NSW Government is offering extra RATS for families of school aged children, but some families aren't so sure

Following the surveillance program for the first four weeks of term one, the government decided the trial program was successful enough to be increased.

The NSW Government will be offering eight more RAT kits per student and staff member to use, in an effort to ensure face-to-face learning continues to be safe from COVID outbreaks or infections.

The RAT packs will be distributed in two drops, to be used at families' discretion. The first round of packs are already arriving at schools, with more to come in the near future.

Not everyone is happy with the current plan however, with the nostril swab's discomfort causing havoc in some households.

Sara Phillips said her child has missed three days of kindergarten before week four, due to general hayfever symptoms despite returning negative RAT results.

"She's been tested every day for 5 days, she doesn't have it but she's not allowed back," Ms Phillips explained.

"To me, these are stages of learning that she shouldn't be missing."

She emphasised that she understood the importance of keeping schools safe, but that she would like to see different forms of testing.

"The best solution is for the smaller children to have the mouth swabs. I understand for high schoolers and adults, but smaller children... If they're supplying these for us for smaller kids and that's not going away soon, they should think of the kids and change it. It's a lot easier for a kid to hold it in their mouth," she said.

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"Plenty of other parents are struggling to get their kids to do them. Even once we do them and they're negative, we can't send our child to school."

Premier Dominic Perrottet thanked parents, teachers, school administrators and Principals across NSW for their commitment to return children to classrooms on day one of term one.

"It was vital we got our students back in the classroom after two years of disruption to their education, social lives and well-being, and RATs have played an important part in enabling their safe return," Mr Perrottet said.

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