NSW Teachers Federation frets years seven to 11 returning more than a day a week

The teachers union is concerned about grades seven to 11 returning more than one day a week as Catholic schools move to resume normal classroom learning by the end of May.

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The NSW Teachers Federation is concerned about grades seven to 11 returning to public schools more than one day a week.

However, the state’s Catholic schools say they are looking to resume normal classroom learning by the end of May, making them eligible for a billion-dollar federal government funding incentive.

Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos told The Saturday Telegraph the union was open to a quick increase for primary students, noting countries with similar coronavirus “trajectory” to Australia were leading their resumptions with younger children. And it had a “clear preference” for year 12 to go back full-time or close to it.

There has been tension between the federation and state government on the shape of the return, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian last week saying the union wanted to keep children home indefinitely – a claim that has been denied.

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Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos. Picture: Supplied

In the first phase, NSW public school students across all grades will go to school at least one day a week from May 11. That was not the federation’s preference, arguing it was more administratively complicated than alternatives.

The state government has said the second phase will be two days a week, with a start date yet to be determined.

The union is concerned about larger high schools having students in grades seven to 11 in class that often in the short term because of the number of people being brought together.

The union’s “clear preference” was to bring back year 12 at least four days a week and maintain “some physical presence” for all high-school grades – likely just one day a week, Mr Gavrielatos said.

In its view, the degree of physical presence for years seven to 11 should “depend on size”, with smaller high schools able to increase attendance more quickly.

The federation was “looking to see what is happening in other jurisdictions where their trajectory of the virus is similar to where we find ourselves in Australia,” such as New Zealand and Norway.

Both have led their schooling resumptions with younger children, he said.

The federation and education department on Friday morning discussed the return timeline. And there was a meeting with Minister Sarah Mitchell early this week.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell.

Mr Gavrielatos said having fortnightly reviews, as Ms Berejiklian has proposed, was “important”. That could see the time frame for phase two announced as soon as May 25.

The speed of the resumption had to be guided by the NSW government’s health advice, he said, because it was in charge of state schools.

Meanwhile, Catholic Schools NSW’s spokesman said “by the end of May, we are looking at normal resumption of classroom learning”.

A $3 billion advance funding offer expires at midday Saturday. It is conditional on schools agreeing to have half their students in class by June 1.

The National Catholic Education Commission boss Jacinta Collins said it had yet to make a decision but “some jurisdictions were looking to opt into the offer”.

The state and national bodies that represent independent schools said they couldn’t comment.

Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said more than 500 schools nationally had made an application.