Coronavirus Australia: NSW back to school date confirmed by Gladys Berejiklian as May 25 - The Sydney Morning Herald

Students will return to NSW public schools full-time from Monday, two months after Premier Gladys Berejiklian triggered the biggest education disruption in decades when she asked parents to keep them home.

While face-to-face teaching will resume after weeks of remote lessons, school will not return to normal, with no assemblies, no inter-school sport, and parents to be kept off campus to reduce the risk of COVID-19.

The Berejiklian government wants all NSW students back at school full-time from Monday.Credit:Louise Kennerley

The decision will come as a relief to many students, who have been missing their friends and teachers, and to parents, who have been struggling to supervise lessons while managing their own workloads.

The acting head of the NSW Secondary Principals Council, Craig Petersen, said principals would also welcome the decision.

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"There's still anxiety around social distancing, but this in between was killing everyone, with the rosters and logistics," he said.

"They will be relieved to get back to normal. There will still be difficulties - we still have staff in the high-risk categories. It's also going to be really important that parents get the message about staying away from school."

Many private schools are also bringing students back full-time from Monday - when schools in Queensland and Victoria will also re-open.

Trinity Grammar, Kambala and Santa Sabina in Strathfield will have all their students on campus from May 25, as will Meriden, Riverview, St Scholastica's College and St Andrew's Cathedral School.

Ravenswood, Waverley College, Scots College and SCEGGS Darlinghurst will bring all students back before the end of this week.

Catholic Schools NSW also hopes to have students return by the end of May, but has written to the federal government for advice on social distancing among staff.

"A significant constraint on return‐to‐school plans is the availability of staff to support a full, in‐school student load," Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney wrote in a letter to federal Education Minister Dan Tehan.

Angelo Gavrielatos, the head of the NSW Teachers Federation, said the union hoped the government's announcement would be accompanied by clear advice on working arrangements for vulnerable staff.

"Similarly we'll be looking for clear advice for parents in terms of their responsibility and for student transport, recognising that transport hubs remain an area of concern," he said.

Students have been learning remotely since March 24, when Ms Berejklian asked parents to keep school children at home amid growing concern at the spread of COVID-19.

Initially, schools were asked to prepare for a whole term of remote learning. Two weeks ago, the government did not expect to fully re-open schools until term three, after a gradual increase in days attended by students.

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2020-05-18 08:38:00Z
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