LOCAL teachers and education support workers have indicated they will walk off the job on Tuesday to protest budget cuts.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
A rally for South West schools will be held at Bunbury's Graham Bricknell Music Shell from 10am.
United Voice South West Regional organiser Lee Edmundson said he expected more than 1000 teachers, parents, education assistants and support staff to attend from Collie, Bunbury, Busselton, Harvey and Donnybrook.
A joint statement by the federal and WA shadow ministers for education Kate Ellis and Sue Ellery listed a breakdown of data they say shows how much funding each state school in WA had lost under state government cuts, which were then compared with the average estimated increase each school would have got under the Gonski Better School reforms.
Using those figures, the opposition claims Amaroo Primary School would miss out on $393,243, Collie Senior High School $1,501,816, Fairview Primary School $256, 513, Wilson Park $140,480 and Allanson Primary School $393,243.
Education Minister Peter Collier said the talk of strike action was extremely disappointing and would disrupt student learning and inconvenience parents.
"The government is strongly committed to investing in education with 75 major capital works projects to be completed during 2014 at a total cost of $538 million," Mr Collier said.
"The funding changes we have implemented need to be seen in the context of a $4.4 billion education budget."
United Voice WA secretary Carolyn Smith said the state government had forced their hand with the industrial action.
"After cutting $158m from education, the WA community wants to stand with teachers and education assistants and make sure the money goes back into schools in the May budget," she said.
"Cutting 350 education assistants proves the government is abandoning public schools so we are encouraging all parents, students, teachers and school staff to march together for a community rally."
Collie-Preston MLA Mick Murray has confirmed he will attend the rally.
