READY TO ROLL-CALL: Forbes Public School Year 3 students Ella-Rose Wright and Ruby Lidster were excited to go back to school for 2022 and see all their friends! INSET: Forbes High School students also returned this week under a new COVID-safe timetable. Photo supplied.
Forbes students were welcomed back into classrooms with vaccinations, rapid antigen testing and mask wearing to play a key role in limiting the spread of the virus and keeping school communities safe. Some Forbes Public, North and Forbes High School students all started on Tuesday. Kindergarten starts next Monday February 7.
Premier Dominic Perottet said everyone has worked hard to ensure that every school is a safe environment for students, teachers and school staff.
“We have distributed 8.6 million rapid antigen test (RAT) kits to all schools and early childhood education centres so that educators are able to undertake surveillance testing for COVID-19 twice a week.”
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said she was thrilled to see students walk through school gates.
“The Department of Education has worked closely with NSW Health to make schools as safe as possible. It’s also encouraging to see that our students are increasingly getting vaccinated.”
In NSW, more than 78 per cent of children in the 12 to 15-year-old age group have been double-dosed while in the 5 to 11-year-old age group, more than 39 per cent of children have had their first dose.
Other COVID-safe measures include physical distancing, ventilation and mask wearing.
“With all these measures in place, we’re confident that students will be able to return to the activities they love while staying COVID-safe,” Ms Mitchell said.
More information on COVID-safe measures in schools is available at https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families.