What will keep kids, teachers safe when school returns

Health experts have revealed the key measures needed to keep Victorian kids and teachers Covid-safe when they return to the classroom.

Leading experts say schools should have ventilated classrooms and use rapid-antigen testing to keep children and teachers safe when they reopen, leading experts say.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Friday flagged that an “enormous” amount of work was being done in the lead-up for a return to schools in Term 4.

The government will conduct ventilation assessments at schools to test which classrooms have sufficient airflow.

“Ventilation assessments, using literally thousands and thousands of C02 monitors, will be under way soon,” Mr Andrews said.

The move comes as UK classrooms are being fitted with C02 monitors to improve ventilation and pupils take twice-weekly rapid tests. In the US, 12 states have imposed mask mandates in schools and moved classes outdoors in a bid to stop outbreaks.

Experts say masks may become normalised in schools.

Hundreds of schools and universities in the US have also made vaccines mandatory for all teaching staff and children.

More than one million Victorian students have lost up to two terms of face-to-face learning – more than any other state – since the start of the pandemic.

“The way in which air flow works in school spaces is incredibly important in terms of containing, and hopefully limiting, the number of infections in any school based environment,” Mr Andrews said

Air filters will be implemented in rooms that are found to not have sufficient or high levels of air flow.

Deakin University epidemiology head Catherine Bennett said it was important for all school staff and students to be vaccinated.

“Vaccinating adults who are around children, including parents as well as education staff, is critical,” she said.

“Children are wearing masks overseas ... it could be normalised in a way by introducing it in schools. Ventilated classrooms are … something we should be looking to do.

“Reducing the number of people indoors is really important, whether you’re staggering classes, having outdoor classes and in some settings it’s a mixture of kids homeschooling and classroom schooling.”

More than one million Victorian students have lost up to two terms of face-to-face learning. Picture: Getty Images

UNSW global biosecurity expert Raina Macintyre said there was a “huge grassroots movement” in the US to develop DIY ventilators.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said the ventilation assessments were “critical work” and would be needed across Australia into 2022.

Part of Mr Andrews’ grand plan to make schools safer in a post-pandemic world is through the creation of more outdoor learning spaces and other measures. “It may well be applicable, (and) logical that we use some of that rapid antigen testing as part of our return to the classroom,” he said.

Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said the Liberal Nationals had been calling on the state government to implement rapid testing for months.

Originally published as What will keep kids, teachers safe when school returns