Casual teacher shortage during flu season leaves NSW schools reeling

One of the worst flu seasons on record and a shortage of casual teachers has left many schools scrambling to ensure students are properly looked after, with some children being placed in higher grade classrooms as a result.

Primary school students have been left without a teacher and are being made to do another grade’s schoolwork because there simply isn’t enough relief staff.

Lane Cove West Public principal Tania Weston said students have been sent to other classes to do “the same work as the other class they are in for the day”.

“(There) is a shortage of available casual teachers across the state, and as a result, there are days when we are unable to employ a casual teacher,” she warned in a school newsletter.

“As we are well into the winter months, there are more students and staff with coughs, colds and flus.”

Lane Cove West Public School has been hit hard by flu season and a shortage of replacement seasons.

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“If two classes in the same stage need to be split, one may need to be split across another stage (with appropriate class work sent with the students prepared by the teachers.”

In the newsletter she named six teachers who had given up their days off to come into school and teach the children.

While they tried their best students would be sent to other classes to do different work, she said.

She said she would cancel English as a Second Language classes, STEM and learning and support classes as a “last resort” if there weren’t enough teachers.

Opposition Education spokeswoman Pru Car said teachers shouldn’t be forced to go to work if they were sick.

Sick teachers and a shortage of casual staff has left many schools struggling to place children in classes. Picture: Thinkstock

“Surely it’s reasonable for parents to expect the government to have people to teach their children when their teacher is sick,” she said.

“NSW has just gone through one of the worst flu seasons on record. Teachers shouldn’t be forced to go to work sick because the government won’t hire enough staff.”

A Department spokesman said it didn’t centrally record the reasons casual teachers decline an assignment.

“All Lane Cove West Public School students are supervised by a teacher. On the very rare days a causal teacher cannot be engaged, a class will be supervised by another classroom teacher and they will continue with their scheduled school work.”