Over 25K Covid cases reported in NZ schools in last 10 days

March 9, 2022

Educators are having to be inventive as they deal with staff shortages. (Source: 1News)

The Education Ministry's latest figures reveal 25,059 Covid cases were reported in schools in the last 10 days, disrupting 60 per cent of them.

The impact of Covid cases means educators are having to be inventive as they deal with staff shortages, reliever issues and students struggling with mental health.

Tauranga Girls' College Principal, Tara Kanji, told 1News the school's been hit with " staffing and reliever shortages" and over the last few weeks has had the senior school, approximately 800 students, "operating from home".

Science teacher, Treena Blythe, who had Covid says she had to teach some classes while she was sick, "because there were not enough relievers".

And while the school says the pressure from the reliever shortage is easing, there are some concerns for the well-being of students.

Dean and teacher, Leah Marumaru-Flynn, says she's seeing attendance issues and "we've got a growing number of students with anxiety issues" that are struggling to receive guidance support.

She says she wouldn't be "surprised" if teachers leave the profession, as the pressure and workload is too "stressful" while teaching during the pandemic.

The Teachers Council says its speeding up the process to apply for a Limited Authority to Teach, processing 90 per cent of the applications within five days to relieve pressure in the sector.

Tauranga Girls' College Head Prefect, Ella Ryan, says it's been challenging learning from home and not face-to-face.

"Our education has been really impacted," she says.

The latest figures from the Health Ministry show more than 300,000 Kiwis are currently isolating at home with Covid-19, or as contacts, though the real number is thought to be much higher.

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