Education union says schools hit by Covid-related staff shortages should be closed to avoid risking kids

Kids are at risk and schools must close if too many teachers are knocked out by Covid, the union says.

Schools struggling with Covid-related staff shortages should be closed, or the safety of students is at risk, the education union says.

Australian Education Union SA President Andrew Gohl said the number of SA teachers absent from school for Covid-related reasons on March 16 was 349, a large jump from 199 in early February.

He said staff were fatigued from covering extra lessons during what would normally be planning time, and many were having to supervise an unreasonable number of students.

“Fundamentally, preschools and schools must ensure they provide a duty of care to students, that is enough supervision in the yard and recess and lunchtime and in classrooms to ensure that it’s a safe environment,” he said.

There are a raft of Covid-19 rules which were introduced in SA schools when term 1 2022 began. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

“Not only are they doing extra relief lessons but they’re also covering classes where a teacher is away and they combine a class. So you might have up to 55 kids in a class.

“If the levels of staffing are insufficient to provide duty of care … it leads teaching staff legally vulnerable if something happens.”

Mr Gohl said SA schools should close for a “circuit breaker” when significant staff shortages were placing extra strain on existing staff.

“And I think they should close a site when it’s really clear that coronavirus has got hold in a site and is spreading rapidly through that particular school or preschool,” he said.

“I don't want to see South Australian educators becoming physically and mentally unwell because the department is pushing schools and preschools to stay open when common sense says if you cant ensure a safe workplace … then significant action needs to be taken.”

A spokseperson from The Department for Education said whole school closures would only happen if advised by SA Health.

“Where there are emerging cumulative cases in a class/room, SA Health will conduct a risk assessment and make a recommendation to the Department for Education,” the spokesperson said.

“This could include asking students and staff to get a PCR test, keeping a close eye on any further cases in that class/room, or to temporarily close the classroom for a couple of days.”

It comes a week after The Advertiser reported 350 teachers were in isolation during a Covid-19 outbreak, including Paralowie R-12 School which had 15 teachers absent.