Illawarra students will go back to the classroom ahead of schedule, thanks to NSW residents hitting COVID-19 vaccination targets sooner than expected.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The state government has brought forward the start of the staggered return to school from October 25 to October 18.
From this date, kindergarten, year 1 and year 12 students will return to face-to-face learning.
Years 2, 6 and 11 students can go back one week after that, then the following week will herald the return of the remaining years.
Masks will be mandatory for all staff and high school students, while they will be strongly recommended for primary school students while inside.
Wollongong and Shellharbour students have been learning from home since the beginning of term three; Kiama children joined them when they went into lockdown with the rest of the state in August.
"We have been clear that a return to school should begin once the state passed 70 per cent fully vaccinated, and thanks to the incredible efforts from the people of NSW, we will reach that milestone sooner than expected," Ms Berejiklian said.
Stephen Goodley, an adviser and former Wollongong principal, said the news was cause for celebration.
Mr Goodley said teachers had done a "fantastic" job with online learning, but it was not as good as being in the classroom.
"It is a super hard gig," he said.
It had also been difficult for parents, he said.
However, Mr Goodley said, schools would have to make sure their environments were COVID-safe, in a society without a 100 vaccination rate.
"There are significant challenges bringing students back in and keeping them safe," he said.
However, he said the education department had done a lot of work to ensure schools knew what a safe environment looked like.
The NSW Teachers Federation has also highlighted the challenges schools will face when students return.
President Angelo Gavrielatos said the rule that would allow only fully vaccinated teachers back in the classroom was necessary, but the government had failed in not prioritising teachers in the vaccine rollout.
"Significant risks remain for unvaccinated students who might be infected and transmit the virus to their families, to each other and beyond," Mr Gavrielatos said.
He also criticised the government for only beginning a ventilation audit of schools in late term three.
Mr Gavrielatos said the staggered approach itself posed a challenge.
"This will place incredible additional pressure and workload stress on teachers and principals who will need to be constantly pivoting between face-to-face and remote learning modes," he said.
But Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said there was still enough time for schools to get their plans in place and for teachers to get vaccinated.
"I know there remain some concerns in the community around a return to school, but students, staff and parents should feel confident that this approach allows enough time to make schools as COVID safe as possible," Ms Mitchell said.
The Illawarra Mercury news app is now officially live on both iOS and Android devices. It is available for download in the Apple Store and Google Play.