Thursday, 11 December 2025
The Rockliff Government’s ongoing refusal to fix the escalating crisis in public schools will force thousands of educators across Tasmania into coordinated statewide stop-work action tomorrow, Friday 12 December.
Major actions will take place in Burnie, Launceston and Hobart.
AEU Tasmania President David Genford said the blame sits squarely with Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Education Minister Jo Palmer.
“Educators are taking statewide action in the vast majority of schools because the Premier won’t lift a finger to fix the education crisis. Unfortunately, this is the only language the Government seems to understand,” Mr Genford said.
“We would rather be in classrooms,
David Genford, Branch President
but we have been backed into a corner by a Premier who refuses to act.”
AEU Tasmania
Support staff are facing Christmas without a pay rise and will yet again suffer weeks of unpaid stand-down, after the Government failed once again to fix what everyone agrees is an unfair and broken system.
“Educators are furious that support staff are heading into Christmas with no pay rise and another year facing weeks of unpaid stand-down – a crisis created by the Government’s refusal to act,” Mr Genford said.
“Workloads are crushing staff, violence in schools is getting worse, and burnout is pushing people out of the profession, yet the Premier has deliberately stalled bargaining by sending in a ‘negotiator’ with no authority to agree to meaningful changes.”
“Minister Palmer claims she recognises the issue, but the time for words is long over. Public education is on fire. We need real action now. Jeremy Rockliff needs to do his job and urgently commit funding to fix education.”
“Educators don’t take this action lightly, but this Government has left us with no other choice. We can’t keep pretending our education system isn’t broken.”
Educators will be on strike until 12pm on Friday, with statewide actions commencing at 9:30am sharp.
