We are in our second lock down. The first time all public schools went remote (and the majority of private schools went remote sooner). This time the public schools had the yr 11/12s in person, and the specialist schools (by which they mean "disability schools" because the other "specailist" schools are not open other than to yr 11/12).
At this point in time 10% of our cities schools are closed due to a case (which is to say the building is closed and 100% remote learning). The papers announce that a school will be "closed for three days for cleaning". But my daughter's school was closed due to a case 10 days ago. Only yesterday did we see an announcement that the students were now cleared to go from full quarantine to the same lock down as everyone else. The teachers and staff are not fully contact traced yet, the school building is not open, the principal does not know when it will be.
Our case numbers are alarming for us, but relatively speaking they are VERY low. If we have 10% of schools already closing for a week or more at time while our numbers are fairly low but growing, how can this possibly be a sustainable and stable environment for teachers and students? Surely it is better to just suck it up and do remote learning until there is some stability. The yr 12s have basically got 2 months left, then SWAT vac and exams. In person might be best but I am not sure that this instability is better than remote learning.
We are told that the highest rate of transmission is in work places. And in families. Those workplaces cases turn into a child with a case and their whole school has to lock down... And yr11/12 students who are the ones going to schools are, according to the most recent research I saw, as at risk of infection, or MORE at risk than adults (not of outcomes, but of infection).
