Release date: 10/05/22

More than $500,000 worth of air purifiers are being rolled out to South Australian schools to help minimise classroom disruptions caused by COVID-19.

Of the extra 1000 purifiers ordered, 750 have been dispatched to schools already.

The number of air purifiers for each school varies, depending on the air ventilation audit of each school – from 23 going to Parafield Gardens High School to 70 schools and pre-schools which have received a single unit.

Term 2 has seen a smoother start to student learning with 1,642 students and 460 staff with COVID-19, at the end of Week 1, Term 2, compared to 5,620 students and 847 staff reported with COVID-19 over 7 days at the end of Term 1.

Most recent data shows 375 schools reported student absence data and of those schools, 90 per cent were learning at school.


Quotes

Attributable to Minister for Education, Training and Skills Blair Boyer

The air purifiers are just one step we’re taking to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in schools but the anecdotal evidence is showing it’s working.

I was at Athelstone Primary School yesterday and the principal spoke to me about the difference the air purifiers have made at her school in terms of stopping the spread.

Given the disrupted start to students in Term 1, it’s great to see a smoother transition for children as they return to school for Term 2.

We are committed to rolling these out to the schools that need them as soon as possible and we’re happy that more than 700 of the 1000 have already been delivered.