For the past two years parents have been locked out of school grounds due to Covid-19. Through a huge varying array of lockdowns, restrictions, rules and regulations parents have not had an experience of walking their child/ren safely to and from their classroom, have not had adequate chances of interacting with their child's teacher or getting to know the feel of the school and school community. For some parents whos child/ren have started their primary school journey in 2020, 2021 or 2022 many of us parents have no idea what is going on or what  classroom out child is even going into. This morning at drop off for his first day of grade 2 my son had to go into the school grounds and were ushered to an area that parents could not even see and I have no idea what room or area of the school he is in. This is not always the fault of the school but is an issue the Department of Education need to rectify immediately. 

If society has reopened where people can mingle freely at pubs, clubs, shopping centres, swimming pools and cafes there is no logical reason why parents can not attend schools and walk the school grounds to ensure out child/ren arrive safely at their classroom.

Most parents WANT their child at school, to learn, play, socialise and have a sense of normality however many parents are not willing to compromise accessibility to their child at school and are considering home schooling as a means of a last resort.

My children's primary school has started boarding up the outer fence of the school which, if completed the school will be completely shut out from the outside, parents wont be allowed to see inside the school grounds and we are not allowed on the school ground. Many other parents are feeling the same anxiety across Australia, not just NSW so I implore the NSW Department of Education,  The Hon. Sarah MITCHELL, MLC who is the NSW minister for education and the Australian Hon Alan Tudge who is current minister for Education to make swift changes and allow parents back on school grounds.