More than 80 schools are closed due to flooding in parts of the Mid North Coast, Central Coast and Hunter regions, with adverse weather expected to impact communities further north.
Parents and carers have been and will continue to be updated by their schools, which are their first source of advice.
Deputy Secretary of Public Schools Deb Summerhayes said the department continues to take a safety-first approach and make decisions with information and advice provided by emergency services.
“Please do not send your child to school if it is closed,” she said.
“Our communities around Taree, the Great Lakes and Port Macquarie are experiencing heavy rain and high winds, and we may need to close more schools in the coming days.
“The decision to temporarily close schools is always done with the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff in mind.”
While the schools are temporarily closed, students will be provided with learning from home resources.
Schools do not offer minimal supervision when they are temporarily closed due to flooding.
The department will keep families updated via their schools and reopen schools as soon as it is deemed safe to do so – following advice from the NSW State Emergency Services.
"We have had no reports of major damage or flooding at schools so far. We’ll assess our schools for damage as soon as it is safe to do so,” Ms Summerhayes said.
The NSW Department of Education also requires all early childhood education and care (ECEC) services to operate safely, including during extreme weather events.
The department urges services to assess the risk of severe weather in their community and if necessary, activate their emergency plans and procedures. We encourage services to follow the advice of local authorities and the SES.
There have been 73 early childhood education and care services closed due to the flooding, along with TAFE NSW campuses in Taree, Ourimbah, Kempsey and Wauchope.
Never drive, walk, ride through, play or swim in flood water, and any avoid unnecessary travel. Download the Hazards Near Me App to stay across the latest warnings and information.
Call the NSW SES on 132 500 if you need emergency assistance in floods and storms. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000) or visit www.ses.nsw.gov.au
Visit our website for information on schools that are closed.
-ends-
MEDIA: Luke Horton – 02 7814 1559; [email protected]