Mark Vender
Automatic fresh air ventilation systems will be rolled out to more than 10,000 public school classrooms in New South Wales to bolster protection against COVID-19.
With winter approaching, case loads are expected to increase. Considering that in Australia, 2022 has already seen more than double the number of COVID-related deaths in 2020 and 2021 combined – and that airborne transmission is now recognised as the most common pathway for COVID-19 – improving ventilation is high on the agenda.
Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell says the $100 million Air Quality Assurance Program is focused on delivering permanent improvements to natural ventilation in classrooms, based on evidence and expert advice.
“The World Health Organization, the Doherty Institute and NSW Health agree that maximising natural ventilation in classrooms by opening windows and doors remains the most effective method for minimising the spread of COVID-19 – and this is the foundation of our approach in schools,” Mitchell says.
“The NSW government is committed to keeping students learning face to face at school and is taking steps to ensure that we maximise fresh air in our classrooms. Installation of these systems will further enhance the quality of air in our classrooms.”
The Air Quality Assurance Program was announced in October 2021 following an audit of more than 150,000 spaces across all NSW public schools. The audit, combined with independent, expert advice from building services consultant Steensen Varming, has guided the approach to ventilation in schools.
The 10,000 classrooms newly identified to receive automatic fresh air ventilation build on the 2,000 classrooms announced last year.
The program is supporting permanent upgrades to windows, ceiling and exhaust fans, additional servicing of ventilation systems, procurement of 19,000 air purifiers, and the ongoing installation of automatic fresh air ventilation systems.
In addition to the Air Quality Assurance Program, permanent fresh air ventilation systems are also being progressively installed in thousands of classrooms as part of the NSW government’s $500 million Cooler Classrooms program.
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