NSW government outlines a return to school plan during Covid crisis
The road map to get students back to face-to-face learning has finally been released; HSC exams to be pushed back and vaccines mandatory for all teachers.
Students can expect to return to school on October 25, with HSC exams pushed back until the second week of November, the NSW Premier has revealed.
The state recorded 882 new infections on Friday but more than 6.4 million doses of vaccines against Covid-19 have now been delivered across the state.
Gladys Berejiklian said the return-to-school plan was guided by the latest advice from public health and education officials and HSC results would also be delayed.
“HSC exams will be pushed back to November 9,” she said.
“There has already been discussion with the university sector so no New South Wales student will be disadvantaged.
“It means the marking period and adjusting of scores would happen until mid-January but the university sector is appreciative of that and can accommodate that.
“Face-to-face learning will commence from October 25.
“Can I also stress, that if there is any area of NSW that comes out of lockdown before October 25, that those children will automatically go back to school.”
Health Minister Sarah Mitchell said it would be a staggered return, with kindergarten and Year 1 students the first to return to the classroom.
However, Year 12 students will have a restricted return to classrooms and access to face-to-face meetings with their teachers.
“We will also allow for Year 12 students to come back in a greater way than they are now, obviously, at the moment, there is a limited return for Year 12 students,” Ms Mitchell said.
“They can attend school for up to two hours a day, but from October 25 we will be able to increase that and that is particularly important to give those HSC students more time with their teachers face-to-face.
“From November 1, we will welcome back Year 2, Year 6 and Year 11 … from November 8, all remaining year groups will be back in the classroom.”
Ms Mitchell empathised with Year 12 students, who for the second year running have had their schooling severely disrupted by lockdowns.
She reassured written exams would take place and they would receive an ATAR score and the delay of the HSC exams would not disadvantage any NSW student when applying to university.
“Year 11 was disrupted last year and now you are learning from home in a really crucial period of your schooling it is really pleasing to reassure you today that you will be doing written exams,” she said.
“It will provide comfort to students going through a stressful and difficult time but equally challenging managing during a Covid setting.”
Vaccinations for all school staff across all sectors will be mandatory from 8 November. Ms Mitchell also urged any unvaccinated parents to be inoculated.
NSW Health will be providing priority vaccinations at Qudos Bank Arena for school staff the week beginning September 6.
Ms Berejiklian assured parents and guardians it would be safe for Year 12 students to return to school for exams.
She said that was why the government had rolled out vaccines for students in LGA areas of concern during lockdown to minimise health risks.
“The return to school will be safe, we don‘t want to see any students disadvantaged and that is why some weeks ago we took the important decision to vaccinate all of our year 12 students in those areas of concern,” she said.
“To make sure, that notwithstanding what is happening, that they sit their exams, as every other child is across the state, that they are in a position to set their exams safely and having that extra protection.”
However, the only setback would be if cases in certain LGAs increase significantly, then learning from home would resume in that area until case numbers dropped.
NSW ROAD MAP BACK TO SCHOOL
Students will return to face-to-face learning with NSW Health approved Covid safe settings on school sites in the following order:
October 25: Kindergarten and Year 1
November 1: Year 2, 6 and 11
November 8: Year 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10
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