It is 'almost a guarantee' that staff at Griffith's biggest high school will walk off the job in protest at some point this year, according to the head of the city's teacher association.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Murrumbidgee Regional High School is still having serious problems attracting and retaining teachers and recent resignations have renewed calls for the NSW Government to introduce incentives for teachers to work in Griffith.
Griffith Teachers Association president Jenna Woodland said there are "up to 12 positions" currently vacant at the high school after four staff resigned towards the end of term one.
Ten positions have been advertised this year, but only two applications have been received, both from staff already working at the school, she said.
The shortage has stressed workloads and forced staff to fill in and teach subjects they don't specialise in.
Teachers will be meeting to discuss whether or not to go on strike on Thursday, April 22.
In other news
Ms Woodland said despite morale improving at the school under Principal David Crelley, she could almost guarantee teachers would walk off the job to have their voices heard at some point this year.
The teachers' main concern is the lack of financial incentives to attract and retain appropriately qualified teachers to Griffith.
According to Ms Woodland, one teacher left MRHS this year for a school in Moree where they will receive a 90 per cent rental subsidy.
"Incentives are our big push," Ms Woodland said. "It's a state-wide issue but it's especially prevalent out here."
"Why would a teacher get a job in Griffith when they could go to Moree and get a 90 per cent rental subsidy? Or go 30 minutes down the road to Darlington Point and be paid $30,000 a year extra?"
The teachers association president clarified that teachers in Griffith do not want incentives to come at the expense of another NSW school or region.
"This government has to solve this problem by adding more resources, not by shuffling or relocating them," Ms Woodland said. "We don't want anything taken away from other struggling schools."
Teachers at Darlington Point Public School walked off the job last month citing a chronic teacher shortage and fears they would lose their incentives.
Following the strike, Member for Murray Helen Dalton called on NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell to "boost incentives at Western NSW schools" and talk to staff about why recruitment is so difficult.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters