John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

This week, the state of New South Wales has reached another COVID landmark, and the parents of Bennelong have all breathed a collective sigh of relief. School is back. Bennelong is blessed with some of the best schools in Australia. We've got great public schools and the cream of the Catholic schools. We have schools that predate Federation, like Ryde Public School, and schools that are brand new, like Smalls Road Public School. We have specialist schools, like the wonderful Karonga, and giant schools, like the soon-to-be-opened Meadowbank K-12 school. From Carlingford—at the top of the electorate—to Gladesville, our schools are hitting above their weight.

Of course, we've got great parents too. But with thousands already working remotely, homeschooling has been an extra element that has stretched the time, capabilities and bandwidths of everyone. This return to school has been long overdue for many. This doesn't just come as a relief to parents; for many students the past two years have been the longest and toughest they can remember. School isn't just a place of learning; it's also a place for making friends and socialising. Chats on Zoom aren't the same as chats in the playground and, especially in the later years of high school, many of the social aspects of school, like graduation and formals, are things that can't be recreated virtually. Children's mental health has also been suffering, which is a heartbreaking thought for any parent. School can be a stressful time, but the traditional stress release valves of friendship and play have been missing for many months. I sincerely hope that the return to face-to-face schooling will see a return to lower levels of stress and other mental health concerns in the coming months and years.

It's clear that there will be ongoing challenges. We know that a number of schools have already been closed for deep cleaning following positive cases since schools partially opened last week. This will continue to happen as we learn to live with COVID. But while the lockdowns are essential and effective at keeping us all safe, we must start to open up as we continue to reach even higher vaccine targets. These short-term school closures will be the norm. As vaccinations get rolled out to children under 11, even these closures will become rarer.

I would like to end by saying congratulations to all the parents who have led their children's learning in recent months, the parents who have simultaneously relearnt and taught calculus and poetry, the parents who have split time between their own work and their children's and all the parents who deserve a break. Thanks to you all, and hopefully the rest of the year will be a return to that most elusive state of normality.

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