Students at Bega High School are heading back into home learning temporarily as teacher shortages continue to bite the region.
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COVID-19 has wrought havoc on teaching numbers across the state, although measures have been taken to prevent any school from closing amid an increase in case numbers.
At Bega High School, that meant alternating which year groups can be at school and which are required to learn from home over the next week.
On Thursday, March 31, and Friday, April 1, Years 7 and 8 at Bega High School are learning from home. Then on Monday and Tuesday, April 4-5, they will return to school while Years 9 and 10 learn from home.
"The school has sourced local casual teachers and combined classes. However due to the number of teachers on leave we must revert temporarily to minimal supervision," the school announced on Wednesday afternoon.
BHS said students required to temporarily learn from home would be supported to access online learning materials.
A Department of Education spokesperson said 554 students would be learning from home across those four days.
Year 11 and 12 students will remain onsite, learning in their classrooms.
"The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is always the Department's first priority," the spokesperson said.
"While the best place for students to learn is the classroom, from time-to-time schools may temporarily modify school operations.
"Bega High School has been impacted an increase in local cases of COVID-19. The school is supporting some year groups to access online learning until Wednesday, April 6."
The Department acknowledged that significant numbers of staff calling in sick at the same time due to the COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge facing many employers.
"Our updated COVID response for schools allows schools to respond to localised increases in COVID cases or household isolations. The Department is working at a local level to support flexible measures at schools across the state as we respond to the additional pressures of COVID."
The Department said, as of March 31, 24 NSW public schools out of 2200 across the state have students learning from home due to the impact of COVID-19 cases.
A further 34 have implemented additional measures in line with updated COVID-smart school settings.
There are currently no schools closed due to COVID-19 cases.
The Department said additional measures were being taken to alleviate stress on schools, including approaching more than 1400 teachers who have retired over the past two years and asking them to consider casual or temporary work.
It said it had also provided interim approval to teach to more than 2000 final year university education students.
"It's critical that our schools remain open because we know that the best place for our students is to learn in the classroom face to face with their teachers. "