Parents say a lack of clarity around South Australia's 2022 school year is leaving them feeling nervous as COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the state.
Mother Megan Newman is hoping the school term will either be delayed or begin remotely.
One of her children, nine-year-old Benjamin Williams, has chronic asthma that can require hospitalisation.
He is booked in to get his first COVID-19 vaccine dose within days, but the idea of him returning to school in person without being fully vaccinated makes his mother worried.
"It makes us feel really anxious, really nervous," Ms Newman said.
She said ideally the school year would be delayed, like in Queensland, or school would resume online on January 31, but she added she was fortunate to be able to work from home.
"Certainly not face-to-face in the classroom until we have had more of an opportunity to get our kids vaccinated and for that to take effect," she said.
Benjamin said he would also prefer to begin the term from home.
"I want to go back to school so I can learn, but I'd feel safer doing it from home," he said.
His 11-year-old sister Lilliana is also in a tricky situation. She is just weeks away from turning 12, which would make her eligible for the adult COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Her parents had tried to book in for an appointment before her birthday, but Ms Newman said the system had glitched because of her changing age.
Masks, contact tracing under consideration
The state government has not yet revealed what the start of the school year will look like, but authorities have confirmed rapid antigen tests and masks could be part of the new routine for children.
A plan is set to be announced on Friday ahead of the scheduled return on January 31.
On Tuesday, Premier Steven Marshall said all options were being considered, including delaying the start of the term.
"That was one of the reasons why we wanted to get the modellers back in today to tell us what the likely impact of going back on the 31st of January would be [and] where that was in relation to the peak in South Australia," Mr Marshall said.
Chief Public Officer Nicola Spurrier told a parliamentary inquiry on Monday there had not been a final decision on the return to school, but health measures under consideration included a mask mandate for certain ages, as well as mandating third COVID-19 vaccine doses for teachers.
Professor Spurrier said authorities were also assessing contact tracing in schools.
RAT tests needed
Paediatrician and infectious diseases expert at the Telethon Kids Institute Asha Bowen said returning as many children as possible to face-to-face learning was the best possible scenario.
"With every school day really making a difference for children, particularly the most vulnerable children, we need to prioritise fitting in every single school day."
But she said officials would need to plan for a situation that could change each week and vary between schools depending on teachers falling ill or outbreaks in classrooms.
Dr Bowen said one tool that could aid the return to school would be rapid antigen tests, with a bi-weekly testing system, like in the UK.
"I think that there is definitely a role for rapid antigen testing," she said.
"I know though that at the moment they have been difficult to access and so I don't want to over-promote their use right now when families are really struggling to access them.
"I think in the next three weeks we need to make sure that there are more rapid antigen tests available in order for schools to be able to use them [and] in families to be able to use them to help make decisions about what happens for their school environment."
Mr Marshall said while not all students would be tested with rapid antigen tests, there would be some testing in schools, including for students who may have been exposed.
"Obviously rapid antigen tests for our teachers is part of that plan, and in certain circumstances for some students," he said.
