WA union warns of lack of teachers

West Australian teachers complain that there will be major staffing and student learning disruptions to the state's schools next year if they are forced to take long service leave.

The State Schools Teachers Union claimed the government was forcing up to 12,600 staff to take leave, which president Pat Byrne said was an impossible request.

"If the State Government insists on enforcing this directive, there will be an enormous number of classes with no teacher at the start of the school year," he said.

But the WA Education Department's workforce executive director Cliff Gillam rejected the suggestion school classes would be affected.

The Auditor General had ordered the department to reduce leave, which was a liability, he said.

"If a principal believes one of their teachers taking leave will have an impact on their students, they can request an exemption from the two year deadline," he said.