As the parties left the table early Monday morning they maintained a media blackout on their talks, saying only that they planned to resume negotiations later in the day.

The teachers went on strike two weeks before the summer break, with wages, class size and support staff levels at the centre of the stalemate.

The union voted on Wednesday to end the strike if the government would agree to enter binding arbitration, however, the offer was flatly rejected by Education Minister Peter Fassbender