Purpose
This practical guidance and advice has been prepared for school leaders engaging with children, parents, teachers and support staff to reduce even further the relatively low risk of Coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This document is broad, and decisions about how to apply its guidance should be made by each jurisdiction with consideration of their local epidemiology and context.
Background
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a new virus. Symptoms include fever, coughing, a sore throat and shortness of breath.
The virus can spread from person to person, but good hygiene and physical distancing can prevent infection. For most people, COVID-19 is experienced as a mild disease. The focus on reducing transmission is to ease the burden on our health system, rather than eliminate the spread.
If you or your child are sick, and think you have symptoms of COVID-19, seek medical advice. If you want to talk to someone about your symptoms or are seeking information, call the National Coronavirus Helpline for advice on 1800 020 080. The line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Principles for schools
Help stop the spread and stay healthy
Stay informed and supported
Things to consider
Physical distancing
Risks to vulnerable populations in schools
Hygiene
Environmental cleaning
Psychological wellbeing
Spread the word, not the disease
Help stop the spread and stay healthy
Physical distancing
One way to slow the spread of viruses, such as coronavirus, is physical distancing (also called social distancing).
The more space between people, the harder it is for the virus to spread. There is a range of measures schools can take to support physical distancing and reduce transmission within the practical limitations of a school environment.
Message for parents: if your child is sick, they must not go to school. You must keep them at home and away from others. Remember to maintain physical distancing from other parents and teachers when attending school, including when dropping off and picking up your children.
Message for children: tell your parent, guardian or teacher if you are feeling sick.
Message for teachers: do not come to work if you are sick or in a vulnerable person category.
Message for all adults: the greatest risk of transmission in the school environment is between adults. It is of upmost importance that teachers and parents alike maintain physical distancing between themselves and each other at school.
Schools are already engaging in creative and innovative ways to engage their students online and in-person, while practising physical distancing and minimising risk. These include:
adapting activities that lead to mixing between classes and years, including reduced use of common areas and reduced after-school and inter-school activities
where possible, adding flexibility to the work day by staggering start and finish times, recesses, lunch breaks and other key transition times, when mixing may occur between classes and year-levels
where possible, avoiding close-proximity queuing and encouraging increased space between students, for example, by placing markings on the floor
encouraging students to maintain 1.5m distance when entering or leaving a classroom
cancelling school excursions, assemblies, sporting activities and other large gatherings
where possible, conducting lessons outdoors or in environments with enhanced ventilation
where possible, arranging classroom furniture to leave as much space as possible between students
maintaining smaller classes
suspending group work if the activity cannot be modified to avoid close physical proximity (1.5m)
ceasing public access to playgrounds and high touch play equipment
teachers monitoring students during non-class times to ensure they are maintaining 1.5m physical distance
teachers maintaining 1.5m physical distance from other adults in staff rooms
providing a mix of home- and campus-based education
student work being submitted electronically, where feasible
student work being handed to a teacher for feedback rather than feedback being provided immediately by the teacher in close proximity to the student
encouraging non-contact greetings
Swimming pools should not operate. Use of play equipment by children in a school setting is unlikely to appreciably increase the risk of exposure to the virus when compared with other activities undertaken in schools. Schools that continue to allow access to play equipment should consider the following sensible precautions:
separating groups at play; for example, by staggering play times and avoiding overcrowding;
cleaning play equipment between use by different groups (or at least daily);
ensuring children wash their hands (or apply alcohol-based hand rubs) before and after using play equipment; and
excluding unwell children and staff.
Physical education may continue, but should take place outdoors or in large gymnasiums or covered areas where physical distancing can be maintained.
Risks to vulnerable populations in schools
Parents and carers of children and young people with complex medical needs are encouraged to seek medical advice from their health practitioner to support informed risk assessment and decision-making regarding the suitability of on-site education for their child.
Protecting vulnerable people within school workforces is critical to making schools a safe environment. People aged 70 years and over, people aged 65 years and over with chronic medical conditions, all people with compromised immune systems, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 50 with chronic medical conditions, are at greater risk of more serious illness if they are infected with COVID-19.
There is limited evidence at this time regarding the risk in pregnant women. Teachers and staff who are vulnerable should take additional care to protect themselves and, where possible, arrange to work from home. This is also the case for those with caring responsibilities for vulnerable people.
Hygiene
Everyone must practise good hygiene to protect against infection and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Good hygiene practises include:
washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds (see video), or using hand sanitiser, when entering school, and at regular intervals throughout the day
particularly before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
for younger students, this may include having a regular handwashing schedule (a game could be developed for younger students to come up with a 20 second hand-washing song)
covering coughs and sneezes with ones elbow or a tissue
placing used tissues straight into the bin
avoiding touching one's eyes, nose and mouth
not sharing food or drink, or
close all communal water fountains/bubblers
where relevant, promoting strictest hygiene amongst food preparation (canteen) staff and their close contacts (see Food Standards Australia and New Zealand
