Ash Bolt
The 2022 school year is now under way, with Geelong students back in the classroom, with new COVID rules in place.
Education Minister James Merlino this week welcomed the more than one million students across the state, including 77,500 new preps starting their school journey, heading to school for the year.
“The first day of school is a big day – and even more so after the last two years,” he said.
“I want to wish all students and staff heading to school this year all the very best for an exciting and much less disrupted school year.
“We’ve done the work to make sure schools are as safe as they can be – so we can keep our school communities protected and ensure that 2022 is a much less disrupted year of learning.”
Students, staff and school communities across Victoria have returned to school with a wide range of COVIDSafe measures to make sure the classroom is as safe as possible, including surveillance testing and improved ventiliation.
More than six million rapid antigen tests have been delivered to schools for the first fortnight of surveillance testing.
This surveillance testing is strongly recommended for all primary and secondary school students and staff, twice-weekly at home before school, while students and staff at specialist schools are recommended to test five days each week due to the higher risk of severe illness for medically vulnerable children.
Mr Merlino said 51,000 air purification devices had arrived in government and low-fee non-government schools in time for the beginning of term, helping remove potentially infectious particles from high-risk areas of schools.
