The government insists schools are safe, but wants families to continue remote learning until May 11 when students will return to class for one day per week.
But public school principals worry that mixed messaging from federal and state governments, parental frustration with home schooling and falling numbers of coronavirus cases will tempt families to send children back when the second term begins on Wednesday.
Phil Seymour from the Primary Principals Association said the staggered return "will only work if we get parental discipline - if parents accept this is the best way forward." "There are parents who would love to have their kids back in front of their teacher. Most parents see the home learning situation as just marking time. There are obviously some kids having really good experiences, but they are in the minority."
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it is a "big step but an important step" for students to go back to a physical classroom environment next month. She does not want children to have to go back to online schooling once they return to class. A Catholic school in Ryde, where there are only 130 students, has already drawn up a week-on, week-off system in which half the school will attend Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the other half Tuesday and Thursday, and then they will swap the following week.
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