THEY'RE overworked and underpaid and now, Tamworth teachers demand more than thanks.
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Staff shortages have crippled local schools with more than 115 vacancies across the region.
Attunga Public School teacher Emily Thomas-Moore told the Leader at a rally on Tuesday that it's the students that suffer.
"Our profession has been losing teachers left, right and centre. Our government isn't supporting us to give us a profession that is paid and resourced efficiently and that's not acceptable," she said.
"In Tamworth every school is screaming for casuals, every school still needs more staff, still needs more resourcing for their classrooms to provide adequate teaching and learning for all of our students. It's a crisis everywhere."
The NSW Teachers Federation wants a five per cent pay increase per annum, and another 2.5 per cent on top of that for experienced teachers or those in leadership roles, based on recommendations from an inquiry chaired by former WA Premier Geoff Gallop.
NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the state government has invested $125 million into its Teacher Supply Strategy.
"We have seen year-on-year wage increases for teachers and when you look comparatively at other jobs, teachers are paid well," she said.
"We are looking at support around reducing the admin burden and some of the red tape.
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"I want teachers to focus on teaching and learning."
Teachers federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said the sector is headed for the perfect storm.
"Department briefings show and expose that we could be down 2425 teachers by the end of 2023," he said.
"It's uncompetitive salaries and crippling workloads that are making the profession less attractive."
The Department of Education was contacted for comment.
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