Parents will soon learn whether a public school strike will go ahead as a teacher's union meets to decide on a pay offer labelled a "watershed moment for education".
The Victorian government put a revised pay deal to the Australian Education Union late on Thursday in a bid to stop the strike action planned for July 23.
Education Minister Ben Carroll labelled the $5 billion offer a "watershed moment for education" and urged the union to call off the strike.
"Let's get on, let's get a deal done," Mr Carroll said.
"Term three has just gone back, we need our kids in school. Every minute matters."
In addition to the government's previous offer, the revised deal includes a pay rise for education support employees in line with teachers and a one per cent lump sum for classroom teachers at the top of the pay scale.
Teachers and support staff would receive a minimum 28.3 per cent pay increase over four years - marginally higher than the previous offer but below the 35 per cent rise over three years the union wants.
Teachers would pocket an extra $1000 every month by October under the deal, thanks to an initial 12.75 per cent increase.
The education union's Victorian branch president Justin Mullaly accused the government of leapfrogging them "in an anti-union fashion" and emailing teachers directly with the offer.
"They should act by going through the union, that's what our union expects and that's what they should have done as a Labor government," Mr Mullaly said.
Mr Carroll argued going straight to the workforce was "what a strong Labor government does".
"I had a signed agreement with the Australian Education Union last time, an agreement they themselves described as being really good," he said.
The union will hold an extraordinary meeting late on Friday to consider the offer.
Mr Mullaly acknowledged the pay deal was "significant", but said the decision would come down to a vote of union members at the meeting.
The teachers' union in June knocked back the Labor government's offer of a 28 per cent pay rise over four years.
The Victorian Education Union's more than 60,000 public school teachers, principals and support staff voted down the previous deal, with 57.7 per cent of members rejecting the offer.
A 24-hour statewide stop work action is planned for next Thursday, along with a ban on working unpaid overtime.
Current industrial action also includes bans on state Labor MPs visiting public schools, implementing new government programs, and limitations on attending meetings and on responding to Department of Education emails.
Unionised public school educators walked off the job across Victoria in March for the first time in more than 13 years during a 24-hour strike, with more than 35,000 people marching to the front steps of state parliament.
