A PROBE is to be carried out into the sickness rate among teachers in Galloway.
Figures for the education authority are now the second highest in Scotland, with 5.2% of working days lost through absence in 2006/07.
More than £1m had to be spent by the council drafting in supply teachers to provide classroom cover.
Educa
tion committee chairwoman, Sandra McDowall, said the council needed to find out the reasons for the problem.
A report to councillors has highlighted the effects of the issue.
It said that high absence levels have an impact on pupils with "learning and teaching being disrupted".
It added that as a "responsible employer" the council had a duty to try to help staff with problems if the issue was work-related.
'Many factors'
Now a review is to be carried out into the way absences are managed. Ms McDowall said the council was keen to take steps to address the situation.
"We need to find out what factors are there that makes us the second worst in Scotland," she said.
"Rurality, the age profile of the teachers - there are so many factors that we have to investigate."
She said she hoped that teaching unions could also play a part.
"Anything at all that can give us a clear outcome and help us to address the reasons behind the staff absences has got to be welcomed whatever quarter it comes from," she said.
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