ACT Teachers Walk Out Again as Industrial Action Continues Over Stalled Negotiations

Work stoppages to spread across Canberra after Gungahlin teachers demand a fair resolution to 15-month pay and conditions dispute

By LineZotpaper

Published19 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Gungahlin public school teachers stopped work for an hour on Monday morning as part of ongoing industrial action that will reach other regions of the ACT later this week, with the Australian Education Union and the ACT government still at odds after 15 months of bargaining.

Teachers, learning support assistants and other school staff from Throsby School gathered alongside Horse Park Drive, holding signs reading 'Honk if you support teachers', as schools either closed or provided minimal supervision between 8:30am and 9:30am.

Executive teacher Olivia Neilson, who has been teaching for 28 years, said the situation was 'the worst it's ever been'. She described routinely teaching split classes of up to 50 students when colleagues were away, which she said reduced her role to 'babysitting' large classes rather than delivering individualised learning. At Throsby School on Monday, three classes were split due to a territory-wide teacher shortage.

Principal Annamaria Zuffo said the staff shortage often forces executive teachers and English as an additional language or dialect teachers into filling in as classroom teachers, reducing their capacity to support students with additional needs.

Learning support assistant Tom Paterson raised concerns about occupational violence, stating he had experienced a student trying to stab him and had seen a colleague subjected to a choking attempt. He said such violence is underreported and that the ACT government does not adequately recognise the experiences of LSAs, who he said are the least trained members of school staff. Paterson also warned that looming budget cuts for 2027 would see LSAs among the first to lose their jobs.

Education Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said on 16 October that negotiations had progressed to discussing the exact language of certain clauses, which were 'close to finalisation'. However, Angela Burroughs, president of the union's ACT branch, said at the demonstration that members still need to see an improved offer from the one presented in September. 'There were some very specific requests, including the staffing guarantee,' she said. 'That's why we're out here today, because we cannot have this situation where schools are not properly staffed.'

Parents dropping children at Throsby School honked their car horns in support. Burroughs thanked them for their understanding, acknowledging the disruption but stressing the union wants a 'fair and reasonable offer' to conclude the dispute.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The 15-month stalemate affects every public school in the ACT, with split classes and staff shortages becoming daily realities for students and families.
Teachers and support staff report deteriorating conditions including occupational violence, which raises questions about student and staff safety.
The outcome will set a precedent for education funding and staffing guarantees across the territory, especially with 2027 budget cuts looming.

Background

Teacher shortages have been a persistent issue across Australian jurisdictions, but Canberra has seen particularly acute pressures as housing costs and workload concerns drive educators away from the profession. The ACT Education Directorate and the Australian Education Union have been bargaining since mid-2025, with the union seeking a staffing guarantee that would ensure minimum teacher-to-student ratios and protect specialist roles. Previous offers were rejected by members in September 2026.

Key Perspectives

Teachers and the AEU: They argue that without a binding staffing guarantee, schools cannot cope with absences, forcing teachers into unsustainable split-class arrangements and reducing educational quality. Members want a fair pay rise and recognition of the roles of learning support assistants. ACT Government: Education Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith says negotiations are close to finalisation and that detailed language on clauses is being discussed. The government must balance union demands with budget constraints, particularly with the 2027 fiscal outlook. Learning Support Assistants: They feel overlooked in the negotiations, especially regarding training for managing violent incidents and job security under budget cuts. Paterson says LSAs are 'not respected' by the government. Parents and Carers: Many expressed visible support for staff during the stoppage, though the union acknowledged the industrial action is disruptive to families who rely on school supervision.

What to Watch

Whether the ACT government improves its offer beyond the September proposal, particularly on the staffing guarantee.
The spread of work stoppages across other ACT regions later this week.
The impact of looming 2027 budget cuts on learning support assistant positions and whether they become a sticking point in final negotiations.

Sources

'The worst it's ever been': teachers walk out again as negotiations continue · The Canberra Times - News

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedACT Teachers Walk Out Again as Industrial Action Continues Over Stalled NegotiationsThe Canberra Times - News: “teachers stopped work for an hour on Monday morning as part of ongoing industrial action ... negotiations continue”
SupportedWork stoppages to spread across Canberra after Gungahlin teachers demand a fair resolution to 15-month pay and conditions disputeThe Canberra Times - News: “industrial action which will reach other regions of the ACT later this week ... 15 months of bargaining”
SupportedGungahlin public school teachers stopped work for an hour on Monday morning as part of ongoing industrial action that will reach other regions of the ACT later this week, with the Australian Education Union and the ACT government still at odds after 15 months of bargaining.The Canberra Times - News: “Gungahlin public school teachers stopped work for an hour on Monday morning as part of ongoing industrial action which will reach other regions of the ACT later this week. ... the Australian Education Union and the ACT government”
SupportedExecutive teacher Olivia Neilson, who has been teaching for 28 years, said the situation was 'the worst it's ever been'.The Canberra Times - News: “Executive teacher Olivia Neilson ... 'I've been teaching for 28 years,' ... 'and this is the worst it's ever been.'”
SupportedShe described routinely teaching split classes of up to 50 students when colleagues were away, which she said reduced her role to 'babysitting' large classes rather than delivering individualised learning.The Canberra Times - News: “she routinely taught split classes of up to 50 students ... effectively 'babysitting' large classes rather than delivering the usual individualised learning”
SupportedAt Throsby School on Monday, three classes were split due to a territory-wide teacher shortage.The Canberra Times - News: “on Monday, three classes at Throsby were split ... due to a territory-wide shortage of teachers”
SupportedPrincipal Annamaria Zuffo said the staff shortage often forces executive teachers and English as an additional language or dialect teachers into filling in as classroom teachers, reducing their capacity to support students with additional needs.The Canberra Times - News: “principal Annamaria Zuffo said the staff shortage often pushes executive teachers and EAL/D teachers into filling in as classroom teachers, reducing their capacity to provide support and interventions for students with additional needs”
SupportedLearning support assistant Tom Paterson stated he had experienced a student trying to stab him and had seen a colleague subjected to a choking attempt.The Canberra Times - News: “'I've had a student try to stab me ... I've seen a colleague [have] a student try to choke her'”
SupportedHe said such violence is underreported and that the ACT government does not adequately recognise the experiences of LSAs, who he said are the least trained members of school staff.The Canberra Times - News: “According to Mr Paterson, the ACT government does not recognise the experiences of LSAs, the least trained members of school staff. '[The violence] is underreported'”
SupportedPaterson also warned that looming budget cuts for 2027 would see LSAs among the first to lose their jobs.The Canberra Times - News: “With looming budget cuts for 2027, learning support assistants will be the first members of staff to go at some schools”
SupportedEducation Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said on 16 October that negotiations had progressed to discussing the exact language of certain clauses, which were 'close to finalisation'.The Canberra Times - News: “On Friday, 16 October, Education Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said that the negotiations had progressed to the stage of discussing the exact language of certain clauses, which were 'close to finalisation'”
SupportedAngela Burroughs said members still need to see an improved offer from the one presented in September, and that the union wants a 'fair and reasonable offer'.The Canberra Times - News: “union members still needed to see an improved offer from the one that was provided to members in September ... 'We want this to be concluded by receiving a fair and reasonable offer.'”