The huge logistics effort, including the delivery of 550,000 hygiene items, had gone on behind the scenes as schools prepared for a staggered reopening from this week, Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said.
Additional cleaning has also been arranged at 2200 public schools.
“All of these measures are in place to ensure that our schools are as safe as possible,” Mitchell said.
“I think parents should know that it is a very safe environment for their children to be heading back into the classroom.”
Despite the assurances from the education minister, Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned parents about the possibility of cluster outbreak shutdowns.
“Please expect that in an environment where there is thousands of students and teachers and parents moving about we can expect to see [outbreaks] from time to time,” she said.
Deep-cleaning will be executed at any schools where an infection is found.
The premier welcomed a return to face-to-face teaching in a series of staggered starts across the state.
“Pleasingly, today our schools go back to face-to-face teaching,” she said this morning.
“I know this is a huge relief for families.
“It is a huge relief for the state government.
“We know how important it is for students to receive that face-to-face teaching.”
While students will initially return for one day a week on average, the premier said Year 12 public school students will be at school for three to four days a week from today.
