Date |
Details |
Source
Documents |
28 January 2020 |
The NSW Government requested
that children who had visited China not attend school or child care services
for 14 days following their departure from China. |
B Hazzard (Minister for Health and Medical Research) and
S Mitchell (Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning), Updated advice ahead of school returning,
media release, 28 January 2020. |
15 March 2020 |
The Department of Education
announced proactive measures to limit the impact of COVID-19 in schools. Schools
were required to adopt social distancing measures, including cancelling
assemblies, excursions, travel and events such as major or interschool arts and
sports activities from Monday 16 March.
The Department also stated that
it was ‘continuing to prepare for further closures if necessary with scaling
up of technology, additional training of staff and preparation of offsite
lessons’. |
Department of Education, Schools
to implement social distancing measures, media release,
15 March 2020. |
20 March 2020 |
The Department of Education
released a communique from the Council of Australian Governments (COAG)
Education Council announcing NAPLAN testing would not proceed in 2020.
Cancelling NAPLAN in 2020 was
intended to assist school leaders, teachers and support staff to focus on the
wellbeing of students and continuity of education, including potential online
and remote learning. Responses to COVID-19 may have also disrupted the
delivery of NAPLAN testing, including operating centralised marking centres. |
Department of Education, NAPLAN
will not proceed in 2020, media release, 20 March 2020. |
22 March 2020 |
Premier Gladys Berejiklian
released a statement signalling her intention to inform the National Cabinet
that NSW would move to a more comprehensive shutdown of non-essential
services, to occur over the following 48 hours.
Ms Berejiklian stated that
‘[s]chools will be open tomorrow, though I will have more to say on this
issue in the morning’. |
G Berejiklian (Premier), Statement
from the NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, media release,
22 March 2020. |
23 March 2020 |
The NSW Government announced new
COVID-19 restrictions with schools beginning to move towards online learning.
Schools remained open, but as
of 24 March parents were encouraged to keep children at home ‘for practical
reasons’.
Ms Berejiklian noted that
nearly 30 per cent of children were already being kept out of school.
Although parents were encouraged to keep children at home, Ms Berejiklian
stated that ‘no child will be turned away from school’. |
G Berejiklian (Premier) New
COVID-19 restrictions begin as schools move towards online learning,
media release, 23 March 2020. |
24 March 2020 |
The NSW Education Standards
Authority (NESA) confirmed that the Higher School Certificate (HSC) 2020
would be going ahead. The NESA Board gave principals or system authorities
the power to make decisions about the number and weighting of HSC assessment
tasks for their school. |
NSW Education Standards
Authority (NESA), 2020
HSC is going ahead, media release, 24 March 2020. |
25 March 2020 |
The Department of Education reiterated
previous advice on schools:
The NSW Department of Education’s
advice regarding schools is very clear. No child in NSW will be turned away
from school. Schools remain open for parents who want their children to
attend irrespective of their profession or working arrangements.
Parents were encouraged to
keep their children at home if possible. The Department said it would provide
continuity of learning for students on and off campus. |
Department of Education, Latest
schools info, media release, 25 March 2020. |
2 April 2020 |
NESA’s COVID-19 Response
Committee announced decisions in relation to the 2020 HSC. The Committee
agreed to enable changes in assessment arrangements and lift requirements for
performance exams and vocational education and training (VET) work placements.
The Committee said it would
continue meeting weekly to provide advice and address issues. |
NESA, HSC
changes protect health and safety of students, media release, 2 April
2020. |
9 April 2020 |
The NSW Government announced
that preschool in NSW would be free for up to six months following a funding
package of $51 million.
The Government also committed
$82 million to support council child care centres not eligible for JobKeeper
payments. The measures were to provide funding certainty and financial relief
to families during the pandemic. |
G Berejiklian (Premier), Free
preschool in NSW for up to six months, media release,
9 April 2020. |
21 April 2020 |
The NSW Government announced
that NSW school students would gradually transition back to classrooms in
Term 2.
The announcement outlined that from
week three of Term 2, every student would be attending school for one day a
week, with a view to having all children back at school full-time by Term 3.
