Teachers from Newcastle and Lake Macquarie have been told they deserve "a hell of a lot more than thanks" during a union rally on Friday morning in Hamilton addressing staff shortages.
NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said in his address to representatives from schools across the region, the state government "doesn't care" about its teachers or students.
Speaking at around 8am to those gathered in the rain at Gregson Park, Mr Gavrielatos claimed internal government briefings admit "a large and growing shortage of teachers in NSW" and that "we will run out of teachers in five years".
The rally was part of a series of meetings held across the state where federation officials "discuss dire circumstances" with members. Mr Gavrielatos told the Newcastle Herald government briefings also outline the cause of teacher shortages.
"Simply put it is uncompetitive salaries and growing expectations or workloads on teachers and principals," he said.
"The government doesn't care about the teachers and they certainly don't care about the students."
In response to these claims an Education Department spokesperson said the federation's campaign is "designed to mislead communities, and it's incredibly disappointing".
"Currently, across 116 NSW public schools in Lake Macquarie and Newcastle, there are 50 vacant positions subject to recruitment activity, this does not mean the positions are empty," the spokesperson told the Newcastle Herald.
"These positions are new, additional positions created to support the NSW Government's $256 million investment in literacy and numeracy in NSW public schools".
According to the spokesperson, the department has recently announced a $125 million Teacher Supply Strategy which "will deliver 3,700 teachers with the right subject qualifications placed in locations of need."
Megan West who is a Drama and English teacher and federation representative of Callaghan College Jesmond Senior Campus was at the rally. Ms West said the union's aim was to address reasons behind "the upcoming teacher shortage".
"Looking at salaries but also the unsustainable workload that's facing teachers today and teachers coming into the profession," she said.
Ms West said in her experience student outcomes are severely impacted by teacher shortages.
"There are times when teachers do have to teach outside of their subject areas which is very stressful for the teachers but also really stressful for the kids," she said.
"Without the breadth and depth of knowledge of that subject area the kids are the ones that suffer."
Early in her career Ms West said she was forced to teach outside her subject area and "constantly felt only one chapter ahead of the kids". She claimed that declining conditions are having an effect on teachers coming into the education system.
"I was speaking to two of our prac teaching students yesterday and one of those students actually had no intention of teaching beyond about five years," she said.
"When I asked why, they told me it's because they need to have a life."
The details of this report are developing. It will be updated.
