.6 per cent, this would essentially be a major pay cut.
“Put yourself in the shoes of young teachers, full of hope, enthusiasm and keen to make a positive contribution to the education of our children, but they will be many thousands of dollars worse off than their interstate counterparts under the Baillieu Government offer.
Ms Tierney said local teachers are now entitled to expect they receive no less than the recent deal offered by the Government to Victoria Police members.
“The pay rise offer is an insult to teachers who are already struggling under the Baillieu Government’s $481 million education budget cut this year.
“On World Teachers’ Day, we should honour our teachers, and the Baillieu Government should be delivering on its promise to make Polwarth teachers the highest paid in Australia.”