Mr Barr made the comments following the release of federal government-commissioned research which found that home learning could risk educational outcomes and emotional well-being for as many as two million Australian children.

It came as parents raised alarm about the "untenable" after-hours care arrangements in place at the nine supervised schools sites on the first day of Term 2.

The situation forced some parents to cancel work shifts on Tuesday, although the peak body for public school parents is hopeful a solution is on the horizon.

Most Australian states have started Term 2 with some distance learning arrangements at their schools.

The ACT has taken the most aggressive approach, with all public school students being taught online and only a small number of schools remaining open for children requiring supervision.

The government-funded research papers, published on Tuesday, agreed that disadvantaged children were the most likely to fall further behind because of disruption to their normal schooling.

Mr Barr said he wasn't particularly concerned about the short-term consequences for Canberra public school students because the ACT had the best remote learning system in the nation "by a country mile".

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But he said remote-learning was not a long-term option and the government was keen to move children back into the classroom.

The federal government has for weeks insisted that schools were safe for students, a position consistently backed up by the nation's chief health offices and independent experts.

But the experts have so far failed to sway the ACT teachers union and the peak body for public school parents, who are presently opposed to a return to face-to-face learning.

Mr Barr said the "challenge" for the government in coming weeks was to "build confidence" among parents and teachers that campuses were safe.

He believed parents and teachers would feel more comfortable about a return to the classroom if restrictions on other parts of society had been lifted. But he warned that it would be "frankly devastating for confidence" if schools were reopened hastily and a mass outbreak ensued.

The education union last week made clear that the agreement struck with the government which allowed teachers to work from home during the pandemic would have to be rescinded before they would return to the classroom.

Asked if the government had been given assurances that teachers would return to class, Mr Barr said staff in the high-risk category would need to stay at home.

As for whether there would be enough staff for schools to function normally, he said: "we don't know yet".

"Our teaching workforce is a little older and in particular settings that is a risk around the operation of some schools that we do have to factor in."

Pressed on whether the government was doing everything it could to return schools to normal, an exasperated Mr Barr said "yes, yes we are - and we have done throughout".

As Term 2 classes started on Tuesday, the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Association were alarmed about the after-hours care arrangements for students attending one of the government's nine supervised school sites.

President Kirsty McGovern-Hooley said as recently as Friday parents were under the impression that afterschool care would be available for all students attending the supervised sites.

But that changed over the weekend, Ms McGovern-Hooley said, when parents were told that their child could only attend if they were enrolled with the provider linked to the school site. Parents were concerned that they would have to arrange to collect their child from the hub school at 3pm and take them to their normal school for afterhours care.

"Parents expected this week to be difficult, with kids going to an unfamiliar school site with unfamiliar staff, but without after school care services at these sites, it's more than difficult - it's untenable," Ms McGovern-Hooley said.

"Some families are left stranded by this. Some parents have not been able to turn up for work today - missing shifts."

"Families using these sites need a solution. Without a workable after school-care solution, hub schools will fail the families who need need them."

The ACT education directorate confirmed to The Canberra Times on Monday that a dedicated bus service would transport students from their normal school to their hub school, and back, each day, starting from Wednesday.

As recently as midday on Tuesday, the parent group believed that the shuttle bus service was only an option under consideration.

At 2.15pm, Ms McGovern-Hooley was more confident that the bus service would be up and running by Wednesday.

"We are grateful to the work being put into this by the directorate. We hope it will be a workable solution for all families using those hub sites."

Education minister Yvette Berry's office confirmed late on Tuesday that the free bus service would run from Wednesday.

Speaking on Tuesday morning, Mr Barr said the directorate was working to ensure that all students attending the school sites were able to access after-hours care.

"They are working to case manage several hundred circumstances," he said.

"They are working hard and fast on this - and they will get there. But theses are unprecedented circumstances and you have people who are working seven days a week, often 18 hours to try and get through and put in place individually-tailored measures.

"No kid will be left unsupervised in a situation that leads them to be in any increased risk."

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