Covid-19 Omicron outbreak: More than 400 school staff resignations related to pandemic

225 teachers were dismissed for refusing to comply with the vaccine mandate. Photo / 123RF

By John Gerritsen of RNZ

Education Payroll records show more than 400 school staff resigned for reasons related to the pandemic between November last year and mid-February this year.

The Ministry of Education introduced a Covid-19 resignation category in its payroll data collection in November last year, a Cabinet paper said.

"As of 15 February 2022, a total of 401 teachers had been recorded as having resigned or given notice of resignation for reasons related to Covid-19. This represents less than 1 percent of the total teacher workforce of around 68,000 teachers who have appeared on payroll since the start of November 2021," the paper said.

It was not clear how many of the resignations were due to the government Covid-19 vaccination mandate for teachers that began on 16 November 2021 and lifted on 5 April 2022.

The Cabinet paper said the mandate caused staff shortages in some schools, but nationally the percentage of teachers staying in their jobs was higher last year than in 2020.

"In 2021 teachers remained in the profession at 2-3 per cent higher rate than usual (equivalent to 600-900 teachers)," the report said.

The ministry said schools did not have to use the pandemic coding.

Separately, the Teaching Council said it received reports from employers that 225 teachers were dismissed for refusing to comply with the vaccine mandate.

It said refusing to get vaccinated did not breach the teachers' code of professional responsibility and it took no action on those cases.

- RNZ