Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Pandemic putting stress and pressure on teachers

Facilitating hybrid learning programmes requires extensive preparation time, Rebecca Hopper says. Photo / Bevan Conley

Covid-related teacher and student absences are putting immense pressure on schools generally and teachers in particular.

Manawatū-Whanganui Post Primary Teachers' Association regional chairwoman Rebecca Hopper said many schools were trying to work around the problem of absences.

"That could be by finishing the school day earlier, rostering different levels of students home each day/week, or moving all teaching and learning online.

"Some schools are still trying to run a normal classroom-based timetable as well as cater to students online."

Nearly all schools in the Taranaki, Whanganui and Manawatū education regions are now dealing with active Covid cases.

As of Monday, 97 primary, intermediate and secondary schools had cases, along with 65 early learning centres.

Teachers were increasingly being asked to give up their non-contact time to relieve absent colleagues, Hopper said.

"They are expected to facilitate hybrid learning programmes which require extensive preparation time - a time teachers don't have.

"We have to check in regularly with absent students in addition to our classroom, preparation and marking work."

Manawatū-Whanganui Post Primary Teachers' Association regional chairwoman Rebecca Hopper. Photo / Supplied

Hopper said it was a lot harder and more time consuming for teachers to do their best when students were at home and at school.

"Add to that having to make students wear masks, making sure classrooms are well ventilated and dealing with being a 'frontline' worker - which is what teachers have become now."

Factoring in the general stress of being in a pandemic made for a situation that was highly stressful and unsustainable.

Most teachers were already feeling as exhausted and stressed as they did at the end of the year, Hopper said.

"We've only been back at school for six or seven weeks."