Arabic version: إضراب موظفي المدارس العامة في ACT لمدة ساعتين

Public schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) will close for two hours on Friday morning, marking the first strike by public school teachers and staff in 15 years. All public schools, including specialist schools and preschools, will remain closed until 10:30 AM on May 22 due to ongoing disputes over a new enterprise agreement. According to ABC News, the strike is part of protected industrial action approved by the Australian Education Union (AEU) after negotiations stalled.

The AEU, representing 4,200 members, has stated that the strike is a response to frustrations surrounding staffing, workload increases, and class sizes. Angela Burroughs, president of the AEU’s ACT branch, emphasized that teachers are exhausted and feel their concerns are not being adequately addressed by the government.

In light of the strike, the Education Directorate has advised parents and caregivers that the school day will start later than usual, potentially leading to congestion around schools. Jo Wood, director-general of the Education Directorate, explained that the decision to close schools was made to ensure the safety of students and staff, as they could not provide a safe supervision environment.

School buses will operate on their regular schedules, but some out-of-school care providers have extended their hours to accommodate the later start. The AEU has indicated that this strike is just the first phase of their action, which may escalate to more disruptive measures, including full-day strikes, if negotiations do not improve. Education Minister Yvette Berry has expressed her support for the teachers’ right to take industrial action and continues to engage with the AEU to seek a resolution.