The staged return of students would see about a quarter of a school’s
students on site at any one time. Hand sanitiser would be available in all
classrooms and at-risk teachers could work at home. Drop off and finishing
times and breaks would be staggered.
Teachers would have an
additional day to prepare for Term 2 on Tuesday 28 April, with students’
first day being Wednesday 29 April.
The NSW Government also
committed $95.7 million to help keep casual and temporary school staff
engaged during the pandemic. |
G Berejiklian (Premier), NSW
students to transition back to the classroom in Term 2, media
release, 21 April 2020.
Department of Education, ‘Advice
for families’, Department of Education website, updated on 21 April 2020. |
24 April 2020 |
The NSW Department of Education
published guidelines for families relating to the return to school-based
learning in Term 2. |
Department of Education, ‘Managed
return to school—a guide for families’, Department of Education website,
updated on 24 April 2020. |
24 April 2020 |
The NESA COVID-19 Response Committee confirmed that the Class
of 2020 would sit HSC written exams later in the year. The Committee said it was
working to ensure results issued to students in December would take into
account any disruption due to the pandemic. |
NESA, HSC
exams will go ahead in 2020, media release, 24 April 2020. |
26 April 2020 |
The NSW Government announced the release of COVID-19
in schools – the experience in NSW, a report by the National Centre
for Immunisation Research and Surveillance.
The authors concluded that ‘[i]n contrast to influenza,
data from both virus and antibody testing to date suggest that children are
not the primary drivers of COVID-19 spread in schools or in the community’
(p. 4). However, they also noted that parents were advised to keep their
children home from schools from 23 March which decreased attendance and may
have impacted the results of the study (p. 5). |
NSW Government, Report:
COVID-19 in schools and the experience in NSW, news, 26 April 2020.
National Centre for Immunisation
Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), COVID-19
in schools – the experience in NSW, NCIRS, 2020. |
27 April 2020 |
The NSW Government waived lease
and licence fees for businesses that use school sites, such as canteens,
uniform shops, out of school hours care services and dance schools, until the
end of Term 2. |
NSW Government, Licence
fees frozen for school businesses, news, 27 April 2020. |
28 April 2020 |
The NSW Government provided an
update on COVID-19 restrictions and arrangements for schools and retail
outlets during May. One of the three key changes was that, following the staged
return to face-to-face teaching from 11 May as planned (see 21 April announcement),
consideration would be given to accelerating a full return to school as soon
as possible. |
G Berejiklian (Premier), Update
on COVID-19 restrictions, media release, 28 April 2020. |
28 April 2020 |
The NSW Government announced the
‘fast tracking’ of planning projects to boost the economy and create job
opportunities. Projects included thousands of new homes, new industrial
complexes and six schools. |
G Berejiklian (Premier), Accelerated
planning projects to deliver jobs and boost the economy, media
release, 28 April 2020. |
29 April 2020 |
The NSW Government announced a
$250 million stimulus package to support 550 new and redeployed cleaning
businesses to improve the cleaning of public facilities, including NSW
transport, schools and TAFE. |
G Berejiklian (Premier), $250
million cleaning stimulus package to help stop the spread of COVID-19,
media release, 29 April 2020. |
1 May 2020 |
The NSW Department of
Education and ABC Education collaborated to provide new study materials for
students learning from home with a daily schedule of free-to-air educational
programs.
The announcement stated that television
programs and work booklets would complement teachers’ work to support
learning at home. The activities could be completed without internet access,
were designed for students of all ages and stages of learning and addressed
topics in a range of subjects. |
Department of Education, Home
learning boost easy as ABC, media release, 1 May 2020. |
1 May 2020 |
Secretary of the NSW Department
of Education Mark Scott launched NSW
Education LIVE, a series of 15-minute wellbeing classes to be live
streamed at the start of each school day until 8 May. |
Department of Education, Heroes
help NSW school students stay connected, news, 1 May 2020. |
6 May 2020 |
The NSW Government announced
support for Creative Kids providers to adapt activities for online delivery
in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Creative Kids is a program which aims to
assist families with the costs of children participating in creative and
cultural activities. |
NSW Government, Creative
Kids expansion goes digital, news, 6 May 2020. |
11 May 2020 |
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and
Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell thanked
students, staff, principals, teachers and support staff as students across
NSW started to return to the classroom in a managed approach.
