NAPLAN delays for flood-affected schools as most stay closed

Most schools will stay shut in southeast Queensland and northern NSW on Monday until power is restored and solar panels can be checked for safety.

Cyclone Alfred winds and rain have felled power lines outside the Labrador Primary School in Gordon Street, on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

More than 1000 schools will remain closed in cyclone-ravaged southeast Queensland and northern NSW on Monday and some NAPLAN tests will be postponed until March 17, as flooding and blackouts wreak havoc.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said it was a priority for schools to reopen, but every school first needed to conduct on-the-ground safety checks.

The Australian understands the checks involve electrical safety clearance of solar panels installed on most public schools.

Only 30 per cent of the 1049 schools that have been closed since Thursday are set to open on Monday, and all Gold Coast schools will stay shut.

Closures affect 454 state schools, 89 Catholic schools and 170 private schools.

“Some schools have suffered significant damage,” Mr Crisafulli said. “Where there is no power, there is no way that teachers and kids should be going back into that classroom. We’ve got to make sure they are safe.”

Mr Crisafulli said Gold Coast schools would stay shut on Monday. “This weather event will continue to test the ability for those schools to get back up and running,” he added. “We’ve had teams from QBuild and local principals going to have a look at those schools that have been impacted.

“Where it’s safe to do so schools will reopen, with the exception of the Gold Coast, where there remains significant damage, power loss and issues with transport.”

Mr Crisafulli said the annual NAPLAN test would be held for all students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in Queensland schools on Wednesday but could be postponed until March 17 for any schools that are closed this week.

“It’s important that this important test goes ahead,” he said.

The Queensland Premier is keen to get children back to school as soon as it’s safe. Here, kids are pictured sliding down a muddied Kirra Hill in Coolangatta as Cyclone Alfred caused erosion and rough seas on the Gold Coast. Picture: Adam Head

Mr Crisafulli said parents could keep children home from school if they deemed it unsafe to travel, and that school bus services would communicate directly with the schools as well as parents.

Mr Crisafulli stressed that reopening schools was a priority.

“Education matters, and it’s ­important we give kids every chance,” he said. “The parents of those kids are important. Some of them will be the nurse at the hospital – that means the difference between someone having their emergency surgery or not.

“Some of them will be the supermarket worker who’s stacking the shelves to enable someone to feed their family after not being able to go to the shops for a few days. So it’s important, wherever possible, we return things to ­normal.”

Queensland parents can check if their child’s school is open on the website closures.qld.edu.au

In NSW, 255 public schools and 52 Catholic schools along the north coast and Northern Rivers regions, including Lismore, will be closed on Monday and NAPLAN tests will be postponed on a case-by-case basis.

NSW Education Minister Prue Car said student and staff safety was the priority.

“While thankfully we have not had reports so far of major damage to our schools in affected areas, that does not mean staff and students are safe to travel to and from schools (on Monday) and we are asking that parents keep their children at home,’’ she said.

“I want to thank parents for their understanding during this difficult period and give special thanks to the many teachers who have volunteered their time in evacuation centres and with the SES and other organisations during the emergency and clean-up.’’

NSW parents can check on school closures by going to education.nsw.gov.au/schooling/school-operational-status