Unvaccinated teachers and other teaching staff in all East Coast states could return to work soon under new mandates to be proposed on Friday.
Victoria and Queensland have both already dropped their teacher vaccination requirements to come into effect from next week.
NSW is also considering having the vaccine mandate lifted in hopes it will encourage up to 1,000 teachers to return to the classroom.
The education ministry’s plan was proposed on Friday and would see unvaccinated teachers return to school from July 18.
Georgina Harrison, secretary of the NSW Department of Education, said that entering term 3, parents can be assured of continued student safety in schools, and face-to-face learning will be maintained.
A consultation process with unions and other stakeholders began Friday in NSW and is expected to be resolved within a fortnight.
The proposed changes would not apply to all schools, with staff in special purpose schools (SSPs) or support units and classes needed to keep the dose of the Covid-19 vaccine up to date, as does Assisted Travel Support Officers (ATSOs) and drivers.
Camera Icon A consultation process with unions and other stakeholders started Friday in NSW and is expected to be resolved within a fortnight. NCA NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw Credit: News Corp Australia
“With more than 120,000 employees, 850,000 students, and 2,300 workplaces, it was important that we conducted an independent assessment of our Covid work, health and safety institutions when the public health orders were lifted,” said Ms. Harrisson.
“We took the time it took to come to this position to ensure the safety and well-being of our staff and students are not compromised.
Hopefully, the changes will allow 965 additional “active” temporary staff members to return to work at school sites, along with teaching staff who resigned or were fired for failing to adhere to vaccine mandates.
However, Ms. Harrisson said that with an increase in absenteeism in the first half of this year compared to the year before, lifting the mandate would have little impact on the current workforce stress in the sector.
“Like all employers right now, we are dealing with unprecedented numbers of staff calling in sick due to Covid-19 and the flu,” she said.
“In the first six months of this year (until June 20), there were 430,351 teacher sick days, an increase of 145,491 compared to the same period in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and an increase of 100,324 compared to the same period last year.”
In Queensland, the amended vaccine requirements, which come into effect on June 30, will apply to school workers, early childhood education, kindergartens, nurseries, prisons, juvenile detention centers, police stations, and airports.
Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said employers would make future decisions on mandatory vaccinations.
“As we move into the next phase of the pandemic… we will revoke our Covid-19 vaccine mandate for high-risk workers,” she said.
Ms. Harrisson said vaccinations remained a key pillar of the department’s Covid response, alongside the delivery of rapid antigen testing, improved cleaning and ventilation, and encouraging sick staff not to go to work.