Ms Berejiklian urged parents to
follow their schools’ advice and only send their children on their allocated
days.
The media release stated that
the majority of high schools had provided additional time for Year 12 and
that HSC students would receive three days of allocated classroom time on
average.
Ms Mitchell also outlined measures
to provide schools with hygiene supplies and daily cleaning. Additionally,
each school in NSW would receive a first-aid room package containing personal
protective equipment and a non-contact temperature monitor.
Schools were expected to
remain in this stage for at least two weeks. |
G Berejiklian (Premier), Students
start returning to the classroom, media release,
11 May 2020. |
15 May 2020 |
The 2020 HSC exam timetable
was released. The timetable started five days later than usual, giving
students extra time at school while keeping the original timeframe for
releasing results. |
NESA, 2020
HSC exam timetables now available, media release,
15 May 2020. |
19 May 2020 |
The NSW Government announced students
would be back in the classroom full-time from Monday 25 May. |
NESA, NSW
students return to the classroom full time, media release,
19 May 2020. |
20 May 2020 |
The Department of Education
updated information and guidelines for families relating to the return to face-to-face learning. |
Department of Education, ‘A
guide to NSW school students returning to face-to-face learning’,
Department of Education website, updated on 20 May 2020. |
22 May 2020 |
Three new schools were part of
24 priority projects announced by Premier Gladys Berejiklian in the second
tranche of projects that would have their planning assessments ‘fast tracked’
through the Planning System Acceleration Program, part of the NSW
Government’s COVID-19 response to boost the economy. |
G Berejiklian (Premier), More
planning projects to propel future of NSW, media release,
22 May 2020. |
25 May 2020 |
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell marked students’ return to the
classroom and highlighted 15 major school upgrades during Term 2: ‘[t]he 15
upgraded schools have kept 10,000 people in jobs right across NSW.’ |
Department of Education, Thousands
of students returning to upgraded schools across NSW, media release,
25 May 2020. |
25 May 2020 |
The NSW Government announced that
hundreds of additional staff had been deployed across the transport network
to facilitate people returning to school and work, with staff to monitor
physical distancing and assist crowd management. Since March, additional
cleaners had increased cleaning. |
NSW Government, NSW
transport staff help the return to school, news, 25 May 2020. |
1 June 2020 |
The NSW Government added thousands
of extra services—more than 3,100 bus services and 250 train services each
week—to the Sydney public transport network to increase capacity for physical
distancing, including services targeting school students. |
NSW Government, Public
transport services boosted for physical distancing, news, 1 June
2020. |
11 June 2020 |
The NSW Department of
Education updated its Guide to NSW School Students Returning to Face-to-face Learning. |
Department of Education, Guide
to NSW school students returning to face-to-face learning, Department of
Education, June 2020. |
15 June 2020 |
Restrictions in NSW government
schools were eased further from 15 June, allowing assemblies, choirs, school
photographs and external providers such as music tutors to provide services
on school sites. |
NSW Government, COVID-19
restrictions ease at NSW public schools, media release, 15 June 2020. |
18 June 2020 |
The NSW Government announced
the approval of three new schools as part of the Planning System Acceleration
Program (see 22 May announcement). Combined, the schools in Blacktown, Wagga
Wagga and Camden would provide 2,500 primary places, with the Government to
invest $127 million into the communities. |
NSW Government, Three
more new schools get tick of approval, news, 18 June 2020. |
22 June 2020 |
The NSW Department of Education
announced that HSC students from government schools could access additional
support through a new online platform, the HSC Hub. The platform was created
to provide resources including online lessons, practice exams, demonstrations
and other support material. HSC Hub also aimed to address equity concerns for
students who had been particularly disadvantaged by the pandemic. |
Department of Education, Online
home for additional HSC student support, media release,
22 June 2020. |
2 July 2020 |
Minister for Education Sarah
Mitchell requested a review of innovative practices implemented by schools
and teachers while students were learning from home during the pandemic to
capture examples of practice that could shape the future delivery of
education. |
Department of Education, Capturing
