Politics & Council
29 March, 2026
Students stay home as teachers strike
CLASSES were cancelled at many Loddon schools on Tuesday as dozens of teachers walked off the job in a pay dispute with the State Government.
Parents at Boort District School were told ahead of the strike that formal classes had been cancelled for the day.
Students also had a scheduled day off yesterday as teachers prepared for parent interviews.
Boort has an estimated 30 teachers on staff.
At East Loddon P12 College, no classes were held for Year 10, 11 and 12 students.
Acting principal Harry Symons confirmed there were disruptions to classes.
While some teachers were on strike at Pyramid Hill College, principal Fiona Moon said: “All classes (were) required to attend school and the program is as normal. We have a small number of staff out.”
Teachers have estimated half the student cohort at Wedderburn College did not attend school on Tuesday.
At least a dozen teachers joined the statewide protest including principal Danny Forrest and assistant principals Dean Lockhart and Alexander Iser.
Classes were cancelled for students in Years 5, 6, 10, 11 and 12.
Wedderburn teachers were among protesters in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s strike - the first by teachers and education support staff in 13 years - follows a breakdown in negotiations with the State Government for improved pay. Australian Education Union’s Victorian president Justin Mullaly said members had been waiting more than nine months for “a reasonable offer from the Allan Government”.
They rejected a “completely unacceptable” deal last week that the union said did not do enough to properly and fairly deliver pay increases and address excessive workloads.
“Victorian teachers, principals, and support staff would much rather be in the classroom teaching Victorian students today, but because of the disrespect from the Allan Government, they are having to stop work for 24 hours,” Mr Mullaly said.
“If the Allan Labor government really values the work of Victorian teachers, principals, and education support staff, they must come forward with an offer that addresses their real concerns. Victorian public schools have a serious workforce shortage because excessive workloads and uncompetitive pay are driving experienced staff out of the profession and making it difficult to attract the next generation.
“This should be completely unacceptable in any state or territory, let alone for a Labor state government which prides itself on calling Victoria the ‘education state’.”
“Our students and their families do not deserve to have teachers, principals, and education support staff that are underpaid and undervalued. Instead the delivery of high quality public education requires that they are properly respected and paid what they are worth.”
Teachers have threatened more strike action.