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Ratios are calculated for the whole service and not for individual rooms and groups. Unfortunately it is therefore legal for a teacher to for example have 10 babies in a room on his/ her own in a centre of 50 children providing there is a minimum of 6 teachers with the children across the centre(10 under-2s and 40 over-2s). While legal, a teacher may experience considerable strain and this becomes a work health and safety issue.
Does your manager or boss tell you that it is okay to go under ratio and not replace you when you go on morning-tea breaks and on other occasions provided you are still in the building or on the grounds?
Adults must be working with children in order to count towards the regulated ratios. For example, if an adult is having a break another adult must replace them on the floor.
An adult who is elsewhere on the premises or is doing another task such as administration cannot be included in the count.
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