Ahead of the NSW public school teacher’s strike on Tuesday, I spoke with Michael Sciffer, an experienced school teacher and school counsellor in the Armidale region. He is also the the president of the Armidale Teachers Association.

Shiffer said that shortages across the region are widespread, leading to many generalist educators teaching specialist subjects like mathematics. He added there are scores of temporary positions that principals are struggling to fill next year, and 50 per cent of school counsellor positions in the region are vacant - leaving students' wellbeing needs unmet.

The school counsellor and teacher is expecting the vast majority of teachers in the area to be striking tomorrow, after attending union meetings that have been bigger ever and hearing from teachers who are "angry and frustrated" and "no more willing to accept" the status quo. 

And, on the issue of the salary increase, Sciffer is quietly confident that NSW premier Dominic Perrottet will come to the table, adding that many teachers believe "now is the time to take action on these issues". 

Ahead of the NSW public school teacher&rsquo;s strike on Tuesday, I spoke with Michael Sciffer, an experienced school teacher and school counsellor in the Armidale region. He is also the the president of the Armidale Teachers Association.
Shiffer said that shortages across the region are widespread, leading to many generalist educators teaching specialist subjects like mathematics. He added there are scores of temporary positions that principals are struggling to fill next year, and 50 per cent of school counsellor positions in the region are vacant - leaving students' wellbeing needs unmet.
The school counsellor and teacher is expecting the vast majority of teachers in the area to be striking tomorrow, after attending union meetings that have been bigger ever and hearing from teachers who are "angry and frustrated" and "no more willing to accept" the status quo.&nbsp;
And, on the issue of the salary increase, Sciffer is quietly confident that NSW premier Dominic Perrottet will come to the table, adding that many teachers believe "now is the time to take action on these issues".&nbsp;

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