As Australia grapples with a huge wave of Covid-19 infections across the country, schools are taking a cautious approach to term one.
Each state and territory in Australia are taking slightly different approaches to how, and when, children go back to school.
Every jurisdiction except Queensland and Tasmania will go back at some point next week ((starting Mon 31)), with the other two states returning the week after.
Nearly all are making mask-wearing mandatory in the classroom for teachers and students in grade three and above.
In New South Wales, and Victoria, where Covid-19 is most prevalent, students are also being asked to undertake two rapid antigen tests per week as part of a surveillance testing program.
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley says his government has already sent out millions of tests to schools in preparation.
"So more than six million rapid antigen tests will be at both state, catholic, independent schools, how each of those schools, and we're talking thousands of schools, get those out to their communities and families, they are matters that those communities are best to deal with."
The New South Wales government has announced it will be adding extra train and bus services for commuters so students can social distance as much as possible. Premier Dominic Perrottet explains.
“We'll have 3400 buses on, an extra 200 train services, those 200 extra train services will be for the school peak hour, both in the morning and afternoon, there'll be covid arrangements that'll be in place.”
Click on the player at the top of the page to listen to this information in Punjabi.
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