Thousands of Victorian public school staff are preparing to walk off the job for 24 hours, escalating a long-running dispute over pay, workload and working conditions.

The strike, organised by the Australian Education Union’s Victorian branch, will affect hundreds of government schools as teachers push for improved wages and changes to what they describe as unsustainable workloads.

The dispute comes after teachers rejected the Victorian government’s offer of a 28 per cent pay increase over four years, with union leaders arguing that salary increases alone do not address the growing pressures facing educators.

The union claims many teachers are working an average of 12 hours of unpaid overtime every week, including lesson preparation, administration, marking and student support outside normal classroom hours.

Union president Justin Mullaly said educators were increasingly questioning whether they could remain in the profession long term, warning that excessive workloads were contributing to teacher shortages.

The concerns come as schools across Australia continue to face challenges recruiting and retaining teachers.

Research from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership has highlighted workload, stress and burnout as major factors affecting teacher retention, with many educators reconsidering their careers due to increasing demands.

The industrial action follows a previous strike in March, when an estimated 35,000 teachers and education workers marched through Melbourne, marking one of the largest teacher protests in Victoria in more than a decade.

The Victorian government has defended its offer, with Education Minister Ben Carroll arguing the proposed agreement represented a significant investment while accusing union leaders of failing to secure support from members.

The government has warned that future offers could change depending on the outcome of the upcoming state election.

The opposition has backed calls for further negotiations, saying teachers deserve better pay while urging the government to return to the bargaining table.

The dispute reflects a broader question facing education systems worldwide: how can governments attract and retain teachers when rising workloads, cost-of-living pressures and workforce shortages continue to put pressure on the profession?

For Victoria, the immediate challenge is finding a solution before the classroom becomes a place fewer educators want to stay.