Twice-weekly rapid antigen testing for teachers and students to end next week

Students and teachers will no longer have to take twice-weekly rapid antigen tests to attend school, with the NSW government to phase out the Covid measure soon.

Children and teachers will no longer have to undergo twice weekly rapid antigen testing, with the NSW government to phase out the surveillance measure at the end of next week.

Instead, parents, teachers and school staff will be given an ­additional eight tests to use at their ­discretion — or to stick in the medicine cupboard for a later date.

The free family and staff “RAT packs” will include four to be deliv­ered to schools this week plus a separate “bonus” pack of four to arrive in the coming weeks.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell and Premier Dominic Perrottet. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Premier Dominic Perrottet said RATs had played an important role in enabling students to return to school, and thanked parents, teachers, school administrators and principals for their commitment to resuming face-to-face learning at the start of the term.

“It was vital we got our students back in the classroom after two years of disruption to their education, ­social lives and wellbeing, and RATs have played an important part in ­enabling their safe return,” he said.

“We are therefore providing every student and staff member across the state with another eight RATs for them to use at their discretion when they consider necessary, following a four-week program of surveillance testing.

“The packs are there for families and staff to use at their discretion for their own peace of mind — for example, when a student is feeling unwell with a sore throat or cough.”

Described as one of the largest logistic undertakings ever in NSW, about 8.2 million kits were distributed in the first two weeks to 3000-plus government and non-government schools and early childhood centres across the state.

While testing was never mandatory, parents and teachers were strongly encouraged to undertake a test twice a week, with those who tested positive to stay at home.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the Covid measures ­implemented at the start of the term had worked, with transmission in schools “extremely low”.

There had also been no school closures since students returned this year, despite the levels of community transmission, she said.

Claire Taylor and daughter Marlowe, 6, are looking forward to the end of regular rapid antigen testing for school. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“It is important we help students, staff and families retain their levels of confidence as we get back to a more normal school life,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Testing children twice a week was not an easy task, and I’d like to thank all of the parents and carers for their efforts in these critical first few weeks of term.”

Along with the RATs, the back-to-school plan also entailed mandatory mask-wearing and limited interaction between year groups.

The government is now reviewing those measures, along with whether parents can return to school grounds and the potential resumption of full assemblies.

The easing of Covid restrictions at schools is expected to face criticism from some education and health experts, including Dr Kerryn Phelps, who in early January urged families not to send their children back to school.

Asked whether she thought children should still be taught at home, Dr Phelps said it was important “vulnerable” students had the opportunity to do so.

“Now that kids are back at school, we have to be realistic,” she said.

“It’s not OK to say many kids don’t get very sick, because some do. As a medical professional, I have a duty of care to all children.”

Bondi mum Claire Taylor said she was happy to test her six-year-old daughter Marlowe if the school required it, but questioned the effectiveness of the program.

“It’s pretty onerous and Marlowe hates the tests so it’s not amazing, but you get into a rhythm,” Ms Taylor said. “It‘s good to have the tests in our back pockets in case there’s a surge or a worse strain, but the way things are trending at the moment, I think it would be good to do away with them and see how that goes.”

Marlowe goes to Bondi Public School and Ms Taylor said notifications of positive tests were so common, they were not effective any more.

“We’re getting, like, three a day, so it gets to the point where we started just mentally filtering it out,” she said.

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