State’s huge call on four-day work week

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has united with the opposition in knocking back a bold plan to trial a four-day work week to address the state’s shortage in teachers.

It comes after a research paper by Monash University recommended trialling a four-day work week for teachers to “better meet the needs of staff and students”.

The report, which surveyed 8000 teacher union members, found almost 80 per cent of teachers did not feel there was enough support for teaching staff.

About 70 per cent said there was a shortage in education support staff, with the report also recommending increased pay, diversification of staff, and facility upgrades.

Australian Education Union Victorian Branch president Meredith Peace, whose members were surveyed, said the state’s “public schools are at a key juncture”.

Ms Peace said there had been significant change in Victoria over the 30 years and that underfunding and staff shortages were “pushing the limits of the system”

“Family structures and parent working patterns have changed, with most families needing two full time or close to full time incomes to make ends meet,” she said.

“Teachers, principals and education support staff in our public schools are impacted by new trends in digital technologies, social and political transformations.

“But we have not changed the structure of our school system, making the job of providing quality public education more challenging than ever before.”

Lead researcher Dr Fiona Longmuir said the report outlined areas the government needed to consider in order to modernise the state’s public schools.

“The expectations and excessive workloads placed on education support staff, teachers and school leaders are unsustainable and need to be curtailed,” she said.

“Until these workload issues and expectations are addressed, retaining school staff and attracting new staff will remain a chronic and dire problem.

“We believe Victorian education policymakers need to consider bold reforms, including more flexible arrangements such as trialling a four-day work week for school staff for retention and attraction and a rethinking of the curriculum and assessment, including arrangements for senior secondary certifications.”

Despite the recommendation and the implementation of four-day work weeks for teachers in the United States, both sides of parliament have said they are not interested.

Premier Jacinta Allan told Nine “we have no plans for a four day working week. We have the highest student-to-staff ratio of any state in Australia”.

Opposition education spokesman Jess Wilson said: “What we’re seeing now is doubled-up classrooms, classes being sent home because there aren’t enough teachers.

“Reducing that week isn’t going to solve that problem, in fact it’s only going to put more pressure on the system.”

The Monash report is the second in a series aimed at generating “important discussions to achieve significant positive change” to Victoria’s public school workforce.

It also recommended the government work with staff to review the curriculum and the Disability Inclusion process, reduce class sizes, and increase diverse learning capacity.