Victorian teachers are on strike for the first time in 13 years – it’s about more than pay

Victorian public school teachers are walking off the job today. Tens of thousands of school staff, including support staff and principals, are expected to strike.

Teachers in Tasmania are also striking this week. Public schools will be closed in the state’s northwest on Tuesday, the north on Wednesday and the south on Thursday.

Public debate has understandably focused on issues around salaries and workloads, including staff shortages and unpaid overtime.

But industrial action of this scale can also signal something deeper – a breakdown of trust between teachers and the systems they work within.

Teachers want a significant pay increase

During nine months of negotiations with the state government, Victorian school staff have asked for a 35% pay increase over four years, alongside measures to improve workloads.

Teachers argue this rise is needed to keep pace with inflation and bring salaries into line with their interstate colleagues.

The Victorian government’s latest offer includes a 17% pay increase over several years, with limited practical changes to working conditions. On Monday, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan described the offer as “strong”.

How does Victoria compare with other states?

Teachers argue the Victorian government offer falls well short of what is needed to retain teachers and stabilise the workforce.

Currently, Victorian teachers are among the lowest paid in Australia, with gaps of A$10,000–15,000 per year compared with some other states.

For example, in 2025, entry-level teachers in Victoria were paid $79,589. Over the border, in New South Wales, their colleagues earned $90,177. Victorian school principals were paid $156,335. In NSW they earned $178,812.

Teacher salaries in Australia are set at the state level. In recent years, Victorian pay scales – which are influenced by earlier industrial agreements and relatively lower school funding overall – have not kept up with larger increases in other states.

Tasmanian teachers are so far rejecting a pay rise offer of less than 9% over three years from their state government.

Concerns around workloads

Victorian teachers are also calling for improvements to work conditions. This includes smaller class sizes and increased support staff and allied health resources for students.

Class sizes in Victoria are generally capped at around 25–26 students, with smaller classes in the early years of schools and flexible arrangements in specialist schools.

Teachers say smaller class sizes are key to both equity and effective student learning, particularly if there are students with extra needs.

Class sizes in Victoria are roughly equivalent to those in NSW. But class size is an issue around the country.

On top of this, teachers are seeking measures to address administrative burden and burnout. A 2025 study found nine out of ten Australian teachers are experiencing severe stress, and nearly 70% say their workload is unmanageable.

Last week, the Allan government announced measures to cut down on teachers’ paperwork, including simpler student reports. But this has not stopped the strike action.

Teacher strikes are rare

Given the disruption strikes cause to student learning, historically, teachers tend to avoid industrial action.

This is the first major statewide strike in Victoria in 13 years, highlighting the seriousness of the current dispute.

The only recent comparison is a statewide teacher strike in Queensland in 2025. This similarly focused on pay, workload and working conditions.

Beyond pay

Teachers’ dissatisfaction about their working conditions goes beyond salaries.

Amid an ongoing teacher shortage around the country, research tells us teachers are dealing with abuse from students and parents.

Research also tells us teachers’ job satisfaction is hampered by overly prescriptive curriculum demands and administrative tasks that take them away from classrooms. This means they don’t have the time and autonomy to decide how best to teach and engage their students.

Is there an even deeper issue?

Across our studies examining teachers’ work and wellbeing in Australian schools, one theme appears repeatedly: teachers want to feel respected and trusted in their workplaces.

For example, in our 2024 study of 994 Australian teachers, they emphasised the importance of feeling valued and trusted at work as well as supported and safe.

This means teachers want to be recognised as the professionals they are. This means having their teaching judgement and expertise valued and respected by parents, education administrators, the media and the broader community.

Ultimately, teachers want a genuine say when it comes to decisions about their teaching. And they want to know the community supports them and values their work.