Teachers Federation regional organiser in the Hunter, Jack Galvin Waight, said teachers in the Hunter, and across the state, were feeling "overworked, underpaid and under-valued" as a casual shortage reached Newcastle schools, at times forcing classes to be split or leaving students with minimal supervision when a casual teacher could not be assigned.

"Now, the casual teacher shortage has hit Newcastle," Mr Waight said, "These shortages have been crippling the state, and the Hunter, and now Newcastle.

"Teachers at Hunter School of Performing Arts have said enough is enough."

The industrial action follows similar walkouts at Newcastle Senior School and Maitland Public School in the last week.

Teachers have demanded state government address the shortage of causal teachers, and take action on the findings of a Gallop inquiry published in February last year which recommended among other things an increase to teacher's salaries, hiring for more specialised teaching staff particularly school counsellors, and increasing permanent teaching staff numbers.

"Teachers are drowning in workload and administrative work," Mr Waight said.

"Unless the state government fixes the casual teacher shortages and implements the Gallop inquiry, more teachers will be expressing their frustration, I would imagine."

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