The state government has provided a revised offer of more than $1.3billion to the South Australian Education Union to fix pay and working conditions for public educators.
The union has confirmed it is considering the revised offer, putting on hold plans for additional teacher strike actions.
This newspaper [Naracoorte Community News] has been informed that the revised offer includes workload reduction, country incentives, and mentoring time.
Responding to queries, Education Minister Blair Boyer said he met with AEU representatives last week, including a meeting with the Premier, and the discussions were “very positive”.
“The State Government has provided the AEU with a revised offer of more than $1.3 billion,” Mr Boyer said.
“This offer does reward our incredible school and preschool staff with the improved conditions they deserve.
“We welcome the AEU’s decision to not proceed with industrial action as we continue to work together on a final agreement as soon as possible,” the minister said.
This newspaper [Naracoorte Community News] has sent several emails to AEU president Andrew Gohl regarding the union’s discussion with the state government and what the revised offer entailed.
AEU and Mr Gohl have been tight-lipped on the revised offer and what their next move would be.
An industrial action on September 1 resulted in the closure of over 160 public South Australian schools, with teachers protesting outside the South Australian Parliament.
Many public schools in the Naracoorte-Lucindale District were also closed because of the industrial action.
According to the Education Department, 167 of South Australia’s 927 public schools and pre-schools were closed or operating on a reduced program because of the strike.
Earlier, Mr Gohl claimed that after nine months of negotiations, the Premier was still standing in the way of better educational outcomes for South Australian students.
“There is a social contract between the government and the public to adequately invest in and provide a quality public education system. The Premier is breaching that contract.
“Every day, over 35,000 South Australian students are going without a consistent teacher. It is a crisis affecting schools and preschools right across our state.
“Teachers, leaders, and support staff are doing their best to paper over the cracks and keep the system running, but this treatment cannot go on.”
This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.
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