Young people will be back in the classrooms, learning face to face in October, under a staged plan announced today by the NSW Government.

Hailed as a ‘clear road map’, students will be allowed to resume face to face teaching at schools from October 25 – beginning with Kindergarten and Year 1 students.

Year 6 and Year 11 students will follow on November 8, followed by all remaining year groups in November.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said from October 25, Year 12 students facing the HSC examinations will also see an increase in allowed face to face learning hours.

In high schools, mask wearing will be mandatory for all school staff and students, while in primary schools, mask wearing will be strongly encouraged for younger students.

It will also be mandatory for all school staff to be vaccinated from November 8.

Minister Mitchell also announced that level 3 restrictions will be in place at schools – which means there will be no large gatherings or assemblies and minimal mingling allowed between students.

There will also be no band or choir practice allowed.

“NESA has advised there will be a delayed start of HSC examinations until November 9 and a new timetable of how this will proceed will be released in September,” she said

“We thank the Year 12 cohort for their patience and resilience, especially since their year 11 was also disrupted last year.

“Exams will take place and the results will come out in mid January.

“The university sector will accommodate these changes so students can still be offered a place in university if they chose to do that.

“We know the best teaching and learning happens in the classroom.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel for students. We needed to balance a return to school to be safe and sensible.”

Minister Mitchell also said that students in any LGA could potentially return to remote learning if numbers of those contagious with Covid in that area rise.

While it’s now allowed for children aged 12 and up to get vaccinations, the Minister said it will not be mandatory for 12 to 15 year olds to be vaccinated before a return to school.

Vaccination rates

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 70% of the school teaching force was already vaccinated and the return top school was “about giving parents and staff comfort in controlled covid-safe settings.

“There are low rates of serious illness in young children and we’ve based our return to school plan based on that,” she said.

“In NSW areas of concern, Year 12 students are mostly vaccinated.”

She said that across NSW, 62% of the population had already had a first dose of vaccine.

“We will also have more vaccines available in  mid September and will consider doing vaccinations in school communities.

Case numbers

Yesterday, there were 882 cases of Covid community transmission -and two deaths. One person in their 80s and one in their 90s.

Of 767 cases in hospital, 117 are in intensive care and 547 on ventilation – with 103 of the intensive care cases not vaccinated.

She also said in the Ballina region, 57% of residents had their first dose.