It was only last week that thousands of NSW public school students broke out in song as part of Education Week festivities.
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But it seems the state government is looking to put a stop to organised group singing in schools, in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
On Wednesday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian foreshadowed stricter measures, after the state recorded 18 new COVID-19 cases overnight.
But it was the words of NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant - who also addressed the media - which pointed to government moves to cut out school-organised group singing.
"Singing and choirs and those sort of activities, if you've got someone who is infectious, singing and chanting and that sort of activity can transmit the infection by either a droplet or aerosol generated through singing and chanting," Dr Chant said.
"We also know that happens in closed contact, particularly indoor environments ...
"We will be communicating and reiterating our advice to the school community that at this moment these sort of activities should not be occurring.
"We are working on some updated advice to our education sector."
Fearing it might come to this, The Illawarra Grammar School (TIGS) suspended whole school assemblies and community singing earlier this year.
But wanting to make sure its students could still have fun, the independent Mangerton-based school has introduced some "innovative new approaches".
"These approaches include prerecorded content which is streamed across Senior School and a virtual choir of students and staff which is about to release its first performance of Stand By Me," a spokeswoman said.
TIGS also has a COVID-safe plan in place which is regularly updated and is based on the latest advice from NSW Health, NSW Education Standards Authority and the Association of Independent Schools NSW.
"Activities such as camps and inter-school competitions have been cancelled and learning has been modified to ensure there are no excursions unless they are essential to learning objectives and a COVID-safe risk assessment has been completed."
Wollongong Conservatorium of Music CEO Joe Gaudiosi said the Con would close if advised to by the government.
"At the moment we are doing individual sessions, some ensemble activity and we've got plastic screens in place for our flutes," he said.
"If there is something new that has come out today then we will simply abide by it. We are not a school but if they come out and say as a directive, organisations have to, well that's it, full stop.
"If they come out and say we suggest, then we will just look at it strongly and determine our own position.
"We've tried to move and manoeuvre as best as we could to allow activity to continue.
"We closed down back on March 23. We reopened slowly and we're closing slowly and we will close quickly if we feel we have to or if the government directs us."
Mr Gaudiosi, who is stepping down from the CEO role later this month, said the 17 regional conservatoriums plan to meet on Thursday to discuss their options.
Comment has been sought from the Department of Education.
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