Canberra's college students will be able to return to face-to-face learning in Term 4 after a four-week lockdown extension was announced.
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It comes as the ACT recorded 22 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday.
Here's what parents, students and teachers can expect after the September school holidays.
When will my child go back to school?
Year 12 will go back to campus from the start of Term 4, which is Tuesday October 5, to do their final assessments and exams.
On Monday, October 18, year 11 students will return to face-to-face learning, as long as the health conditions allow.
Preschool to year 10 will continue remote learning during at least the first four weeks of Term 4. They do not have a date to return to school at this stage.
Schools, early learning centres and outside of school hours care will remain open for vulnerable students and for families who can't have children at home because of work. Specialist schools will remain open.
Students aged 12 and over and staff will need to wear masks on campus.
ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said in a statement that work would be done over the school holidays on further plans to return to on-campus learning when it is COVID safe to do so.
"Taking a staggered approach to returning to school gives us a chance to respond if circumstances change," she said.
"The ACT government will continue to keep the community updated about what this means for schools with as much notice as possible."
Will vaccinations be mandatory for teachers?
The ACT has not made vaccination mandatory for teachers and other school staff.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said mandates were not necessary in the ACT because vaccine hesitancy was very low.
Teachers, early childhood educators and school staff who have contact with children have been given priority access to new Pfizer appointments, as have year 12 students.
They have been encouraged to take up these bookings but vaccination is not mandatory for school staff, as it will be in NSW.
When will childcare centres open?
Mr Barr said early childhood education and care services will likely be only open for children of essential workers and vulnerable children for the next four weeks.
There is a checkpoint in two weeks where the ACT government will reassess restrictions, however no date has been given for when the early childhood education sector can reopen fully.
What do teachers and parents think?
ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations spokeswoman Janelle Kennard said the announcement would have come as a blow for a lot of parents, especially those with young children.
"Parents are going to need a lot of reassurance through this that their kids will bounce back and they will be safe," Ms Kennard said.
Association of Parents and Friends of ACT Schools executive officer Jennifer Rickard said the return to school for years 11 and 12 was welcome news but there were a lot of missing details.
"That's what we're finding the hardest, waiting to find out," she said.
Parents said their children were missing social interaction while learning from home.
Dr Catriona Moxham said it was good that her son in year 12 would have the opportunity to get feedback from his teachers before sitting the final IB exams.
"It's not going to feel the same at school, of course, because school is not just about the exams, it's about the leadership opportunities and finishing up and the interactions with the younger kids," she said.
She hoped her daughter in year 10 would soon follow if vaccination rates improved.
Teachers also want more detail and consultation on how the return to face-to-face learning will be managed.
Australian Education Union ACT branch senior industrial officer Patrick Judge said college teachers were concerned about their workload because the year 11 and 12 classes were integrated. He said the plan would need to accommodate students who were doing practical and vocational courses.
Independent Education Union ACT/NSW branch acting secretary Carol Matthews said the gradual return was pleasing as it would make it easier to do physical distancing and to review ventilation.
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