00:02Taking their concerns to the community.
00:05Public school teachers and staff stopping work this morning to drop pamphlets in letterboxes across Canberra detailing the pressures they're
00:13facing.
00:14Teachers are leaving or not able to get new teachers into the profession at the rate we need them.
00:18I think for all of us it feels like the system's in crisis.
00:21The most pressing issue? Combined classes due to staff shortages.
00:25And it's not just teachers who are concerned.
00:27All we did is fun stuff.
00:29I would prefer to learn and do fun stuff than just do fun stuff.
00:34I think that's a real pressure point is the understaffing leading to split classes, leading to high stress levels, leading
00:39to understaffing and so on.
00:40So I think that's the big one that we need to work on.
00:42As they made their way around the suburbs, schools were closed for two hours.
00:47But many were unfazed.
00:49Definitely supporting the teachers. I think they do a wonderful job.
00:53I think the teachers here at this school are fantastic and I would support if they get the pay rise
00:58or whatever they're trying to achieve.
01:00The education minister says progress has been made, but recognises more work needs to be done.
01:06The challenges that they're facing in terms of workforce shortages, absences and needing to split and combine classes are a
01:14priority issue.
01:15The government is coming to the table with ideas, but too much is vague commitments and our members have been
01:24burned.
01:25Been burned badly by that sort of approach in the past.
01:28The union has flagged the potential for more industrial action later in the year.
