Twelve Canberra public schools have moved to remote learning due to a rise in COVID-19 and ’flu cases, and because staff have been affected, the ACT Government has confirmed.

Four schools have already gone back, while other students will still learn remotely until next Tuesday.

433 COVID cases were detected across 70 public schools for the week ending Sunday 15 May, up from 281 COVID cases reported across 60 public schools the previous week.

An average of 109 teachers were on COVID leave per day in Term 1 this year, compared to an average of four in the same term last year – a 2,625 per cent increase.

“We have the systems in place, we’ve been planning for this, and we will continue to manage our schools appropriately,” said Yvette Berry, ACT Minister for Education and Youth Affairs.

“We’ve got excellent resources in place to ensure that children and young people still continue to get a good education, but we also need to make sure that we take into account the health and wellbeing of our staff, as well.”

Ms Berry said the government had worked closely with unions, staff, and school students about how to implement remote learning.

Schools across the country, including in Victoria (see the ABC), had to go temporarily into remote learning, Ms Berry pointed out.

“The impact on our schools is a challenge for the country. But here in the ACT, we’ve been well prepared about how we manage that.”

Children whose parents cannot supervise them at home can learn remotely from school, under teacher supervision.

Macgregor Primary School (Years 3–6), Palmerston District Primary School (3–6), Franklin School (3–6), and Caroline Chisholm School (5–6) returned to work this week.

Ms Berry said she had not had any negative feedback from parents, apart from the frustration of the health pandemic.

“It’s difficult for everyone,” she acknowledged. “It’s difficult for parents to have to take time off work temporarily. It’s unpredictable. Our teachers are tired. And so everybody’s feeling a little bit overwhelmed – but …. we’ve been planning for this situation since the beginning of the year.”

Ms Berry said she expected more schools to move to remote learning.

“You could not underestimate the impact that COVID-19 and the ’flu season will have on our community over the next few months.”

Liberals accuse government of neglect

The Canberra Liberals have claimed that the ACT Government’s neglect of the ACT education system has led to a teacher shortage – which Ms Berry denies.

Jeremy Hanson MLA, Shadow Minister for Education, said a critical teacher shortage in the ACT was evident before the pandemic began.

“The ACT Labor-Greens Government promised 400 new teachers at the last election,” Mr Hanson said.

“The Canberra Liberals have continually asked the minister how many new teachers have been delivered since that promise was made, but she has been unable to answer that very basic question.

“The minister has also failed to say how many new teachers are only replacing the ones that have left the system.

“If we had a properly resourced education system, relief teachers would be able to backfill the gaps left by teachers isolating with COVID, and it would be done through a centralised system.

“At the moment, this system appears to be very ad hoc, and as a result, our hardworking teachers, students, and parents are paying the price because the minister has failed to manage the school system.

“The recent Productivity Commission report on government services shows school funding in the ACT has been cut by 3.3 per cent in real terms over the last decade by Labor and the Greens, and as a result we see an education system in crisis,” Mr Hanson said.

Ms Berry said Mr Hanson’s argument was “simply not true”.

“Our investment in public schools in the ACT is the highest in the country,” the minister said. “The ACT Government has funded public schools above every other state or territory school in the country, apart from the Northern Territory.”

In 2019–20, the ACT Government spent $20,517 per FTE student: $23 less than the NT’s $20,540, but $2,655 more than the third highest, NSW ($17,862); $4,930 more than the lowest, Victoria ($4,930); and $3,582 more than the Australian average ($16,935), according to the ROGS report.

However, State and Territory government expenditure had decreased from $21,221 per FTE student in 2010–11 to $20,517 in 2019–20: the 3.3 per cent decrease the Liberals identified. Only WA and the NT had decreased expenditure over the same period.

“We fund our schools based on a needs-based funding model implemented by Gonski, and we’ll continue to do that,” Ms Berry said.