the innovations of learning from home, media release, 2 July 2020. |
6 July 2020 |
NESA announced a state-wide
computer drop to guarantee HSC students access to the HSC Hub from the school
holidays through to the end of exams. The Department of Education identified
schools and students requiring additional access to technology and the
internet at home and delivered more than 10,000 devices, with priority given
to HSC students. |
NESA, Statewide
computer drop for HSC students, media release, 6 July 2020. |
20 July 2020 |
The NSW Government announced
that it had built 42 new and upgraded schools in the year to date. The
Government had invested more than $1.3 billion in the 2020 building program
which was upgrading school infrastructure and supporting jobs across the
state during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Department of Education, 2020
a record year for building schools, media release, 20 July 2020. |
31 July 2020 |
Following positive feedback, the
NSW Department of Education announced it was expanding a reading and numeracy
assessment package for students in Years 5 and 9 to Year 3 students. The ‘check-in’
assessment tool was designed to assess student learning following the period
of learning at home due to COVID-19. |
Department of Education, New
reading and numeracy assessment tool expanded, media release, 31 July
2020. |
17 August 2020 |
NESA provided updated heath
advice for schools, with all NSW government schools to adopt changes from
Wednesday 19 August. Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms was prohibited from
returning to school until a negative test result had been reported.
Additional measures for Term 3
were set out, including restrictions or bans in relation to students mixing,
school travel, interschool sports carnivals, group singing, dance and drama activities.
School formals, dances, graduation or other social events were not permitted. |
NESA, Updated
COVID-Safe guidelines for NSW schools, media release, 17 August 2020. |
19 August 2020 |
The NSW Government extended
COVID-19 relief funding for community and mobile preschools to the end of
Term 4. The continued funding aimed to help keep families engaged in
preschool education and to help preschools remain open and maintain staffing
levels. The package provided funding to cover parent fees and the impact of
falling enrolments on top of the NSW Government’s ongoing preschool funding. |
Department of Education, Free
preschool in NSW continued for Term 4, media release, 19 August 2020. |
21 August 2020 |
In relation to NSW–Victoria
border permits, the NSW Department of Education advised that all current day
school visitor permits would expire at midnight Friday 21 August following an
amendment to the Public Health Order on 7 August. As a result, all Victorian
border residents including students and staff would require new border
permits to attend school from Monday 24 August. |
Department of Education, NSW-Victoria
border permits expire 21 August, media release, 21 August
2020. |
21 August 2020 |
The NSW Department of
Education rescheduled the Opportunity Class Placement Test to November to
give schools time to comply with the latest NSW Health advice to minimise the
risk of COVID-19 spread.
The Department advised that the
test would take place in students’ own schools rather than examination
centres. Over 14,000 applications had been received with high potential Year
4 students sitting the test for placements for Year 5 in 2021. |
Department of Education, Opportunity
Class Test rescheduled to November, media release, 21 August 2020. |
30 August 2020 |
The NSW Government announced
that a fly-in fly-out psychology and telepsychology service of 16 permanent
senior psychologists would be introduced to support students in regional and
remote areas with mental health. The service was part of the NSW Government’s
$88.4 million mental health funding that included a commitment to provide
every government high school with a full-time counsellor or psychologist and
student support officer. |
NSW Government, More
mental health support for regional students, media release, 30 August
2020. |
7 September 2020 |
In relation to NSW–Victoria
border restrictions, the NSW Department of Education advised that from 12.01 am
Friday 4 September there would no longer be a border zone and that a new
border region resident permit would be introduced. This would allow Victorian
border region residents to enter NSW to attend work or school where it was
not possible to do so from home, and to allow NSW border region residents to
enter Victoria and return home. |
Department of Education, The
latest NSW-Victoria border restrictions, media release, 7 September
2020. |
7 September 2020 |
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell announced the expansion of the ‘Best in
