Ms Berry said this was a "direct result of COVID", and that she did not know the number of independent schools that had also been forced to send students home.

The remote learning measures affect years four, five and six at Macgregor School, years seven and eight at Calwell High School, years four, five and six at Gordon Primary School and years three, four, five and six at Namadgi Primary School.

Campbell Primary School will have two days without students on Thursday and Friday to move into their new classrooms.

Canberra schools have been reporting staffing shortages for some time, and say they have struggled to attract teachers to vacant positions.

On Tuesday, The Canberra Times revealed that WorkSafe issued a prohibition notice to Calwell High School after inspectors found teachers and administration staff were being abused, sworn at, screamed at and subjected to sexualised behaviour or violence from students on a daily basis.

The notice said teachers were regularly taking classes of more than 40 students, due to chronic staffing shortages and COVID-19 absences.

Ms Berry said the ACT government had been "providing additional support [for] the Calwell school community, implementing the positive behaviours for learning program to ensure that the school can have a positive and respectful culture."

"In addition, the school has been able to access as a priority, the relief teaching pool to make sure that they can provide additional teachers when there are absences."

She said COVID had "exacerbated the circumstances around [the] school".

The Australian Education Union previously raised the issue of staff shortages and high workloads in June last year.

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