But they will not be organising any local rally independent of the plans to march on the offices of the Department of Education and Training in Bridge Street, Sydney at 11am tomorrow.

Teachers’ Federation country organiser, Noel Creenaune said yesterday that Bathurst teachers were not holding a local rally, seeing no point in another march on the offices of the Member for Bathurst, Gerard Martin.

The teachers would not be travelling as a unit from Bathurst to Sydney, but there could be individual teachers attending the rally planned for Sydney to protest about the way teachers are to be appointed to schools in future.

According to the federation the government could avert the 24 strike action by resuming negotiations on its proposals for school teaching appointments.

The federation fears changes could allow principals to directly hire staff, undermining a long-standing incentive transfer scheme.

Under the incentive scheme, teachers are encouraged to take-up rural and remote postings, making them eligible to go to the top of the transfer list for a more desirable posting later in their career.

When meetings were held earlier this month to consider what action to take 99 per cent of teachers who attended had voted to endorse the strike. Many of the venues reported a unanimous vote in favour of industrial action.

The Department of Education said that meetings being held would disrupt classes and some schools may have to be temporarily closed.