Federation has received increased correspondence from concerned members regarding the ClassCover casual teacher booking system. Replacing Casual.Direct, ClassCover has been acquired by the Department of Education to act as the link between schools and casual teachers. Approximately 1400 NSW Public Schools have utilised ClassCover since 2018.
During the April School Holidays, ClassCover attempted to launch an updated app version of the system, which was designed to streamline the process of booking casual teachers. However, the update has been widely deemed a failure, with basic functions unable to be carried out.
Federation has contacted the Department on behalf of casual teachers to raise concerns about the app’s functionality. The Department will email all school principals to provide an update and outline a plan of action moving forward. Additionally, Federation has requested the Department to provide a direct line of communication for casual teachers to provide feedback regarding usage of ClassCover. The Department has acknowledged the benefit of accumulating a wide range of views regarding the effectiveness of the system for individual teachers.
While the app is undergoing further functionality testing, schools will be advised to continue using a webbased browser to access ClassCover. The Department’s Human Resources Directorate will be assisting ClassCover to fix the app prior to releasing any further updates.
Any casual teacher having issues with their personal ClassCover profile should contact ClassCover directly to have the issue rectified. The Class- Cover website contains all contact details plus a dedicated technical support page.
Federation acknowledges that Class- Cover was introduced by the Department in 2018, but Federation was not was consulted about this and continues to work with casual and temporary teachers regarding this matter.
Members requiring advice are encouraged to call Professional Support on 1300 654 369.
Kate Harland, City Organiser