Teachers have been offered a pay rise of up to 32%. I’m turning it down

June 1, 2026 — 3:30pm

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I’m a school teacher who has always voted for and supported the Labor Party, including handing out how-to-vote cards for my local member for Niddrie, now Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Ben Carroll.

I write as one of 35,000 teachers and education support staff who took to the streets of Melbourne in March to fight for better pay and working conditions. Now rank-and-file members of the Australian Education Union are being asked to decide whether they think the in-principle agreement negotiated between the AEU and the Victorian government is adequate. I can’t in good conscience vote in favour of this deal.

I started my career teaching in government schools in Victoria 20 years ago. I have been a VCE teacher, and also undertaken roles as a year level coordinator, leading teacher and acting assistant principal. In that time, I’ve witnessed the workload and administrative burden on teachers and school leaders increase exponentially. Despite ever-increasing workloads, it is the commitment and professionalism of teachers that has driven a dramatic improvement in the quality of teaching and learning. As the Victorian government likes to celebrate – while still not fully funding our schools – Victorian students ranked first or second in 18 of 20 NAPLAN measures nationally.

Victoria has not yet reached full funding........

© The Age