Victorian teachers strike LIVE: Schools to close to students as teachers walk off job to protest pay deal

Bridie SmithUpdated July 23, 2026 — 7:48am,first published 7:08amWelcome to our live coverage By Bridie SmithGood morning, and thank you for joining our live coverage as Victoria’s public school teachers and principals strike for the second time in four months.I’m education reporter Bridie Smith, and I’ll be helming our blog while my colleagues Alex Crowe, Jackson Graham and Caroline Schelle bring you live updates from the rally.Today’s industrial action comes after teachers, principals and education support staff rejected a revised government pay offer of 28.3 per cent over four years made in April and a 17 per cent pay offer over three years proposed in March.You can catch up with what has been happening here. Latest Posts7.48amTeachers should be paid ‘what they deserve’, do less adminBy Jack GramenzFederal Education Minister Jason Clare says he hopes the issues motivating teachers to walk off the job in Victoria will be addressed.Federal Education Minister Jason Clare.Kate Geraghty“Teachers do the most important job in the world. I want to see them being paid as good as they possibly can be,” Clare told ABC News Breakfast this morning.“The big pay rise for teachers in NSW has seen vacancies in classroom drop to a 12-year low ... the Victorian government’s got a big offer on the table here of a 28 per cent pay rise, which would be even bigger than NSW,” Clare said.Pressed on whether he thought Victorian teachers had been underpaid compared to other states, Clare said he was not getting involved in individual negotiations.“But the truth is we need more teachers, and we’ve got a shortage of teachers,” Clare said.“We’re seeing some really big jumps in the number of people enrolling in teaching, and that’s a good thing. But we also want to make sure that our teachers are paid what they deserve, as well as taking some of that unnecessary admin burden off them, so they get more time to teach,” Clare said.7.43amFor some, the beach beckonsBy Jackson GrahamParents and grandparents picking up children at St Kilda Primary on Wednesday said they had made arrangements for the kids today.The strike means Serge may take his daughter to the beach instead of school today.Jackson GrahamSerge, whose daughter is in grade 1, said his household would be working from home and had plans for activities, weather permitting.“If the weather is good we’ll go to the beach,” he said.Grandparents are also stepping in for the day. Jerry Manuel said his two grandsons would be with their grandparents on the other side of the family on Thursday.7.34amUnion boss says pay offer significant but educators still disappointedBy Bridie SmithSpeaking on 774 ABC Melbourne this morning, Victorian branch president Justin Mullaly acknowledged that a 28.3 per cent pay increase was significant but that educators were still disappointed with the government offer.“What [members] want to see are the best possible conditions, the best rates of pay in the context of making sure that we’ve got a supply of staff in our schools because that’s critical to the delivery of programs for students,” he said.Justin Mullaly speaking on Tuesday.Ruby AlexanderDespite the close vote rejecting the second offer, Mallaly said he had no doubt that there would be tens of thousands of education staff on the streets of the CBD today.Mallaly also said he believed parents were supportive of teachers’ quest and the industrial action.“Ultimately, it’s about the provision of education,” he said.“I think parents and school staff share a common goal that we want the best quality education for our children and young people, and we need the funding to do that.”7.27amIs my child’s school open?By Bridie SmithThe Victorian government has insisted schools will remain open today, despite some principals advising parents to keep children at home.Schools will inform parents and families through usual communication channels, with some flagging last week that alternative arrangements would need to be made.Most government schools have told their communities that supervision will be available for the children of emergency workers, by prior arrangement with the schools.For those in the Catholic and independent sector, schools will operate as normal.7.08amWhat to expect today By Bridie SmithTens of thousands of union members are expected to meet at Bourke Street Mall at 10.30am and march through the Melbourne CBD wearing red.The rally will end at Parliament House where AEU Victorian branch president Justin Mullaly will address the crowd.All the state’s 1570 government schools are expected to remain open during the industrial action. However, many will only provide supervision for a limited number of students.7.08amWhat teachers want – and whyBy The Australian Education Union says Victorian teachers are the nation’s lowest-paid public education workforce and argues that a 35 per cent pay increase over three years would bring Victorian teachers into line with their NSW counterparts.A graduate teacher in Victoria earns $78,801 compared with $90,177 in NSW, while the pay gap between experienced classroom teachers is $15,000.But the months-long union campaign is not just about pay. Conditions are also a sticking point between the government and the AEU, which is pushing for smaller class sizes, lower workload, flexible working arrangements and more support for students with complex needs.Welcome to our live coverage By Bridie SmithGood morning, and thank you for joining our live coverage as Victoria’s public school teachers and principals strike for the second time in four months.I’m education reporter Bridie Smith, and I’ll be helming our blog while my colleagues Alex Crowe, Jackson Graham and Caroline Schelle bring you live updates from the rally.Today’s industrial action comes after teachers, principals and education support staff rejected a revised government pay offer of 28.3 per cent over four years made in April and a 17 per cent pay offer over three years proposed in March.You can catch up with what has been happening here. 1 of 1