More teachers than students at Darwin Middle School because of strike action

TWICE as many teachers as students have turned up at Darwin Middle School.

The school was the only one in the NT to proceed with planned strike action today – all Territory public schools, including Darwin Middle, will be subject to rescheduled industrial action on Friday.

It is understood that 14 teachers took part in today’s strike.

The remaining 24 teachers have reportedly turned up for work to supervise just 12 of the school’s 600-odd students.

TEACHERS TO STRIKE FRIDAY

The Australian Education Union had originally planned for its members to walk off the job for two hours this afternoon – though Darwin Middle School was always going to strike for a full day.

That industrial action was then cancelled and replaced with a Territory-wide full-day strike on Friday.

Public Employment Minister John Elferink has labelled the strikes confusing and disruptive.