Covid NSW: Schools to ease isolation rules for term two

Teachers and students who are household Covid contacts will be allowed back to school next term – as long as they have a negative daily RAT. We reveal the Education Department’s new “Covid-smart plan”.

Teachers and students who are household Covid contacts will be allowed back to school from next term — as long as they have no symptoms and take a daily RAT.

After a term where almost every school was disrupted by Covid with large numbers of teachers and students forced to stay home due to someone in their house having the virus, there are hopes for a much ­easier term two.

The Education Department will release its “Covid-smart plan” on Saturday outlining the new measures.

“School is where our students learn best and we need to do everything we can to make sure face-to-face learning continues with minimal disruption as we move into the colder months,” Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said.

“The removal of isolation requirements for household contacts will support continuity of teaching and learning in schools.”

Students will still need to take Rapid Antigen Tests if they are household contacts. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

Thanks to the removal of the rule requiring all household contacts to isolate for seven days, things should get easier in schools.

This means staff and students who are household contacts but have no Covid symptoms can return to school as long as they take a daily RAT for five days and wear a mask if in a high school.

Schools will distribute more RATs to students and teachers in term two, similar to the one seen at the start of the school year, to allow families to ­comply with the new rules.

A teacher supply plan that fast-tracks accreditation for ­retired teachers and final year university students, to help fill classroom shortages, will also continue in the term ahead.

“The department is taking extra steps to ensure accredited teachers are available to cover sick leave where needed, with non-school based teachers, retired teachers and final year teacher education students continuing to be ­deployed into classrooms as needed,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Recruitment of teaching staff into non-school based roles will be paused and work will be taken off schools’ plates so they can focus on core teaching and learning.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell reveals the latest Covid school plan. Picture: Tim Hunter

“Schools will continue keeping windows and doors open wherever it is safe and practical, because we know fresh air is an effective way to keep airborne viruses out.”

Additional measures will remain on the table for schools or communities experiencing a localised Covid outbreak.

Those include separating cohorts, cancellation of indoor events and off-site activities, a return to mask wearing and learning from home.

More than 450 retired teachers and 2000 final-year teaching students stepped into classrooms in term one as teachers fell to Covid and isolation requirements.

About 350 non-school-based staff, who are accredited teachers, also covered more than 2000 casual days.

Just over 150 of the state’s 2200 public schools had at least one year group learning from home temporarily due to a localised outbreak, while 45 schools adopted mask wearing or cancelled assemblies.