The ACT government has unveiled its back-to-school plan, which includes providing two free rapid antigen tests (RATs) to all students, teachers and school-based staff by the end of week one.
The government outlined its guidelines for the return to face-to-face learning from next week, with all students to be provided two RATs per week for four weeks, but not required to use them or provide proof of a negative result before returning to campus.
Like during term four last year, masks will be mandatory for all teachers and high school students, and recommended — but not required — for students in year 3 and above.
Ventilation in schools is another priority for the government, which it says follows on from last year's efforts to allow more airflow in classrooms and halls.
On-campus learning is set to resume next week, on January 31, for new students, and February 1 for returning students.
RATs provided, not required
While two rapid tests will be provided to all students and staff per week for the first four weeks of term one, ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said it would not be compulsory for students to show proof of a negative result before returning to the classroom.
“But [RATs] are absolutely necessary if your child is unwell, and, of course, if your child is unwell please don't send them to school.
"Those tests are there to support students and staff and to identify if they have COVID-19 as early as possible, because we know if we can identify COVID-19 as early as possible then we can make the adjustments necessary to keep everybody safe."
Ms Berry said that while the RATs provided at the end of week one were an important part of the school return plan, testing centres around Canberra were available for students or parents who wanted a test before stepping foot in the classroom.
"Keep in mind that there are also testing sites still available for people if they need to get tests between now and then, and rapid antigen tests are part of that process as well through ACT Health," she said.
Ms Berry said COVID-19 cases on campuses were inevitable, but authorities were confident Canberrans would not send children to school if they were displaying symptoms.
"To date, everybody's been doing the right thing and we want to encourage them to continue to do that.
"I'm confident that [teachers] will take the test as required, and that families in the ACT will also want to make sure that their children and our school communities – but also our community more broadly – is safe."
Ms Berry said providing rapid antigen tests to students and teachers was a large undertaking, but one that would hopefully ease the minds of children and parents.
"Obviously this is a fairly big operational task that we are undertaking and making sure that our schools have rapid antigen tests available within that first week of school," she said.
"All of our independent schools and Catholic schools will also be getting those tests provided, as well as early childhood centres.
Contact definitions change student quarantine requirements
As part of the framework, and in line with the latest changes to contact requirements, entire classes will no longer be required to quarantine if a positive case is recorded among the cohort.
Ms Berry said while the changes meant whole classes would not be required to quarantine, positive cases of the virus in schools would be handled on a case-by-case basis.
"We have been listening very carefully to our school communities, we've understood their concerns and we'll keep listening and talking with you as changes need to be made should the unfortunate circumstance that a COVID-19 case, a positive case, occurs in our schools," she said.
"We want to reiterate that the safety of staff students and the broader community is our priority. And that's why we've been providing these rapid antigen tests alongside all of the other health measures that we have in place within our school communities."
Ms Berry said while the decision to return for term one may come as a relief to some parents of school-aged children, she understood some members of the community may find the return to campus worrisome.
"I wanted to assure everyone that we've been working and developing and refining these plans for a number of months now, and will continue to do that as circumstances change around us," she said.
"Work has been ongoing and evolving over the last year in the best interests of students, school staff, teachers, and parents as well.
'A balanced position' to returning: Barr
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the return to face-to-face learning had been months in planning to ensure a safe environment in schools.
Mr Barr said the health guidelines, which are very similar to those announced for NSW, are intended to build upon the work already done in term four of 2021.
"The detail of today's announcement builds upon what was in place for term four of last year, updated to reflect the Omicron variant and indeed work that's taken place over the summer period," he said.
"So it's a careful and considered decision that we have made that is broadly consistent with that which other jurisdictions have made within an Australian framework approaching return to school."
As of today, 50.6 per cent of Canberra children aged between five and 11 have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Of Canberrans aged 18 and older, 39.6 per cent have received their booster and 98.6 per cent of Canberrans aged 12 and older are double dosed.
Today the ACT recorded 756 new cases of COVID-19 — 472 from PCR tests and 284 from rapid antigen tests.
There are 68 people with COVID-19 in hospital in Canberra — the highest number of the pandemic — with three people are in intensive care, including one person who is ventilated.
The ACT has also recorded the deaths of two men — one in his 40s and a one in his 90s. Their deaths bring the number of COVID-related deaths in the territory to 24.
