Students left without supervision as critical teacher shortage hits NSW

Students are being left in the library or playground with ‘minimal supervision’ as the public education system grapples with a critical teacher shortage.

Students are being left in the library or playground with “minimal supervision”, or split up among other ­classes, as the public education system grapples with a critical teacher shortage.

The latest official Education Department figures ­released to state parliament show the lack of teachers at one regional high school ­resulted in 536 times when students were left without proper supervision.

So sensitive is the issue that the department has sought to censor school principals wanting to inform parents, with one official writing: “I don’t want the media or Members of Parliament picking up on this and attacking the Minister with it.”

Teacher Danny Alarab takes a break with son Zane. Picture: Frank Redward

Both the NSW Opposition, which obtained the figures from the department, and the NSW Teachers Federation claim the teacher shortage is being exacerbated by the ­department’s reliance on temporary teachers, who they say should be the “back-up” rather than the front line.

Danny Alarab, a federation representative who works in administration at a North Coast high school, faces a daily juggle of tracking down casuals to take classes of absent teachers.

If he can’t find anyone, students are split up among other classes or, if they are older, left in the playground “to idle” or in the library under “minimal supervision”.

Mr Alarab, who warned former premier Mike Baird of a looming teacher shortage, said Covid had exacerbated the issue. “Today I cancelled four classes; on Friday there are eight,” he said. “It’s just impossible to get a casual. We used to try to get casuals for specific subjects, now we just try get anyone.”

Labor’s education spokeswoman Prue Car.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell.

At a school for children with disabilities in Western Sydney, staff member and union representative Emma, who requested her surname be withheld, said teachers were “in survival mode”.

“We don’t have any casuals to call,” she said.

Education spokeswoman Prue Car said part of the problem was the department using temporary teachers in permanent roles, so “there’s no one left to cover classes when teachers are sick”.

Federation president Ang­elo Gavrielatos accused the government of trying to cover up the shortage to avoid acting on the causes, including unsustainable workloads and uncompetitive salaries.

“The cover-up extends to attempts to censor principals not to provide details to parents on the severity of the teacher shortage and the impact it’s having on the education of their children,” he said. “Teaching is a profession based on trust and integrity, and sadly our leaders are not displaying either of those.”

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell accused the Opposition of “scaremongering”, while refuting claims that schools were understaffed.

“This is not an issue with temporary teachers, it is a challenge that arises at some schools when casual teachers are unavailable at the last minute,” she said.

“A large portion of the state’s casual pool is currently engaged as Covid tutors, which has applied more pressure in certain areas.

“The government will continue to work with stakeholders on solutions to the casual teaching pool.”

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