School staff anger is palpable, AEU Victorian branch president Justin Mullaly said, with recent revelations in Parliament that Victorian public school students “are being cheated of $663 million in funding every year that the Labor Government doesn’t deliver”. 

Speaking to media at the rally, AEU organiser Carlos Castro described some of the impacts the funding delay will have in real terms on Victoria’s public schools

“There are a lot of programs that schools run, not just the day-to-day teaching and ES stuff, that help to lift up students who are falling behind and those students who are accelerating well with their studies,” Castro said.

“So there are many different programs that help students academically, but also really significantly those with a range of social issues as well – so it’s not just the curricular side of things, it’s also the pastoral care these students receive in our public education system.

“Delaying this extra funding til 2031, really means that students in places like Ballarat and Bendigo will be hindered, both from a curricular perspective, but also socially.”

The Allan Government, Mullaly said, has decided to deny public schools billions of dollars by delaying their commitment to fully fund public schools to 2031 – “with the Premier at the centre of that decision”. 

He said that school staff are furious at the duplicity of the Allan Labor Government and what he called their “funding con job”. 

“AEU members are rallying today to demand the Premier fixes her government’s mess and acts to ensure every Victorian public school is fully funded.  And we will keep campaigning and rallying until the funding cuts are resolved,” Mullaly said. 

“Right now, Victoria’s public schools are the lowest funded in the country, and our teachers are the lowest paid, with education support staff and school leaders undervalued. 

“To deny public schools full and fair funding during a shortage of teachers shows how out of touch the Labor government is. 

The AEU Victorian Branch has unveiled a stark comparison of teacher salaries between Victoria and NSW. 

“Local students are set up for success when their teachers, principals and education support staff are supported to stay in profession,” Mullaly said.

“Right now, Victoria’s public schools are the lowest funded in the country, and our teachers are the lowest paid, with education support staff and school leaders also undervalued.”

As an example of the huge disparity in public school salaries between Victoria and NSW, Mullaly said next year an experienced teacher living in Wodonga would be $15,359 better off a year, or $295 a week, by crossing the Murray River and teaching in a public school in Albury.

“In 2026, an experienced Victorian teacher will be paid $118,063 compared to $133,422 for an experienced teacher in NSW.

“At the entry level, a Victorian teacher will be paid $79,589 compared to $92,882 in NSW.”

Mullaly said entry level pay for Victorian classroom-based education support staff is also far too low, compared to NSW, with a $6000 or 10.5 per cent gap.  

This also means that experienced education support staff are not paid what they are worth.

“Only three in 10 Victorian public school staff intend to stay working in public schools until retirement, and nearly 40 per cent are uncertain about continuing to work in Victorian public schools,” he said.

Valuing and respecting school staff through decent pay is a key means of retaining existing employees and attracting the next generation to the profession, Mullaly argued.

“The Allan Labor government must get serious about addressing the workforce shortage in our public schools.” 

Victorian teachers' last workplace agreement was signed in 2022, when just under 62 per cent of AEU members agreed to what was considered by many to be a weak agreement of a pay rise of just 2 per cent over four years.

While the AEU at the time was quick to highlight workload concessions gained in the agreement, including a one-hour reduction in face-to-face teaching time per week, increased to 1.5 hours from 2024, teachers were incensed, especially given the pay rise fell significantly short of keeping pace with inflation at the time.

Speaking to EducationHQ then, some teachers called the agreement ‘a monstrous betrayal’ and a membership backlash resulted in thousands jumping ship from the AEU.

Under new leadership, membership has plummeted up to 25 per cent since then, from 50,000 members to 43,000, however Mullaly said numbers have increased this year by about 4500, in signs of a turnaround.

The AEU log of claims for the next Victorian Government Schools Agreement includes: 

  • A 35 per cent pay increase for all public school staff over the life of the agreement
  • Smaller class sizes so every student can have greater individual attention and support
  • Increased allied health and classroom support for students
  • Modern and flexible working arrangements
  • Significant improvements to working conditions, including workload reductions

The AEU said it received 716 school sub-branch submissions, representing the views of tens of thousands of teachers, principals and education support staff, to the union’s log of claims process.

“Members are highly engaged, ready to campaign for themselves and for the students they work with,” Mullaly said.

“Public school teachers, principals, and education support workers are dedicated, hardworking professionals. They require the state government to back them in with the same dedication.”    

He said in terms of school funding, the Allan Government is “showing contempt towards Victorian public school staff, parents and students. That is unacceptable”.

“The Premier must fix this mess,” Mullaly said.

The Financial Review reported this week that Mullaly has raised the prospect of launching industrial action, including strikes, if the Labor Government does not come to the table with an acceptable offer.