“AISNSW, together with its interstate colleagues, will be calling on the federal and state governments to provide emergency funding to ensure that vulnerable independent schools can continue to offer teaching in either an online mode at home or at school." Loading NSW Teachers Federation president Angelo Gavrielatos condemned the move, saying it came as public schools were begging for soap and sanitiser, and a day after a $3.4 billion private school funding boost passed Parliament. "At a time when our public schools are expressing deep concerns about a lack of resources ... the private school lobby shamelessly continues to seek to extract more and more and more from government," he said. The call came as examination authorities affirmed the class of 2020 will receive their HSC, but made no decision on exams and said it was still working on how to deal with students who were supposed to do group work and work placements.

After a marathon meeting on Tuesday, the NESA board said it would set up a COVID-19 response committee and empower principals to decide how many assessments year 12 students sit and how they will be weighted. "We want to assure you that you will be able to get a HSC certificate this year, and that the certificate will facilitate access to university, further education and employment, as it has for students over the past 50 years," NESA chair Peter Shergold said. The decision came as 75 per cent of public school children were kept home, as confusion grew among parents because of incorrect information from schools about which students were allowed to attend. Parental confusion intensified over whether to send their children to school after many principals contradicted the advice of the NSW government by saying only children of essential service workers could come to school. Amid reports that some students who did turn up to school were quizzed about why they were there, Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said those principals were wrong and that child could attend, although parents were encouraged to keep them home.

"School is open for those students who need to attend, no student is to be turned away," she said. Loading Across the system, almost three-quarters of students stayed away, up from 40 per cent on Monday. Normal absentee rates are around 8 per cent. At some public schools, attendance was as low as 2 per cent. At private schools, students also did their lessons from home; at MLC School at Burwood, 130 out of the 1260 students were on campus. But childcare centres remain open, as did TAFE, where online learning is being used if possible but where many students don't have access to computers or need practical lessons in subjects such as carpentry.

An email to TAFE staff on Tuesday instructed teachers to ensure students washed their hands before class and kept 1.2 metres apart. "If you have a student who appears to have cold or flu symptoms, please try not to embarrass them in front of the class," the email said. The NSW P&C Federation president Tim Spencer criticised the conflicting messages from the school, TAFE and childcare sectors, and different stances from governments. "That's a really confusing message for parents," he said. "The governments ... need to get behind a concerted effort. They should either close the whole lot down, or they leave things open, you can't have this in-between situation." Private schools that have put their courses online are not reducing fees, saying families in financial distress could approach them to discuss their situation. "We are working closely with families individually to understand their concerns and pressures and will continue to assist them as we are able during this time," a spokeswoman for Cranbrook school said.