With Tasmania's borders reopening on Wednesday, Labor have called for greater clarity about the COVID preparedness of public schools.
It comes as a class of graduating primary school students and their parents were sent into quarantine after a COVID-19 case was identified at a school in Adelaide's west and a school on the Gold Coast was closed after a child tested positive.
Internationally, the World Health Organisation reported that children aged five to 11 accounted for the highest rates of COVID-19 infection in Europe.
Labor education spokesman Josh Willie said Education Minister Sarah Courtney had offered "scant information" about how the state's education system would cope in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.
In November, the state government released its preparedness plan for Tasmanian public schools after completing an audit of each Department of Education-owned building.
Mr Willie called on the government to publicly release data collected from the audit.
"Ms Courtney has told Tasmanian families and educators that she is investing in shade structures for possible outdoor learning and ventilators for classrooms but she has failed to deliver comprehensive detail about how schools will be equipped - and that's what families and staff want," Mr Willie said.
A Department of Education spokesperson said the department had been working closely with Public Health to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in schools.
"We will be taking a range of actions including improvements to ventilation, support use of air purifiers, upgraded outdoor learning areas, the provision of face masks, as well as a continued focus on hygiene and social distancing and site management, including cleaning," the spokesperson said.
DoE confirmed that an initial order of 1000 air purifiers had been placed in anticipation of Term 1, 2022.
At a press conference on Sunday, State Growth Minister Roger Jaensch accused Labor of scaremongering.
"If you can't think of something positive and helpful to say, shut up and step aside," he said.
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Sarah Davison
Education reporter at The Examiner, with an additional focus on issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ community. With a background in Psychology, Sarah completed her Master's thesis on the Australian media's coverage of familicide. Get in touch: sarah.davison@examiner.com.au or 0448 682 861
Education reporter at The Examiner, with an additional focus on issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ community. With a background in Psychology, Sarah completed her Master's thesis on the Australian media's coverage of familicide. Get in touch: sarah.davison@examiner.com.au or 0448 682 861
