SW schools secure a year's supply of hand sanitiser and 10,000 thermometers
April 22, 2020 — 5.32pm
20 minutes ago
The state's 2200 public schools will have access to enough soap and hand sanitiser to last 12 months when they start returning to classrooms next month.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian's push to have all students back at school full-time by term three includes a significant roll-out of key products to ensure schools can meet strict health requirements.
Ten thousand forehead thermometers will be handed out to schools as part of the staggered return to classrooms, according to a source familiar with the plan, as NSW continues to deal with the COVID-19 crisis and teachers will have priority for testing.
As public schools begin to gradually re-open, with pupils to attend one day a week from May 11, many private schools are still deciding their strategy.
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A Hunter Valley private school expects 900 students on campus from the first day of term two, after more than 80 per cent of parents voted to stop remote learning and send their children back to class.
Some are leaning towards bringing kindergarten and year 12 back first, and are likely to take a more cautious approach than government schools. But Hunter Valley Grammar School will throw open its doors to all students from kindergarten to year 12 on Tuesday.
Geoff Newcombe, head of the Association of Independent Schools.Credit:Jacky Ghossein
"Over the holiday, parents suggested they'd like kids back [at school]," principal Paul Teys said. "We sent out a survey and had 800 responses; 85 per cent wanted their kids back if we were running timetabled lessons.
"What that says is they are not interested in the online learning, supervision-type arrangement. They wouldn't come back if it was supervision. To come back and have PE lessons, science pracs - they are very keen."
Of a student population of 1200, Mr Teys expects 900 to attend on Tuesday. The rest will continue with the school's remote learning timetable. The school is set on 30 acres, so will not face the same social distancing challenges as city schools.
"We have lots of open learning space, very large classrooms. We would not have many classes above 20, we already have lots of small classes," Mr Teys said. "If we have a class above 20, we will split that across classrooms or send them to an open area."
Mr Teys said Maitland was a different environment than Sydney, as it was less built up and had fewer COVID-19 cases. "Our regional area is vastly different.The mixing and contact is not nearly as big a problem as it is in Sydney," he said.
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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has assured a staggered return of students to classrooms will be effective.
Geoff Newcombe, the chief executive of the Association of Independent Schools NSW, said private schools supported the government's decision to return students to class, but wanted to be cautious.
"Some are looking to go a bit slowly in case there's another spike," he said. "The general feeling is let's not rush too quickly. The [private schools] model is more year 11 and 12 and kindergarten [returning to class first]."
Santa Sabina principal Paulina Skerman said she would likely take a staggered approach in primary school, bringing back sporting houses on different days for first one, then two and then three days a week.
At high school level, year 12 will come back first. All will use the remote learning timetable, she said.
While some members of staff were nervous, they also knew how important their job was to their students.
"Like all essential workers we have a job to do and our job is to educate the children," Ms Skerman said. "While our academic remote platform is strong and sound, I think to get the children back is really important, to look after that social and emotional wellbeing."
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