More than 80 teachers gathered for the Port Macquarie Teachers Association Welcome Back BBQ last Friday afternoon. Joined by members from Hasting River TA and Camden Haven TA, the annual event is an institution on the Mid North Coast and provides a relaxed environment for teachers to bond as a collective; reunite with old acquaintances and build new connections. Members also heard a campaign update from Henry Rajendra in his first official function as newly elected Senior Vice President. Henry spoke passionately about the need to continue the fight for fair, needs-based funding and oppose Turnbull’s slashing of schools funding. The workload pressure caused by the State Government’s cuts to the Department of Education and its Local Schools, Local Decisions policy, as well as the unfairness of the Public Sector Wages Cap, were other issues that resonated with members.
Port Macquarie TA was also able to wrestle the perpetual trophy, awarded to the school with the largest percentage of members in attendance, back from Hastings River TA and was won by Port Macquarie Public School