Claims for 622 injuries at school

Fractures, lacerations or stings, and soft-tissue injuries such as sprains were the top-three injury categories, with Wairarapa school injury claim costs tallying more than $68,000.

Strains and sprains are the most common injuries among Wairarapa students, with school injuries on the rise nationwide.

Figures released by ACC under the Official Information Act show Wairarapa students made 622 claims for injuries at school in the last calendar year, down from 652 in 2012.

Fractures, lacerations or stings, and soft-tissue injuries such as sprains were the top-three injury categories, with local injury claim costs tallying more than $68,000.

A national teachers union warns that unsafe physical environments are putting students at risk of further injuries at school.

Nationally there were more than 77,453 student injuries in the past year, an increase on 71,753 in 2012, costing taxpayers almost $16.5 million in claims.

More boys were injured than girls, 46,055 compared to 31,398.

An ACC spokeswoman said the figures were not specific to school hours, school terms or school pupils, and were likely to include people using school grounds for weekend sport or other school facilities.

Just-released Education Ministry figures show 755,204 students from Year 1 to 13 are heading back to school across the country, with 78,312 of those in the Wellington region, which includes Wairarapa.

Masterton Primary School office manager Karen Brown said the most common injuries at school were grazed knees and stubbed toes, across a "reasonably even" mix of boys and girls.

"These injuries can occur any time the students are out and about, ie before and after school, during breaks, while playing sport or doing physical education."

Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) president Angela Roberts said the national injury figures created more questions than answers.

"Schools are struggling to provide a physically safe environment. Large classes, leaky, mouldy or poorly maintained buildings are placing increasing pressure on school resources and could lead to more injuries.

"Whether or not these injuries are accident or behaviour-related is something figures like these don't reveal so there are a lot of interesting questions to be asked."