The Education Directorate has changed its method of distributing rapid antigen tests in public schools to allow students to take home their own tests after logistical challenges in the first week of term.
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Parents of public school students were required to collect the tests on behalf of their children at short notice in certain times of the day, creating an extra burden for schools and parents.
From Monday, the tests will be given to the students at the end of the day to take home in their school bags.
Education Minister Yvette Berry said she had listened to school communities and believed the change would streamline the process, particularly for families with children at multiple schools.
"Our absolute focus has been on getting these tests out as quickly as possible and I'd like to thank everyone for going above and beyond to make that happen," she said.
At the end of the first week of the school term it is unclear if COVID mitigation strategies are working as the Education Directorate has not released data on infections on campus.
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A directorate spokesman said schools would continue to communicate directly with parents and carers when there is a COVID-19 case in their child's cohort.
"In line with revised reporting approaches across ACT government, schools will not be listed as exposure sites in the way they were in 2021. The priority is communicating directly with those who may be impacted.
"As Education Minister Yvette Berry outlined on January 31, regular ACT government reporting on COVID-19 cases will not include individual named educational settings."
Opposition Education spokesman Jeremy Hanson said data on school COVID infections should be collected and made available.
"Certainly we don't want to have any breaches of privacy but I think parents and the broader community have a right to understand how back to school is progressing, what the rates of COVID infections are, and how that's being managed," Mr Hanson said.
"I'm always of the view that there should be as much communication with parents as is possible and appropriate. So I think that withholding that information is unnecessary and possibly unhelpful and will just create more rumours and confusion."
Mr Hanson welcomed the change in distribution of rapid antigen tests.
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