NSW Teachers' Federation and the NSW branch of the Independent Education Union of Australia strike together for first time in 26 years

Public and Catholic school teachers joined forces for the first time in 26 years to demand better wages and workloads as the system suffers from staff shortages.

At Uralla Central, Mr Rathborne said moral was "going through the floor" with at least 35 per cent of staff absent each day.

"You tell me how we can provide education in that situation?" he said.

"This is serious stuff, we're getting into a situation where we cannot run schools properly, or effectively, but no one seems to care."

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With teachers leaving the profession over burnout, increasing workloads and wage caps, Mr Rathborne said more than 920 classes had to be covered in the past two months, often with one teacher looking after 60 kids.

And as the Principal, he has been forced to step in to teach for the first time in 10 years.

"I've had a gutful and my teachers have had a gutful," he said.

"It's not good enough."

With both public and Catholic school teachers striking for 24-hours on Thursday, schools around the New England region were deemed 'non-operational'.

But Mr Rathborne said even if kids were at school they would not be getting the education they deserve, and teachers want to give, due to shortages.

"We do not want to take this action, we're doing this in desperation," he said.

"We want them [kids] at school, but I don't want them sitting in a quad or a 60 kids in a library with one teacher.

"That's not teaching."

When St Nicholas Primary School Teacher Tim Unwin graduated from University 10 years ago he handed his resume into every public and Catholic school from Quirindi to Manilla.

Back then competition was fierce and schools were flushed with teachers - he only received one phone call for an interview.

But now, Mr Unwin said the system was "breaking".

"When the system fails students it also fails students and families," he said.

"When the system refuses to pay teachers their worth it fails, when it doesn't pay its support staff across the system it fails, when it places further administrative pressure on educators it fails.

"And when it refuses to acknowledge the voices on the ground we are speaking out on the teacher shortages, crying out, it fails."

Mr Unwin said some of the "best teachers" he'd ever worked with will soon walk away from the job due to the current conditions.

Teachers from both sectors met at the Tamworth Town Hall to watch the livestream of the Sydney strike action before marching to Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson's office to demand 'more than thanks'.

Mr Anderson addressed the chanting crowds of educators and promised their voices would be heard.

"What I can do is take you voice forward to the education minister Sarah Mitchell and I can let her know of your passion, and your commitment and your dedication to teaching our kids," Mr Anderson told the crowd.

"You are the backbone of our education service and our system."

Mr Rathborne said the solution was simple for a problem that had become out of control.

"All of the research and all of the data says better pay and better conditions will recruit more people into teaching," he said.

"It's actually a no brainer but the government says their hands are tied."

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said it was "deeply disappointing" to see both unions decide to strike.

"After two and a half years of learning disruption due to COVID-19, another day out of the classroom was the last thing our students needed," she said.

"The wages policy sets out a pay increase for teachers which is the most generous in the country. The government must take a balanced approach that allows us to also build schools, reform early education and work with the teachers to modernise and grow their profession."

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