South Australian public school teachers are gearing up for a strike.

Eighty per cent of members of the Australian Education Union (AEU) voted in favour of the industrial action, signalling their dissatisfaction with the current state of negotiations. 

Despite the government's reassurances that there will not be any “muskets at dawn”, recent talks on Wednesday failed to resolve the impasse.

The strike will have broad consequences, affecting several hundred schools and thousands of students, compelling many families to make alternative arrangements for Friday, September 1. 

However, the Department for Education has pledged to offer support to schools and pre-schools to ensure that “no child is turned away”.

The AEU, representing public school teachers, initiated the strike in response to what they term an “insulting” enterprise bargaining offer put forth by the South Australian government. 

The union is pressing for an 8.6 per cent salary increase in the first year of the new agreement, followed by a 5.5 per cent raise in the subsequent two years. 

In contrast, the government has proposed a 3 per cent annual increase over a three-year period.

Additionally, the AEU is advocating for the inclusion of more school support officers in classrooms and additional time for teachers to manage administrative tasks.

The Education Department has disclosed that 167 out of the state's 927 public schools and pre-schools would be “closed due to industrial action”.

An additional 152 schools will remain open but with modified programs, meaning that more than 300 schools will be impacted in some capacity.

Despite closures, schools will maintain a basic staff presence to ensure the duty of care. The department has provided a list of affected schools on its website and noted that schools are communicating with parents directly.