• Secretary's update

A frontline look at social distancing in schools

Today I visited Leichhardt Public School to see firsthand how our staff and students are coping with the new social distancing measures to control the COVID-19 virus.

The principal, Chris Beunen, told me the school has made some drastic changes to school drop-off routines, staggered lunch times to minimise the number of students in the playground at the same time, and a big focus on hygiene. Great to hear that students are taking those hygiene messages back home, too

We're minimising the number of students in the playground at any point in time and maintaining a sense of normality so they're enjoying coming to school, - Tim told me.

Schools are an essential service and our advice from health authorities is that schools should still stay open.

I want to thank all our school staff who really are at the frontline, working with students and parents during these unprecedented times.

You're doing remarkable work at this time of great national effort to help secure the health and wellbeing of our country.

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