Teachers strike action 'not taken lightly'

Situations like this, along with what teachers describe as unmanageable workloads and declining working conditions, prompted Boorowa teachers to support state-wide industrial action on Thursday, June 30.

The Boorowa Teachers Association, together with members of the Independent Education Union, took part.

The strike, Boorowa Teachers Association president Jason Stuart said, was taken to highlight the dire need for more teachers and manageable workloads in both public and private schools across NSW and the ACT.

"All teachers in our local community are deeply passionate about every child in both the public and private education systems receiving the best possible education," Mr Stuart said.

"In our local context, our Central School has experienced a severe lack of access to casual teachers to fulfil teaching duties over the past two years.

"We are now in the position where teachers cannot be covered if they are unwell, cannot undertake professional development, cannot take their allocated 'release from face to face' time - as there simply are not enough teachers to replace them."

The education of Boorowa's children, he said, is impacted as a result.

"Your children deserve a quality education, delivered by a qualified teacher, every minute of every day.

"With our current lack of teachers, this simply cannot happen.

"Our action on Thursday was not taken lightly.

"We understand the strain that this places on our school's families - however, the education system needs to change.

"We need to attract more people to the teaching profession through manageable workloads and working conditions - otherwise this problem will only get worse."

Mr Stuart said Boorowa's teachers appreciate the support they have been shown by the Boorowa community.