A valid argument is that the comments on reports should be irrelevant because parents should be having conversations with the teachers and seeking feedback on their child’s development. However, it could also be argued that parents who wanted to be engaged with teachers would do so or already be so.  

Teachers spend a lot of their own time writing these comments. The weekends and hours long after the final school bell rings are spent in unpaid overtime completing reports and planning lessons for the following week. A recent survey found 93 per cent of teachers use their own money to purchase supplies for their school or students. Of those who us their money, 25 per cent spend more than $1000 a year. The State of Our School report was released by the national branch of the Australian Education Union. It’s not known how many of the 7804 respondents, made up of teachers, principals and support staff, were from Tasmania.

The extra mile teachers go to is one of the reasons for the increased industrial action.

Parents also have the right to be upset by this increased action.  There is an expectation that reports give an indication as to what the student may need to focus on the next year, suggestions for subjects and an opportunity for teachers to flag the need for meetings. 

The union says the industrial action has been increased to encourage the state government to come back to the bargaining table. The state government has previously told The Examiner, on numerous occasions, that they too encourage the union to go back to the bargaining table.

Both parties have expressed a desire to bargain - albeit on the provision of good faith.

Teachers are not alone as nurses have also increased action.  Both cases of industrial action is designed to make an impact. It’s working. But, it’s now time for all parties to come back to negotiations in an effort to resolve the dispute, and remove students, parents and patients who have been placed in the middle of the debate.