Emily and Jeff Steinacker will be sending their three children to three different schools this year.

Ms Steinacker is happy that 16-year-old Noah, 15-year-old Maddie and 10-year-old Sophie will be asked to take two rapid antigen tests a week. She said she was hopeful the tests would help protect students with immunocompromised family members.

"I feel really reassured by that. It's nice to know that the the rapid antigen test will be supplied as it's been really hard to source some for the family," she said.

"The kids are all saying they're looking forward to going back."

The tests will be non-mandatory, but any positive tests will need to be notified to ACT Health and schools.

The Weetangera resident said the family had been careful during the holidays, but thought they would eventually catch Omicron.

"I do feel apprehensive. It does feel a little bit at the moment that it's more about when we'll get it then if we get it. But we're just doing everything we can to reduce the chances," she said.

The mother-of-three said she would have liked her children to have received three shots before school started. She also said while remote learning was not being considered for entire classes in 2022, she would still consider it for her family there was an outbreak.

"If there were cases at school if we could make that work, if it didn't impact too much on the kids learning," she said.

MacGregor resident Felicity Banks, who is immunocompromised and classified as disabled due to chronic illness, has more reasons than most for back-to-school anxiety.

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She said she was "torn" on whether to keep her two primary school children home from school.

"I would rather deal with having the kids at home than risk their safety. There's a lot of anxiety, even for kids," she said.

"No matter how brilliant teachers are, they can't stop kids breathing on each other and being children.

"If my kids got sick, it would be terrifying for us and for them."

She said many parents across Canberra were "desperately trying to get vaccinations for their kids" but had been turned away at the last minute, or told to reschedule.

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