It's probably too little too late.
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So said Kristy St.Quintin, as she waited to pick up her son Bill from Mount Brown Public School on Monday afternoon.
Ms St Quintin was speaking to the Mercury about NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian encouraging parents to keep their children at home from Tuesday.
Schools will stay open but parents are being encouraged to keep their children home to help schools move towards online learning.
Ms St.Quintin feels schools should have been closed at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
She only took her son to school on Monday because Mount Brown requested she do so.
"The school requested students bring their devices in so they can be shown how to log on and do everything for learning from home. That is what they are doing today and from tomorrow we will keep him home," Ms St.Quintin said.
"I definitely think they should have closed schools by now. I'm a big fan of the Singapore/China approach. I'd rather our government over-react and apologise later.
"I'd much rather would have been in total shutdown."
Fellow Mt Brown parent Heather Dibden plans on following the Premier Berejiklian's advice and keeping her three children at home.
"We would rather our children not get sick. We were going to keep them home anyway, especially starting next week," she said. "As a stay-at-home mum I'm lucky as I can look after my kids."
Working mother Ms St.Quintin isn't afforded the same luxury but hopes the government will step in and help those doing it tough.
She also hoped federal and state governments would get on the same page to reduce mixed messages.
This view was backed by the NSW Teachers Federation, whose executive stated that "teachers and principals had been thrust into the frontline of this crisis".
"There is but scant reference to the safety of teachers and principals, and other school employees, in dealing with the crisis."
The Public Service Association, which represents NSW's 17,500 non-teaching school staff, called on the state government to follow the UK approach of closing schools for all children but those of essential service workers.
"School support staff believe the right course of action to limit the spread of COVID-19 is for the Berejiklian Government to close schools," PSA general secretary Stewart Little said.
"The message from the government needs to be simple: unless you work in an essential service, school is closed for your children.
"This isn't a decision that should be left to parents - it is only causing further anxiety, confusion and uncertainty.
"This is the right thing to do. We can't afford any more delays or confusion about whether parents should still be sending kids to school."
NSW Primary Principals Association urges parents to keep kids at home
NSW Primary Principals Association president Phil Seymour would have liked Premier Gladys Berejiklian to have been more "direct" in telling parents to keep their children at home.
But he nevertheless hopes parents heed the message and keep their children at home so teachers and schools could properly prepare for online learning.
NSW, parents have been encouraged to keep their children at home from Tuesday.
"Because nearly 30 per cent of children are already being kept out of school, for practical reasons NSW is encouraging parents to keep their children at home," Ms Berejiklian said.
"This will ensure there is only one unit of work, whether the student is at home or at school.
"No child will be turned away from school."
Mr Seymour said the more children who stay home, the better.
"We've got 40 per cent of kids away today across the state on average. I think tomorrow will be a bigger number. I think we had to come to this," he said.
"The [NSWPPA] have been saying this is the best thing to do because we have to look after our staff as well as look after our kids."
Mr Seymour said keeping as many students as possible from schools would help and provide educators with more time to get online learning tools set up.
"It will also allow for some teachers who may be a bit unwell, to work from home," he said.
"We are in a critical time in this. We have to work together. If you are able to keep your children at home, do so and give us the time and we will get our work together so that you will be able to go online or get hard copy work from the school so you can do the work with your children at home."
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