Sarah has worked as a teacher for decades and loves her job but this year something has shifted — she is anxious about returning to the classroom in 2022.

"I just can't get a picture in my head of how schools can be safe," says Sarah (not her real name), who teaches language to around 120 primary-aged children each day at a South Australian public school.

With a significant number of her students from disadvantaged backgrounds, Sarah — now in her 60s, healthy and triple vaccinated – knows that effective teaching relies on deep connection with these kids and that doesn't happen from a distance.

"Being a primary school teacher is all about being a close contact, down on the ground with the little ones in a circle on the floor, being right there. It's an essential part of the teaching process," she says.

"It is about showing your face, making a child know 'I'm looking at you, I'm talking to you, I am making you feel as if I am really engaging with your learning'."

It's not a scenario that responds well to masks and social distancing. Add in kids with language or other social and cultural differences and that close, empathetic contact just can't be replaced.

With less than a month to go until millions of Australian children are due to head back to campus, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is adamant there will be no wriggle room on dates.

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