The Department of Education administers cleaning contracts in line with the provisions of the NSW Whole-of-Government facilities management and cleaning contracts.

In March 2019, a new cleaning contract was implemented across all New South Wales public schools. The new contract is designed to be more equitable for schools while still incorporating the same rigorous cleaning standards.

Included in the tender process was an assessment of the number of hours per week required at each school, to meet Department cleaning standards and benchmarks. As a result, a small proportion of schools were found to have an excess of cleaning hours in place. To ensure a smooth transition to the new arrangements, previous contract cleaning hours were maintained at these schools until the end of 2020 and the new contract arrangements commenced in Term 1, 2021. School principals at impacted schools were kept informed during the process and are aware of procedures to follow if there are subsequent concerns.

In addition to general cleaning, further cleaning measures were introduced in 2020 based on advice from NSW Health and in line with Australian Health Protection Principal Committee guidance to reduce the potential risk of COVID-19. These measures remain in place during Term 3 2021.