Covid-19 Delta outbreak: Central Plateau schools down 34 staff due to vaccine mandate

Central Plateau Principals Association chair and Tauhara Primary School principal Tracy Fraser. Photo / Supplied

Three weeks ago, schools in the Central Plateau said goodbye to more than 30 unvaccinated staff as the Government's mandate came into force.

The mandate requires all school staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19. In the Central Plateau, 34 staff chose to lose their jobs rather than be vaccinated.

Central Plateau Principals Association chairwoman and Tauhara Primary School principal Tracy Fraser says the pandemic has put schools in positions they have never been in before.

There are 18 schools within the Central Plateau Principals Association, and Tracy says they are "coping pretty well" with the loss of staff.

As the school year comes to an end, schools are making an effort to focus on students having some fun and celebrating achievements.

The 34 teaching and non-teaching staff were being replaced in a variety of ways.

"There is a range of scenarios across the association, but most schools manage by employing relievers, redeploying staff within the school, splitting classrooms.

"In some smaller schools, the deputy principal or principal are teaching for a short period of time."

In the leadup to the mandate, principals had balanced on a difficult seesaw, keeping staff safe while supporting non-vaccinated staff.

"Principals have been trying to do the best by what we can do, and saying goodbye to unvaccinated staff was hard as we have known them for a while."

Tracy says the 18 schools in the association work well together. It is particularly hard adapting to constantly changing regulations relating to Covid-19, "every other day we get an email about a new regulation", and then communicating that information to the school community.

This week schools have to adapt to the new traffic light system, which Tracy says will affect the way schools can deliver education outside the classroom, and also how prizegivings are run.

She says prizegiving is "a momentous occasion", especially if a student has been at the same school for five or six years and this is their last year.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, this year at Tauhara Primary School prizegiving, one parent per student will be invited.

"The ceremonies are huge for the kids and the parents. It is so sad when a parent has to miss attending the event."

The new requirement that parent helpers have to be double vaccinated is making it hard to organise end-of-year activities outside the classroom.

"Covid is taking the fun out of stuff. We would prefer to be at the lake, but we might have to have water fights at school."