Prime Minister Scott Morrison echoed the Premier’s comments,saying the objective was to have all schools back for the first day of term. He said following Wednesday’s national cabinet meeting the states had been given a week to come up with a set of final recommendations to set a framework for the return to school.
“That will include everything from the testing arrangements put in place,any furloughing issues,matters relating to health and safety,matters relating to rate the vaccination and of other issues ... to ensure that we have a clear common approach as best as we are able to achieve across all states and territories,” Mr Morrison said.
“We want to achieve[that] schools and the kids go back and stay back. And we don’t have schools opening and closing,opening and closing,and[the] disruption that would cause.”
In Britain,schools have been warned they might have to merge classes or switch to remote learning if too many teachers are sick,while in the United States thousands of classrooms shut just as students returned after the holidays amid a spike in cases.
NSW public schools begin welcoming students back to classrooms in late January. Children aged between five and 11 can begin receiving the first dose of their two-shot COVID-19 vaccinations from Monday,with an eight-week gap between doses.
Hundreds of childcare centres are also shut due to COVID-19 infections,and the sector is worried about being able to staff centres if too many educators are sick. There is also a community-wide shortage of rapid antigen tests,although the NSW Department of Education ordered half a million last year,with an option for half a million more.