Victoria stands down 420 public school teachers over vaccine mandates

Victoria’s Department of Education says 99.2% of public school teachers have had three doses of a Covid vaccine and are permitted to attend work. Photograph: Sandra Sanders/Reuters

About 420 public school teachers across Victoria have been stood down for failing to meet Covid vaccination requirements – with the majority of them not working because they haven’t received a third dose.

Despite previous fears of staff shortages in schools, Guardian Australia understands there are 420 full-time-equivalent teachers across Victoria’s public school system – less than 1% of the workforce – who are unable to work as they have not met the state’s vaccination mandate.