BUSLOADS of teachers from across the Newcastle area were among the "tens of thousands" who made their way to Sydney on Tuesday as part of statewide industrial action.
"We've got five full buses from all over the Hunter and we've also got teachers carpooling," Regional Organiser of NSW Teachers Federation Jack Galvin Waight said early Tuesday morning.
Public school teachers from all over NSW held their first strike in a decade calling for increased wages and more manageable workloads. The industrial action came on the back of Teachers Federation rallies throughout November addressing "chronic staff shortages" across the state.
"Teachers are striking today because we have to and because we've exhausted all available options," Mr Galvin Waight said on Tuesday.
"The teacher shortages are crippling our schools and that's not fair on the kids."
President of the Newcastle Teachers Federation and Kotara High teacher, Sean Brown, said the lack of available teachers is evident at his school.
"We definitely don't have the same availability of teachers, especially casuals, as we used to," he said.
Mr Brown said this meant more teachers taking classes outside their subject area, affecting student outcomes.
"If you were sick you wouldn't go to a plumber. Yes they are qualified teachers but they are not qualified in certain areas."
NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said the issue was now in the hands of the Premier, who he says has the power to prevent further industrial action.
"The idea that a 10-year wages cap is an appropriate response to teacher shortages, rising student enrolments and a 30% decline in the number of people studying teaching is beyond comprehension," he said.
"It is disappointing that the only action the Government has chosen to take on unsustainable workloads and uncompetitive salaries is legal action to try and prevent today's strike."
Last week the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) issued orders for the Federation to "cease organising and refrain from taking any form of industrial action". NSW Education Secretary Georgina Harrisson said the department "called on the federation" to comply with IRC orders.
"Parents want their children in school and no one needs another day out of the classroom after such a disruptive year," Ms Harrisson said.
"The Federation needs to come back to the table and engage in good faith with the negotiating process."
Jack Galvin Waight told the Newcastle Herald as parents themselves, teachers "understand that this is another disruption".
"Every day in every classroom there are disruption because of these teachers shortages so if don't take action now this will continue in the future," he said.
"We aren't concerned about repercussions from the IRC. We are powering ahead because this is too important for the future of our students not to."
The Hunter Valley Sub Branch of the Independent Education Union (IEU) has put it's support behind the public school industrial action. A social media post by the IEU read the sub branch "looks forward to taking similar action in 2022".
