The teachers say they are facing worsening teacher numbers in the local area, and the protest follows teacher walkouts at Drummond Memorial Public School, Uralla Central School and Armidale Secondary College.

Michael Sciffer, President of Armidale Teachers Association, said a majority of the region's schools were short of teachers, which promopted the 8am protest.

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"New government figures released to Parliament show over half the schools in the New England and North West region had vacant permanent teaching positions in October," he said.

"The total number of vacant positions was 116. Without action, the shortages of full time and casual teachers will grow due to rising enrolments, a 30 per cent decline in people studying teaching, a rapidly ageing workforce and unsustainable workloads."

Meanwhile, what teachers are paid is also a hot issue.

Deborah Boileau Little, Secretary of Guyra Teachers Association, said teachers had been asked to do more, but she said every year their pay had fallen in comparison to other professions.

"The shortages are proof that if we don't pay teachers what they are worth, we don't get the teachers we need," she said.

The NSW Teachers Federation wants a five per cent pay increase per annum, and another 2.5 per cent on top of that for experienced teachers or those in leadership roles, based on recommendations from an inquiry chaired by former WA Premier Geoff Gallop.

In response, NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the state government had invested $125 million into its Teacher Supply Strategy.

"We have seen year-on-year wage increases for teachers and when you look comparatively at other jobs, teachers are paid well," she said.

"We are looking at support around reducing the admin burden and some of the red tape.

"I want teachers to focus on teaching and learning," she said.

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Teachers federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said the sector was headed for the perfect storm with the pay issue and staff shortages a problem.

"Department briefings show and expose that we could be down 2425 teachers by the end of 2023," he said.

"It's uncompetitive salaries and crippling workloads that are making the profession less attractive."

The Department of Education was contacted for comment.

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