Overview
- Police estimated about 35,000 educators marched Tuesday through Melbourne, and more than 500 schools were closed or heavily disrupted with only limited supervision.
- The walkout was the first statewide stop‑work by Victoria’s public school workforce in more than 13 years.
- The teachers’ union is seeking a 35% pay rise over four years and measures to ease workloads and staffing gaps, while the government defends an offer near 17% with an overtime allowance.
- Negotiations resume Wednesday, and union leaders warn they may launch rolling regional stoppages and bans on parent communications, meetings and new initiatives if the offer does not improve.
- Teachers cite low relative pay, heavy unpaid hours, staff shortages and a $2.4 billion school funding boost delayed to 2031 as key pressures, and parallel strikes are unfolding across Tasmania across three days this week.