The ACT government abandoned plans for a pilot rapid antigen testing regime in Canberra schools before the end of the year, saying it would be too complex to introduce the trial in the last four weeks of the school term.

This is despite continued outbreaks across more than 20 schools in the territory.

"Other states such as NSW and Victoria have successfully rolled out rapid antigen testing in schools so it is disappointing the ACT Labor-Greens government has been unable to follow suit," Opposition education spokesman Jeremy Hanson said.

"Children have already missed out on so much face-to-face learning since the pandemic began last year and this government should be doing all it can to reduce the amount of time teachers and students are isolating.

"Implementing rapid antigen testing will ensure teachers and students are back in the classroom faster after exposure to COVID-19 cases."

Two year levels at Charles Weston School were told to isolate for 14 days, causing concern among parents.

One parent told The Canberra Times they would prefer to use rapid antigen testing so that the quarantine period could be shortened to seven days.

"Kids are really struggling, they need that interaction because we're about to go on six weeks holidays," the parent said.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said one of the main reasons the ACT had decided to not proceed with a trial is it would generate too much stress for children and their families.

"Considering all the pros and cons of doing a trial at this time of the year, we really thought through the fact that everyone is very tired," she said.

"It's been a very big year for students, for parents and for staff... some of the feedback even since this announcement has been made that both for school teachers and for parents that this would have been one more thing that they would have had to get their heads around at the end of an exhausting year."

While the ACT will not undertake a trial before the end of the year, over the border in Queanbeyan a primary school is undertaking a trial.

Rapid antigen home testing kits have been distributed to Queanbeyan West Public School to reduce the amount of time close contacts need to spend in quarantine.

A NSW Department of Education spokesman said the trial would allow close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases to return to school after seven days instead of 14.

"Students need to get a standard PCR (nose and mouth swab) test on day six and if the result is negative, they will then be able to use rapid antigen tests from day eight of their exposure date and be able return to onsite learning," the spokesman said.

"A positive rapid antigen home test doesn't mean an individual necessarily has COVID-19. It means they need to get a standard PCR test straight away to confirm the result."

It was selected to be part of an extended trial alongside The Lakes Christian College in Castlereagh, William Stimson Public School, Henschke Primary School, Moonbi Public School, Epping West Public School.

The school has been closed for multiple days since students returned to face-to-face learning because of positive COVID-19 cases.

Queanbeyan West Public School Parents and Citizens Association president Sarah McIntyre said the two COVID-19 exposure incidents had been very disruptive as the school was closed for two days each time for contact tracing and cleaning, forcing parents to work from home again.

She said the rapid antigen testing would benefit children who were close contacts.

"If it gets the kids back to school and some sort of normality and makes things easier for parents as well, it's got to be a positive after the last two years," Ms McIntyre said.

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Ms Stephen-Smith said the ACT government was unsure there would be an appropriate test site for a trial in the coming weeks.

"The other factor was whether or not we were even going to get an appropriate exposure at an appropriate school with a community that was able and willing to participate in the trial with only four weeks left to go to school term," she said.

Instead, the ACT government will monitor the results from trials interstate and overseas.

"Taking all of those considerations into account, we determined we'll be better off keeping an eye on what's happening in Victoria and NSW and they continue to change their arrangements as well in relation to schools and testing and the use of rapid antigen testing," Ms Stephen-Smith said.

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