Mike's Minute: The teachers aren't helping themselves

Another day, another strike. Yes, it's the teachers again. In an industry crippled by lack of performance, they have divided yet another day of not turning up at work is somehow going to help kids get ahead in the world. Our email came through yesterday morning saying that the strike that was on, was put off, until it was put back on again after the latest pay offer was rejected. Say whatever you want about ACT, but they are at least consistent in their general view of life; and that is, we need to be better. In too many aspects of life these days we are haphazard, if not lackadaisical, if not outright abysmal. Their argument is that the 439 schools that haven't bothered to report their attendance data to the ministry should lose their funding until they do. Attendance is a crisis. As I told you the other day, they are worried in NSW about attendance rates dropping below 80 per cent. We are at 49 per cent. And while we are at 49 per cent teachers think it’s a great idea to keep withdrawing their labour. So, by the time you get the industrial action, the holidays, the teachers only days, the paid union meeting days, half days, the absenteeism and the minister leading the way with her disgraceful performance in the house around attendance figures, you have yourself a pretty dire ol' set of circumstances. As I mentioned at the start of all this industrial action, most of us have sympathy with the teachers plight. Most of us get that the good ones are shockingly paid. But that starts to wear thin after a few too many days off and a bit too much inconvenience. I also mentioned the other day that there is a practical solution to the problem - performance pay. Unions don't want it and most teachers don't want it because, heaven forbid, you'd actually find out who was up to it and who was there merely making up the numbers. And so a large grouping expects more money, not for more performance, or better outcomes. But merely because the cost-of-living is a mess, and they inconvenience whoever they want, until they get what they want. Once again, the kids stay at home. History will show that this current crop of students was let down shockingly. Between Covid, the lockdowns, the piecemeal credit giveaways, the abysmal test results around numeracy, literacy etc, and the seemingly never-ending strikes, it doesn’t get a lot worse than what they are having to put up with. It’s a rare old day that a system that fails so badly, has the temerity to inconvenience so many for their own ends.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.