SA school staff Covid crunch sparks call to retired teachers

More than 1000 retired teachers have been tapped to come back as the government faces new claims it’s been left scrambling to keep up with Covid.

Teachers are being lured out of retirement to help fill growing classroom shortages triggered by mounting Covid-19 cases and close contacts forced into quarantine.

The Education Department last week sought urgent help from more than 1,500 retired teachers for relief work.

A leaked memo said it was to meet “increased short-term staffing needs”.

Already more than 4000 temporary teachers are on standby to plug gaps after all classes returned on Monday.

Latest data shows almost 500 teachers and support workers are in isolation either from being infectious or needing to isolate as a close contact.

Officials say absent rates are stable and “very manageable” with 31,000 public staff.

An Education Department spokesman said at least 1500 retired teachers were contacted. “This is part of our strategy to help manage any staffing issues that might arise due to the pandemic," he said.

“We are making sure we have as many contingencies in place as possible.”

Labor’s education spokesman Blair Boyer said it was “yet another example” of a lack of preparation. “Now the government is clearly scrambling behind the scenes to make sure there is a workforce available to teach our kids,” he said.

Opposition education spokesman Blair Boyer. Picture: Chris Russell

Education minister John Gardner. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Education Minister John Gardner criticised Labor’s “asinine”, or foolish, politics.

“So far this year we have needed about 15 per cent of the capacity we have had prepared,” he said. He said it was sensible to call on experience.

SA Health data also revealed a fall in children being vaccinated. Over the past week, 3,356 kids aged give to 11 were vaccinated, compared to 5344 a fortnight ago and 21,000 in late January. Just 54 per cent of eligible children younger than 12 are jabbed.

Reception classes at five primary schools – East Marden, Craigburn, Mitcham, Elizabeth South and Stirling North, in Port Augusta – were last week shut, forcing students to revert to online home-schooling.

Parents told how Mitcham students were forced to sit outside and then sent home for sneezing, which sparked confusion and anxiety. SA Health said sneezing “on its own” was not a Covid symptom.

Another a woman in her 70s and a man in his 60s were the latest Covid-19-related deaths.

SA Health reported 1336 daily cases on Saturday, which was 143 fewer in 24 hours. Data recounting found 86 cases.

Hospitals admitted five more patients in 24 hours but ICU cases are stable.