On Thursday, September 24, Racheline Jackson joined work meetings remotely from the front seat of her car, waiting for the gates of Telopea Park School to open at 10.30am.
"I'm thankful that I have the flexibility to take a call in the front seat," she said, "but not all parents do."
On Thursday, September 24, tens of thousands of parents across the ACT worked around a two-hour work stoppage enacted by ACT public school staff.
The work stoppage was part of ongoing protected industrial action by the ACT Australian Education Union.
Ms Jackson, a mother of two students at the school, said that the work stoppage on Thursday had flow-on effects throughout her personal and work life.
"People at work are sympathetic, but when you've got a workplace with multiple people with school-aged children in a similar position, it strains the whole office," she said.
"People without children feel the impacts as well."
Once school opened on Thursday, Ms Jackson's son's teacher was absent and replaced by a relief teacher. The following day, no relief teachers were available, and he was moved into a split class.
As a year 2 student, he is often placed in split classes with year 1 or year 3 students.
"They do what they can," Ms Jackson said, "but these teachers are trying to teach two different year groups at once, while looking after a larger class."
The president of the Australian Education Union's ACT branch, Angela Burroughs, said the ongoing protected industrial action is largely motivated by the continued practice of splitting and collapsing classes.
Following the work stoppage on Thursday, the union met with Education Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith.
In the meeting, which Ms Burroughs described as "constructive", the minister committed to further investigation of matters within the Education Directorate.
The union has foreshadowed further escalating industrial action if negotiations continue to term 4.
In term 4, week 2, a one-hour work stoppage will occur, followed by a two-hour stoppage in week 4, then a half-day in week 6 and finally a full day strike in week 8.
"Of course, that could change at any time should we get an improved offer that is satisfactory to our members," Ms Burroughs said.
She said union members are prepared to stand up for themselves and their peers until a resolution is reached.
"We all share a desire to get there as quickly as possible, but we're not sacrificing quality for a fast resolution."
The negotiations with the ACT government have taken on a new urgency, with the budget cuts proposed for 58 public schools across the ACT.
Latham Primary School is expecting one of the most significant budget cuts next year, with almost one quarter (24.8 per cent) of its budget to be slashed.
Fiona Allan served as principal of Latham Primary School from 2009 to 2012. She is now unaffiliated with the school but has multiple grandchildren in attendance there.
"In my experience, I cannot imagine how that school or any school could be expected to manage cuts of that magnitude and maintain the quality of education," Ms Allan said.
"It's absolutely beyond comprehension," she said. "I don't think it's possible."
"The teachers will keep trying and trying to do more with less. They're always greeting the children with smiles, giving them that happy environment, but I know they must be exhausted."
Ms Burroughs flagged that the budget cuts will only worsen working environments for teachers.
"We can't pretend, as I think the Education Directorate wants for us to do, that budget cuts are not occurring," Ms Burroughs said.
"It seems to be there's inconsistent communications from different sections of the Directorate, and it's incredibly stressful for school leaders who need to make decisions about staffing, and for all the people affected.
"We need the Education Directorate to just stop the chaos."
Ms Stephen-Smith said on Wednesday, September 23 that school budgets have not been finalised for any school.
"Ultimately this is about everyone working together to ensure that our schools have fair and equitable funding, and that every school is a great place to work and an excellent first choice for every Canberra family," she said.
