In a cruel reminder of the past two years, Albury High School had to go back to distance learning this week.
Key points:
- Albury High School had to have three-year distance learning levels all week due to a COVID outbreak
- COVID and the flu are causing a shortage of teachers in schools across the region
- A local director says there has been a shortage of teachers since before the pandemic
After an outbreak of COVID among students and teachers, along with the rise in flu cases, the school was advised to move 8, 9 and 10 to remote learning for a three-day switch. .
Later, it spread throughout the week.
Years 7, 11 and 12 remained in school, but masks were required at all times for staff and indoors for all others.
“COVID is no longer so strong in the media, but it’s still there,” said director Darryl Ward.
“We just want to keep our children and staff as safe as possible, and try to do something to break the back of this outbreak that we have in our community right now.”
Albury High School had to move some year levels to remote learning this week. (ABC Goulburn Murray: Mikaela Ortolan)
Albury High is among a growing number of schools that have reported outbreaks of illness among staff and students in recent weeks.
But Victoria Education Minister James Merlino last month ruled out a widespread return to remote learning, despite some schools struggling to find enough teachers to help teach.
Albury High has announced that it will return to normal operation on Monday, but this is not an isolated problem for a single school.
The number of COVID-19 cases remains stubbornly high, and as the flu this season begins to show its teeth, schools across the region are being hit hard.
Shepparton’s Notre Dame College did just a few weeks ago, experiencing what the principal described as “ridiculous levels” of COVID and flu.
At one point, they had up to 65 staff and 400 students outside, which led to two weeks of different levels of learning from home.
“I was at a meeting with the directors last week and they are all going through the same thing now,” said director John Cortese.
“Tensions in schools to keep up with classes are now almost ridiculous.”
Chronic staff shortage
The main problem with schools is having enough staff to hold classes.
There were so few teachers left at Albury High School that they could not lead the distance classes themselves, and the children had to use the resources on the Department of Education website.
Craig Jory teaches at Murray High School in Lavington and is a spokesman for the New South Wales Teachers Federation. He said that in some schools there could be a teacher in charge of 45 or 50 students, which is a big problem of supervision.
“Like all teachers, we prepare lessons, but when you get to school, those plans can change quickly,” Jory said.
Some students had to return to remote learning after COVID-19 outbreaks at their school. (Provided by: Unsplash)
“On a day-to-day basis, your classroom may be cut in half, or you may be covering other classmates who are out. It’s pretty stressful.”
Mr Cortese said it was a constant problem.
Schools can only ask teachers to take on the duties of other teachers so many times a year, and Notre Dame College has already exhausted full-year fees.
They also have a shortage of occasional relief teachers (CRTs), whom they would normally turn to in these situations.
Cortese said last year they had a group of 14 CRTs. They have four this year.
“That’s the situation right now and the schools are just saying, ‘We can’t keep doing this.’
The Victoria Department of Education confirmed that 11 government schools have had to move to the “last resort” of distance learning this year.
They said they were working closely with any school that was facing workforce issues as a result of COVID.
“Whether it’s through a normal CRT process, using department staff who are registered faculty or our group of job opportunities for retired teachers, in training or in career breaks, we are supporting schools to stay open and continue. learning face to face, ”a spokesman said. dit.
Problem of perception of teaching
Cortese said the education problem was “much bigger than COVID.”
He said principals had been sounding the alarm about teacher shortages for years.
“Three or four years ago, me and many other principals would have told people that education was on the edge of a cliff because no one is going to teach,” he said.
Jory said there was a particular shortage of qualified teachers in high school math, science and computer science subjects.
“This was evident long before COVID,” he said.
There was a shortage of teachers before the COVID-19 pandemic, directors say. (ABC News: Tim Swanston)
Mr. Cortese said, paradoxically, that schools were in crisis because all he had heard was that schools were in crisis.
He said young people had completely left the profession.
“There are kids here in Notre Dame who would be great teachers. It can be said. But when I talk to them they say, ‘There’s no chance, Mr. Cortese.’ And for me that’s the saddest thing.”
Mr. Cortese wanted more stories about how wonderful it could be to be a teacher, to encourage young people to accept the call.
“We have to go there and tell stories about how big this profession is: you see a child who may be struggling academically and you make him come up. You see a child who is struggling for well-being and you change his life.” to say.
“People think this is a horrible job.
“But teaching is the most beautiful job in the world.”
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Posted 11 hours ago 11 hours, Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 0:23 AM, updated 10 hours ago, 10 hours ago, Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 12:52 PM