Directorate officials will have discussions with public school staff and teachers about removing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, the Education Minister says.
ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry told ABC radio on Tuesday morning that 23 teachers at public schools in Canberra had been impacted by the requirement.
"We'll have a conversation with our school staff and teachers about [mandatory COVID-19 vaccination] to see whether or not that's something that we can remove," Ms Berry said.
"At the time [the mandate was introduced] we wanted to make sure that everybody was as safe as possible, when our younger school students couldn't be vaccinated.
"Now that's not the case, it might be that our school staff are comfortable with that mandate being lifted."
Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination was introduced by ACT Health on October 2021. It covered teachers, early childhood educators, learning and support staff, administrators, canteen workers and cleaners who are in direct contact with children, and allied health professionals who regularly attend schools.
People who refused to reveal their vaccination status or receive the COVID jab were redeployed to complete administrative tasks within the ACT Education Directorate.
This comes as ACT public schools have the toughest regulations with Canberra's non-government schools and NSW schools loosening their restrictions.
In ACT public schools, mask-wearing for staff and high school students will remain mandatory and asymptomatic household contacts of cases will not be allowed to attend school in at least the first two weeks of term.
Meanwhile, schools are preparing to return to remote learning if needed as a winter COVID wave is expected to put pressure on staff numbers.
Ms Berry said around 400 relief staff were lined up to address predicted teacher shortages with 30 available to work at all schools across the capital.
However, she said a temporary return to remote learning may still be required.
"We shouldn't be afraid or too worried about going to remote education temporarily, because we have some really great tools in place for schools, for school teachers, and for parents and families to access," she said.