Class’ team—a team of the state’s best teachers who had been supporting
teachers with remote learning techniques and online teaching materials. The
team had been supporting HSC students over the previous six months and would be
expanding to support more teachers with mathematics and writing across all
secondary years. |
G Berejiklian (Premier), ‘Best
in Class’ to support more teachers and students, media release, 7
September 2020. |
7 September 2020 |
Premier Gladys Berejiklian
announced that Year 12 students in NSW would be able to celebrate finishing
school with COVID-19 safe graduation ceremonies and formals in Term 4, after
the final HSC exams. The announcement stated that schools would receive
COVID-19 safety plan guidance by 11 September and that the NSW Government
would provide COVID-safe guidance to students wanting to participate in
schoolies. |
G Berejiklian (Premier), School
formals to go ahead, media release, 7 September 2020. |
9 September 2020 |
NESA issued guidelines for
schools across NSW to support COVID-safe planning for HSC written exams
starting on 20 October 2020. Schools were asked to limit student numbers to
75 students per exam room, limit HSC student interaction with the rest of the
school and prioritise cleaning for exam venues. |
NESA, COVID-safe
guidelines issued to schools ahead of HSC exams, media release, 9
September 2020. |
16 September 2020 |
Minister for Education and
Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell released a snapshot of the more than
60,000 students on track to receive their HSC in 2020. Ms Mitchell encouraged
students and parents to engage with the upgraded HSC wellbeing support campaign, Stay
Healthy HSC hub, and announced that the NSW Government continued to
increase its wellbeing support to students sitting the HSC in response to the
pandemic. |
NESA, Support
for HSC students on the home stretch, media release, 16 September
2020. |
21 September 2020 |
The NSW Government announced
sponsorship and scholarship programs to train up to 328 people to join the
school counselling workforce between 2020 and 2023.
The announcement for the professional
pipeline was part of the NSW Government’s election commitment to provide
mental health support in schools, which was particularly important ‘[g]iven the tough year that has been 2020, with
bushfires, drought, floods and of course COVID-19’. |
Department of Education, More
counsellors in the pipeline for NSW schools, media release, 21
September 2020. |
24 September 2020 |
Restrictions around school,
sport and music were relaxed under new COVID-19 safety rules, with more
families able to attend community sports, music ensembles and school camps.
Changes to Term 4 school guidelines included the recommencement of interschool
and music activities and formals and graduations to be permitted. |
NESA, School,
sport and music restrictions relaxed, media release, 24 September
2020. |
20 October 2020 |
HSC written exams began with
protocols in place to protect the 73,000 students sitting exams over the
following three weeks. Students were advised they would be required to complete
health screening prior to entering an exam venue. |
NESA, Students
begin their HSC written exams, media release, 20 October 2020. |
28 October 2020 |
The NSW Government announced a
new $120 million Regional Renewal Program for regional school capital
improvement projects as part of the state’s COVID-19
Recovery Plan, providing a co-contribution of between 50 and 80 per cent for
projects such as covered outdoor learning areas, science facilities, toilet
blocks, administration buildings and canteens. |
J Barilaro (Deputy Premier), Top
up for regional school projects, media release, 28 October 2020. |
4 November 2020 |
The NSW Government announced
that hundreds of fee-free training courses were available for school leavers,
young people and job seekers as part of the Skilling for Recovery program.
$320 million was committed to deliver 100,000 training places. |
Department of Education, Program
helps skill up school leavers over summer, media release, 4 November
2020. |
8 November 2020 |
The NSW Government announced $120
million in funding for community and mobile preschools in 2021 to extend the
temporary COVID-19 free preschool program. This would provide up to 15 hours
of free preschool for an extra year, enabling more than 44,000 3–5-year-olds to
attend community preschool (see also
announcements on 9 April and 19 August). |
G Berejiklian (Premier), $120
million extra for free preschool program to help parents, media
release, 8 November 2020. |
8 November 2020 |
The NSW Government announced
that the $120 million Metro Renewal Program would provide high priority
schools in the Greater Sydney area with infrastructure upgrades.
