Capital kids back to the classroom

With only one new case of COVID-19 recorded in May, ACT public school students and teachers can start attending school from Monday, 18 May.

ACT Education said the move will be carefully managed and staged over three weeks to ensure all facilities are prepared and have appropriate measures in place as advised by the ACT Chief Health Officer.

According to the ACT Education website, face-to-face learning will be staged as follows:

• From Monday, 18 May (week 4 of term 2): pre-school, kindergarten, years 1, 2 and 7, and years 11 and 12. College students will attend a combination of on-campus and remote learning, with colleges making arrangements to support learning on-campus for students and subject matter that requires it.
• From Monday, 25 May (week 5 of term 2): year 3, 4 and 10 students.
• From Tuesday, 2 June (week 6 of term 2, following the Reconciliation Day long weekend): the remaining year levels of years 5, 6, 8 and 9.
   

Students and teachers with chronic health conditions or compromised immune systems should remain studying or working from home, but the department advises that the Safe and Supervised Sites program will cease operations on Friday, 15 May. All students registered for those sites will be able to attend their usual school (regardless of their year level) from Monday, 18 May. All other students are encouraged to continue with remote learning until their year is scheduled to return to school.

While the CHO acknowledges potential for an increase in cases as community restrictions are relaxed, it says evidence suggests students aged 3–19 are not at increased risk returning to face-to-face learning, provided good hygiene practices are followed. It further advises that it is neither practical nor necessary for students to socially distance. Student and staff who are sick should not attend and a medical practitioner should be consulted by anyone with complex medical needs prior to returning.

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