One Canberra school has sent all students home while nine others have sent some classes into remote learning as the education staffing shortage deepens.
It comes as the ACT recorded three further deaths of people with COVID-19.
All students at MacGregor Primary School will be learning remotely this week, returning on Monday.
The Belconnen school has been particularly hard hit by COVID-related staff shortages.
The kindergarten to year 2 classes returned from a 10-day stint in remote learning for four days before being sent back home.
ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said the virus was unpredictable in which schools it affected.
"Probably I would say that lower socio-economic school communities are impacted by COVID for a number of social reasons and might need additional supports, which our school communities will provide if they can, but as far as whether or not it picks a school, it's pretty unpredictable," Ms Berry said.
It is the second time an entire school has been sent into remote learning this year, after Black Mountain School had all students at home earlier in term 2.
Nine other schools have sent students into remote learning this week.
Preschool at Ngunnawal Primary and year 5 and 6 at Turner Primary are scheduled to have their last day at home on Wednesday.
Several schools will have students away for the rest of the week:
- Kingsford Smith School yrs 3, 4 and 5
- Harrison School yrs 1 to 4
- Mount Rogers Primary School kinder to yr 2
- Isabella Plains Early Childhood School yrs 1, 2
- Caroline Chisholm School yrs 7, 8
- Florey Primary School yrs 3 to 6
Amaroo School's year 5, 6 and 8 cohorts will be at home until at least Tuesday, June 28.
Australian Education Union ACT branch president Angela Burroughs said going to remote learning was a last resort.
"Our members don't want to do this. It's a last resort. It's because there's just not enough staff to safely open a school or open all parts of the school," Ms Burroughs said.
"Other jurisdictions have adopted different models. I think we should be incredibly proud of the model that we've adopted, which is to attempt continuity of learning through our remote learning resources, rather than just having kids coming to school and experiencing minimal supervision day in day out."
She said the two extra planning days were well received by members who were feeling exhausted after a very difficult term.
The ACT's COVID-19 death toll is 78 after four people lost their lives in 48 hours.
The deaths of three men were reported on Tuesday - one in his 70s, one in his 80s and another in his 90s.
The ACT recorded 869 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours until 8pm Monday. Of those, 430 were from PCR tests and 439 from rapid antigen tests.
There were 87 people with COVID-19 in hospital. Of those, one patient was in the intensive care unit but none on ventilation.
COVID-19 continues to be widespread in schools, with 598 cases in students across 73 ACT public schools in the week ending on Sunday, June 19.
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