Victorian teacher strike live updates: School closures, rally updates and parent guide during the state’s first government-school strike in 13 years

Victoria’s Deputy Premier and Education Minister Ben Carroll was questioned about the strikes at a press conference this morning.

He told reporters the 18.5 per cent pay offer made was a “significant offer”, and it meant $2.6 billion in wages was ready to go.

“I do regret that the union has taken industrial action today,” Carroll said.

“To the teachers taking industrial action, I hear you, I understand you and I thank you for every day pouring yourself into our most vital resource, our school children.”

The minister said he was looking forward to working through the dispute with the union, to reach the best offer the government could provide.

Students at one of four selective-entry government schools in the state were also asked not to attend today, but told they could only be offered supervised private study – as long as they were “productive, collaborative”.

A letter sent to parents of students at the Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School, seen by this masthead, outlined the options available for their children before today’s strike action.

The letter said students could opt out of coming to campus, with no negative repercussions, but that regular classes would be replaced by year-level-based study.

“If you choose to attend, you must attend for the whole day – 8.20am arrival, 8.30am start, 3.04pm finish time,” school principal Sue Harrap wrote.

Some families were dropping their children off at Bentleigh West Primary because their children simply didn’t want to take the day off school, despite the disruptions.

James Evans was dropping off his child Harvey Evans, with friends Winter and Zed Dunlop.

“The main reason is they wanted to come in. They love school so much. They love seeing their friends. Not every kid does, but they do,” he said.

Things are very quiet this morning at Coburg Primary School, where the gates are open but there are no kids to be seen.

We have encountered our first red Australian Education Union T-shirt of the day, though, worn by Jonathan Sherlock, who teaches English and humanities around the corner at Coburg High.

Sherlock says all 76 teachers, the principal and assistant principal at his school are joining today’s action. They are all getting their banners and other material organised before heading into the city for the big rally where he is expecting a crowd of “30,000 to 50,000”.

The teacher of 14 years says the strikers have the support of the school community.

“Our school council put out a brilliant statement supporting the strike,” Sherlock said.

“Parents absolutely see the value of the work we do and I think that’s been true, especially since the COVID years.”

With students urged to stay home today as teachers walk off the job, some parents have had to take the day off, or work from home.

Tell us below who in your family is taking the day to be with the kids.

Parents of students at Bentleigh West Primary were dropping their children off on Wednesday morning as the school prepared for a day without many of its teachers.

Ian Sims, an engineer who works in construction, dropped his son off to his before-school care, as usual.

“It’s effectively situation normal,” he said. “Except I know he’s not being taught anything today.”

He said he supported the strike but hoped the disagreement over pay didn’t continue.

“It is disruptive for the kids,” Sims said. “You wouldn’t want it to drag on.”

Victoria’s top education union leader says further strikes could be on the horizon if today’s industrial action doesn’t result in successful negotiations with the government.

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast this morning, Victorian branch president of the Australian Education Union Justin Mullaly said the government had not been paying attention.

“We’ve been negotiating for a new agreement for teachers, education support staff and principals for nine months,” he said. “We’ve been seeking funding for schools for a lot longer than that, and the government hasn’t delivered on either front.

“So, teachers, education support staff, principals are deeply frustrated, they don’t feel supported, they’re underpaid and undervalued.”

Not only will a lesson be hard to come by on Tuesday at the mighty Brunswick Secondary College, but dim sims and sausage rolls will be in short supply, too.

Acting principal Shane Gemmola told the community late last week that 82 of his crew – that’s 96 per cent of the teaching staff – would withdraw their labour on Tuesday, leading to some worrying outcomes.

“Normal programs will not be running,” Gremmola warned families. Students at all year levels are not required to attend. The canteen will be closed.”

The last line hurts the most, we feel.

Students at one high school have been told not to come to school at all today as teachers walk off the job.

Calling into 3AW, high school teacher Sharon said she didn’t want to walk off the job today, but it was a necessary action to protect teachers’ rights.

Although she didn’t say where she worked, she said the high school had told students not to bother coming in.

“I’m on strike today even though I really don’t want to, and our school has sent emails home, and it’s on our website for all year 9, 10, 11 and 12 students to stay at home,” she said.

“There will be only supervised classes in year 7 and 8, there will be no formal teaching, no work being left. Basically saying: we really want you to stay home.

“Like a lot of teachers, I’m not really overly impressed with the (union) … but we need something to happen. That’s why we need the government to listen. ”

The Australian Industry Group’s Tim Piper is worried that today’s mass teacher strike will be “costly” – to the tune of tens of millions of dollars – to the state’s economy, as employees absent from work send a knock-on effect right across the system.

But Tim’s cross-town rival outfit, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), thinks that we might just be OK, adding that the Education Department ain’t the first operation to struggle to fill a roster.

Here’s what the chamber’s chief executive Sally Curtain had to say to our education editor Noel Towell on Monday.

“We don’t anticipate significant impacts on productivity tomorrow, with many businesses and families likely to have premade arrangements,” Curtain said.