SA’s back-to-school plan: All the details for parents and teachers

Classes will continue for “close contact” teachers and students, while many primary schoolers will be expected to wear masks. We explain all the back-to-school changes here.

School classes will continue for students or teachers even if they have been in close contact with someone who is sick with Covid-19, the state government has decided.

And, for the first time, it will be “strongly recommended” primary school children in year 3 and up wear masks indoors.

As families prepare for the start of term one, now delayed to February 2, new rules for how schools operate were outlined on Friday by Premier Steven Marshall, Education Minister John Gardner and chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier.

“With Omicron we will have a lot more cases,” Professor Spurrier said.

“We will have many schools where there will be one or two children in the class with Omicron.

“We need to be focusing on the fact that kids do need to be in the classroom and have the most face-to-face learning. It’s very disruptive if they’re out of the classroom for long periods of time.”

If a student is sick, parents must keep the child at home and the school will notify other parents.

Those parents would be “strongly encouraged” to continue sending their child to school unless showing symptoms or the parent was very worried.

Teachers would be regarded as a critical worker and return to work if not sick even if they have been a close contact.

However, when they’re not at school, close contact teachers and students must isolate.

Year 11 Blackwood High students Ben, 15, and Kai, 16, at home in Belair, where they will have to start the year with homeschooling. Picture: Matt Loxton

In other measures:

RAPID antigen tests will be used but protocols are still being worked through nationally.

MASKS will be compulsory indoors for all adults and secondary students.

ALL inter-school sport, camps, excursions, large assemblies and concerts will be postponed.

OUT of school hours care can continue as usual.

STAFF and students will be discouraged from mingling.

BOOSTER shots are likely to be added to mandatory vaccination requirements for all workers at schools and early childhood settings.

THE Education Department will not deploy air purifiers, with trials finding they were ineffective.

VISITORS to schools will be limited.

As foreshadowed exclusively by The Advertiser on Thursday, when school starts only reception and years 1, 7, 8 and 12 will have classes on campus with other year levels moving to online learning.

All classes will resume on campus on Monday, February 14.

Children of essential workers or who are vulnerable will be able to attend school from January 31 where they will be supervised, undertaking online lessons from the Wednesday.

The need for change was “compelling”, Mr Marshall said.

Without the staggered start, modelling showed “there would have been between another 20,000 to 30,000 cases just for the month of February”, he said.

Mr Marshall acknowledged “there are serious consequences for families also for schools, teachers and for principals”.

In a concession to struggling families, Mr Gardner said any parent – whether an essential worker or not – could send children in years 2 to 6 to school for supervised learning if they could not manage them at home.

SA Primary Principals Association chief executive Angela Falkenberg said it could be difficult to get small children to wear masks.

“But the lead will come from parents and they should talk to their child’s teacher,” she said.

SA Secondary Principals Association chief executive Peter Mader said the two days to prepare for online learning were welcome.

Overall the plan was “a balanced response to the competing interests of education, health and the economy”, he said.

Australian Education Union state president Andrew Gohl said some of the proposals were “absolutely fanciful”.

“Our members are very concerned about the continuing lack of detail,” he said.

Wilderness Group general manager and Outdoor SA board member Luke Duncan said the sector was devastated by the rulings, particularly at the peak time for school camps.

“Surely students need the health and mental health benefits,” he said.

Catholic Education SA and independent schools will follow the SA health advice, including face-to-face lessons for year 8s.

South Australia recorded 5679 infections on Friday – its highest ever daily total – and six deaths.

Premier Steven Marshall said modelling undertaken by Professor Joshua Ross at Adelaide University showed daily cases would likely peak between January 15 and 25, and to prepare for case numbers to be around 6000 to 10,000 a day.

Back-to school questions answered

When will schools reopen?

Schools will reopen on January 31 for children of essential workers and vulnerable children. From February 2, face-to-face classes will begin for Reception students and those in Year 1, 7, 8 and 12. All other students will begin online learning on that day.

When do all students go back for face-to-face learning?

Face-to-face learning would start again on February 14.

Will my child have to wear a mask?

Depending on their year level. They are being “highly recommended” from Year 3 upwards. Masks are required for teachers and other adults unless it needs to be taken off for learning.

Will air purifiers be needed in classrooms?

No, health officials say ventilation is better than using an air purifier.

I am a teacher and a child in my class has tested positive, what do I do?

You are a close contact, however, with a negative test you can attend work. You must isolate when not on campus as per SA Government guidelines.

My child has Covid-19, what should I do?

Inform your child’s school and keep your child at home for 10 days as per SA Government guidelines.

If my child is vulnerable or I am an essential worker and cannot supervise my child, what do I do?

You can drop them at their school for supervised online learning. Mr Gardner said no child would get turned away.

My child has just started preschool or reception, can I be there for his/her first day?

Yes, the State Government will find a “sensible solution” to make that happen.

Can my child play inter-school sport?

No. Not for the first three weeks that school returns.