Send children back to school: experts, say epidemiologists

The increased number of Covid-19 cases is not reason enough to keep the schools closed, epidemiologists say.

University of Sydney infectious disease pediatrician Robert Booy.

As teachers, students and parents anxiously await word on whether children will return for term 3, leading epidemiologists have a message for state authorities: “Send them back to school.”

Hundreds of schoolchildren and teachers were directed to self-isolate on Monday after a child at Rose Bay Public School returned a positive Covid-19 test, raising concerns about the feasibility of students returning next week.

The more highly transmissible Delta variant has presented numerous times in schools across the eastern suburbs: four from South Coogee Public School, a year 3 student from St Charles Catholic Primary School, one child from Emanuel School in Randwick and one from Rose Bay Secondary College.

But the increased number of cases is not reason enough to keep the schools closed, epidemiologists said. “Put simply, children need education, they need socialisation with their peers and teachers, and they need the good mental health benefits of going to school,” University of Sydney infectious disease pediatrician Robert Booy said.

“We know the kids can get infected, but that’s more probable to happen at home than at schools, because children are much more likely to catch the virus from an adult than another child.

“A host of measures could be taken that still allow kids to go to school … sit them further apart, have them take staggered breaks or have some lessons outdoors,” he said. “We could even stop moving whole classrooms from room to room, but just have the teachers move.”

Christine Jenkins, the head of respiratory research at The George Institute for Global Health, said there would have to be “days and days of large numbers of unlinked community transmission” to warrant widespread closures.

And Australian National University epidemiologist Peter Collignon said schools should only shut on an “individual basis” for “deep cleaning and contact tracing” if cases arise.

The new school cases have sparked concern over low levels of vaccination in teachers.

“The question of whether the schools will reopen continues to highlight the monumental failure of the role of the federal government in regards to the vaccine roll out,” NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos said. “Teachers should be seen in the context of frontline workers who are being exposed to the risks of the Delta strain.”

Some of the federation’s members had tried to book in for their vaccinations but could not get an appointment until late September, Mr Gavrielatos added.

On Monday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: “There is high risk among a number of categories of people and can I just say that as soon as we get those extra doses, of course we’ll continue to make sure that we provide the vaccine”, declining to answer specific questions about whether teachers should be prioritised in the vaccination program.

Schools across Sydney are beginning to prepare for online learning as they wait for Education Minister Sarah Mitchell to reveal their fate this week.

In a letter to parents last Friday, St Andrew’s Cathedral School headmaster John Collier said he was unclear whether school could resume next week.

“We hope for the best, but will prepare for the worst in case public health orders and school-specific advice delay our start,” Dr Collier wrote. “It will probably be wise for parents of younger children, who will need supervision if they are at home, to consider arrangements for that purpose.”

Presbyterian Ladies’ College Sydney principal Paul Burgis said he would “inform the community on July 9” whether they will be returning to school the following Tuesday.