The public primary school teacher who wished to remain anonymous told the Newcastle Herald that fewer than 20 students were sent to their school last week, but more than 40 had attended this week.

The teacher said many local schools were noticing an influx in numbers too.

"We feel our health is not being prioritised or taken seriously," they said.

Teachers wanted to accommodate the children of essential workers, they said.

"But some of the kids are saying 'Mum and Dad don't want me at home while they're working from home'," they said. "Some are saying their parents are sick of them.

"We're getting reasons from parents such as kids are driving them crazy, or they're getting frustrated with online learning, having them at home while they work from home.

"Some are saying their children are being defiant and refusing to do any work and so they are sending them in. Another parent said 'I can't deal with them today' and laughed... that's laughing at our health, your kid could get sick from another kid of an essential worker, how is that funny?

"Some parents say they are sending their children to socialise and for their mental health, which I get, but at the same time there's other ways to socialise and look after wellbeing.

"Parents are talking to each other and sending their kids for a 'break'.

"The Christmas holidays are longer than this [lockdown].

"Everyone has a part to play in overcoming this, but we're feeling some of the parents are not playing their part, despite the warnings."

IN THE NEWS

Schools in regional NSW are operating under the government's level four restrictions, which mean students are learning from home, but schools are open for families who need it.

The teacher said Department of Education schools were not allowed to turn away students unless they were sick and that there were no requirements for parents to prove they were essential workers to send their children to school.

"There's no regulation," they said.

"If you had two kids over to your house you could get fined for that, but if you send 40 kids to school with no masks, no social distancing, that's fine, there's no consequences for parents sending their children into that environment."

The teacher said the increased number of local cases including at schools compared to last year and the rates at which children were being infected with the more contagious Delta strain made teachers feel increasingly "vulnerable".

"We're feeling we're being babysitters right now and are already putting our own health at risk," they said.

"The kids that are essential workers' kids - their parents are the ones who are going to get exposed to it, they're the frontline health workers.

"We're being told to have minimal staff on site in case there's close contacts and we all have to isolate for two weeks, but because of this influx of children it's not sustainable trying to supervise all these kids and plan for online, the ratios are all off.

"There's definitely fear of us as teachers getting sick and this being a ticking time bomb."

The teacher said no-one blamed the students.

"It's their parents' choice and people are making the wrong choice."

Edgeworth Public School said on its Facebook page on Tuesday it had a 40 per cent increase in attendance compared to last week and students should only attend "if there is no alternate supervision available".

NSW Teachers Federation regional organiser Jack Galvin Waight said schools had seen a gradual increase in the number of students attending during the 2020 lockdown too.

"We strongly encourage parents to heed health advice and only send their children if they're an essential worker," he said.

"Teachers in the Hunter are particularly vulnerable because of the failed federal government vaccine rollout... I understand parents' positions, but it's really important they do what's best for their school community and the community at large."

A Department of Education spokesperson said schools and outside of school hours care (OOSHC) services remained open for any child that needs it.

"Health advice remains in place that parents and carers in Greater Sydney should keep their children at home if they can," the spokesperson said.

"Overwhelmingly, parents have not been sending their children to school, and we thank them for their efforts. Today [Wednesday August 18], 95 percent of students across NSW public schools are learning from home.

"In the LGAs of concern, 97 percent of students are learning from home.

"In regional NSW, 94 percent of students are learning from home.

"In the Hunter, 94 per cent of students are learning from home, a figure which has been stable since the Level 4 restrictions came in."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: