Continue online learning AND face-to-face learning in schools for the remainder of 2021
Petitioner:
Mrs Amanda Brien
| Member:
O'Dea, Jonathan
| No. of Signatories:
3,380
| Date closed:
13/10/2021
To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly,
Students will return to school from 18 October.
The Premier expects COVID-19 cases to emerge in schools.
The Government recognises that the risk of spreading COVID-19 is minimised through vaccines, yet children under 12 years cannot be vaccinated.
There is no requirement for parents to be vaccinated. Parents can spread COVID-19 to their children. Infected children can be asymptomatic.
All teachers must be vaccinated, but not all teachers will be vaccinated by 18 October.
Transmission rates in schools are 5.2 times higher with the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant compared to 2020, yet physical distancing of students in schools is not required.
It is unclear if masks will be mandatory for children under 12.
The Government is still to publish a COVID-19 safety plan specific to schools, like other industry-specific advice.
Long-term health effects are now being recognised in children. Children with underlying health conditions may be at risk.
Children are choosing to be vaccinated. Half of all 12–15 year old’s in NSW had their first dose within 18 days of becoming eligible.
Children who are not eligible to be vaccinated should be provided the choice to continue to learn from home.
The undersigned petitioners, therefore, ask the Legislative Assembly to:
provide all school children access to either online or face-to-face learning for the remainder of 2021
allow unvaccinated teachers to deliver online learning for the remainder of 2021.
