As kids across the country have already kicked off term two by working on their school studies from home, NSW students who are currently on school holidays have been told they will be returning to school one day a week from May 11
The announcement came from Premier Gladys Berejiklian today.
“Initially, it will just be a day a week and then progressively two days, then we hope by the end of term two we will be in a position to have students going back to school full time by term three.”
She said they have used this time to build their online capacity and to have enough hand sanitizers and soaps and the things that “make schools feel safe not just be safe” available.
She added there will be additional cleaning of equipment including play equipment throughout the day, and schools will have access to temperature checks where appropriate.
She also wanted to “hand on heart thank” all the parents, teachers, principals, and school community who took on the government’s advice from day one.
NSW Education minister Sarah Mitchell also thanked school teachers and principals, saying “their innovation and the work that they have done to move learning to at home and online has been phenomenal.”
She said the plan to have students initially attending one day a week will see schools given “flexibility and discretion” to determine how to make it happen. She said the aim is to have about a quarter of students on campus each day, but how schools break that up will be up to them.
“We are asking them to certainly consider family groupings, keeping siblings together, so that that will make it a lot easier for parents as we transition back to normal schooling.”
As well as extra measures like hand sanitizer, extra cleaning, forehead thermometers and other health equipment, Mitchell said they will be asking parents to do staggered drop-off and pick up times, along with staggered recess and lunch breaks in schools.
Currently, Victorian schools are expected to stay closed until the end of term two, but Premier Daniel Andrews has indicated that restrictions might be eased if the “very stable numbers” that they are currently seeing continue.
Queensland commenced online learning this week.
Western Australia is due to return to term two on the 29th April, but attendance will be voluntary — although year 11 and 12 students are very strongly encouraged to attend.
NSW currently has 2968 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of publishing today, following a rise in six new cases.