State schools will close early on Friday afternoon, as teachers prepare to walk off the job.
The education department has advised parents that they’ll need to arrange to collect their kids at 1pm.
Minister for Education, Children and Youth Roger Jaensch said the government was left with no choice, blaming a lack of certainty around staffing levels for the decision.
But the Australian Education Union disagrees.
“The Rockliff government has let down every student and educator by ignoring the calls of teachers, parents and community groups to fix Tasmania’s worsening education crisis by providing the in-class support solutions our schools and colleges desperately need,” said AEU Tasmania President David Genford.
“Because of the Liberal Government’s refusal to act, our state’s education system will continue to lag behind the rest of the nation, unable to provide the same level of opportunity or quality of learning for our students. Teachers made it clear that stop work action will continue, and ramp up, until real in-class support solutions are implemented.”
Teachers and other educational staff will strike from 1:30.