NEARLY 100 teachers from Manning-Great Lakes schools met in Taree on Thursday morning (November 11) to protest the State government's inaction on worsening teacher shortages.
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Taree High School teacher and Manning River Teachers Association president, Judy Wood, said teachers are concerned about the ever-increasing workload they are facing each day.
"(The workload) is actually crushing us," Ms Wood said.
"It is not the planning of lessons that is the issue, we love planning lessons. Instead we are spending hours and hours of time on administrative tasks that the department has given us."
Federal representative of the association and Taree High teacher, Barton Johnson, said the escalating number of periods teachers are expected to cover without compensation is a real issue.
"I think it is time to make our voices heard," Mr Johnson said.
Every single day our schools are fighting over the few casuals who are available. They can't just suddenly multiply.
- President of the Manning River Teacher Association, Judy Wood
With the growing population in the Manning-Great Lakes, Mr Johnson and Ms Wood agree the number of teachers in the area must reflect the influx of students to our schools.
"Every single day our schools are fighting over the few casuals who are available. They can't just suddenly multiply," Ms Wood said.
"Teachers are then expected to teach in their planning periods and that is something the principals don't want, but there is no other option," she added.
Mr Johnson pointed out that the ranks of casual teachers are getting thinner each year.
NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos - who led the rally - said figures recently released by the State government in Parliament indicate there are 153 vacant permanent teaching positions on the Mid North Coast as of October 2021.
Mr Gavrielatos said the Mid North Coast is ranked poorly across the State for staff shortages in schools.
"We have got examples of vacancies in 80 per cent of schools and the Mid North Coast is no different," Mr Gavrielatos said.
Mr Gavrielatos said some of the schools that have been impacted by the shortages include Wingham High School and Bulahdelah Central School.
"If the NSW government doesn't act now, the teacher shortages will only get worse and it's country kids who will pay the price," Mr Gavrielatos said.
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