In pictures: the frustrated faces on ACT teachers during today's historic strike

Teachers are calling for minimum staffing guarantees in classrooms to stop what the union says is a widespread practice of splitting classes in the ACT.

Multiple staff spoke at an Australian Education Union rally on Thursday, June 11, detailing how classes are often merged because there are not enough teachers to supervise.

The union members were on a full day strike, following unsatisfactory progress on their new enterprise agreement and a two-hour stopwork action in May.

All public schools were closed for the day ACT Education staff go on strike and protest outside the Assembly. Picture by Karleen Minney

ACT union branch president Angela Burroughs said she understood they would be receiving something in writing tomorrow, Friday June 12, from the education minister.

"I hope that it is a commitment to our number one claim about minimum staffing guarantees for our schools," she said.

"So much flows from the staffing claim, once you get staffing right a whole lot of other supports are pulled into place."

The anticipated Friday response would be the first substantial offer from the government after bargaining began at the end of 2025, Ms Burroughs said.

The union's claim log has a total of 25 claims about staff resourcing and pay.

Thousands of teachers and school staff filled the square outside the Assembly, as education minister Yvette Berry faced a censure motion.

Staff from schools across Canberra and from Jervis Bay then walked down to Glebe park, halting traffic for 20 minutes - upsetting some delivery drivers.

Teachers and principals who spoke to The Canberra Times said they wanted a future profession where young people are welcomed and supported to remain teachers.

"When I hear there's a student or my kids say I want to be a teacher, I want to have confidence that it's going to be a really good choice, a job that's not just valued and rewarding but is going to look after them," one college teacher said.

Their partner is a school psychologist in the college system. She said she would often be working across multiple school environments.

"It can be very, very jarring, trying to learn what each school needs and the individual differences," she said.

Richardson Primary School leader Brittany Herrington said it was important for teachers and governments to do their respective jobs.

"Teachers should be teaching, workforce planning is the government's job," she said.