Eligible schools would be
contacted by the Department of Education to learn more about the program. |
G Berejiklian (Premier), Green
light for hundreds of school projects, media release, 8 November
2020. |
9 November 2020 |
The NSW Government launched the
new online Mental
Health Hub for students, parents and teachers. The site could be
accessed by teachers, parents and students across every school sector,
including independent and Catholic schools. |
NESA, Mental
health hub for students, parents and teachers, media release, 9
November 2020. |
9 November 2020 |
The NSW Government announced more
than $300 million for three new and three upgraded schools across the state as
part of the COVID-19 Recovery Plan, with projects estimated to provide up to
1,500 jobs across metropolitan and regional areas.
The NSW Government stated it was
spending $6.7 billion over four years on more than 190 new and upgraded
schools. |
G Berejiklian (Premier) New
schools part of the COVID-19 recovery plan, media release, 9 November
2020. |
10 November 2020 |
The NSW Government announced a
$337 million program to employ up 5,500 additional staff to deliver
small-group teaching at every NSW government school as well as non-government
schools with the most significant levels of need.
Minister for Education and
Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell called for educators to express
interest in being part of the COVID intensive support program, including
casual and retired teachers, final year teaching students, and university
tutors. |
G Berejiklian (Premier), Free
tutoring to support students, media release, 10 November 2020. |
11 November 2020 |
The NSW 2020–21 Budget
included more than $700 million to expand digital capabilities. This included
$366 million over two years to close the digital gap in schools by upgrading
technology in regional schools, upgrading learning spaces, upskilling
teachers and giving students cutting-edge distance education platforms and
digital education resources. Premier Gladys Berejiklian said:
‘COVID-19 has shown us just how
important it is to have the digital infrastructure and the skills to match
for a modern flexible society’. |
Department of Education, $700
million to drive digital revolution in NSW, media release, 11
November 2020. |
11 November 2020 |
The final HSC exams concluded
with Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell
congratulating students and saying the Class of 2020 had demonstrated
extraordinary resilience over the year.
Ms Mitchell also noted that it
was the last day of restrictions on high school formals and celebrations. |
NESA, HSC
students reach the finish line, media release, 11 November 2020. |
16 November 2020 |
The NSW Government announced $60
million to replace roofs at schools across rural and regional NSW as part of
the COVID-19 Recovery Plan. |
J Barilaro (Deputy Premier), New
roofs for regional schools, media release, 16 November 2020. |
17 November 2020 |
The NSW 2020–21 Budget included
an expansion of the Wellbeing and Health In-Reach Nurse program with $46.8
million over four years allocated for 100 new school-based nurses. Treasurer
Dominic Perrottet said the funding would enable thousands more students to
have access to a nurse at school, stating:
‘With the added stress of
COVID-19 on our young people, the further expansion of this program will
ensure children, young people and families don’t miss out on the support they
need’. |
Department of Education, $46.8
million to expand wellbeing nurses in schools program, media
release,17 November 2020. |
17 November 2020 |
The NSW Government announced new
schools and infrastructure projects as part of the COVID-19 Recovery Plan. It
was estimated that the projects would support up to 1,500 jobs. |
Department of Education, New
schools part of the COVID-19 recovery plan, media release, 17
November 2020. |
17 November 2020 |
The NSW Government announced more
than $150 million to install LED lights in government schools over the next
two years. The program would target schools that had not yet benefitted from
an infrastructure project and would build on the state’s COVID-19 Recovery Plan. |
Department of Education, Powering
our public schools into the future, media release, 17 November 2020. |
19 November 2020 |
The NSW Government made the
widely-used teachers’ resource, What
Works Best, available as a guide for parents and carers to support
children’s learning at home. |
Department of Education, Top
teaching resource now a quick guide for parents and carers, media
release, 19 November 2020. |
27 November 2020 |
The Department of Education
announced that temporary and retired teachers could apply for the tuition
program announced in the state budget. Applications for university teachers
and initial teacher education (ITE) students would open the following week.
The announcement also stated
that the NSW Government had created optional online reading and numeracy
check-in assessments designed to help teachers identify where students were
up to in their learning. |
Department of Education, Hiring
begins for free tuition, media release, 27 November 2020. |