Families with children at Catholic or Independent schools in Queensland and NSW are being advised to check directly with their school if it is closed due to the impact of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Up-to-date information on school closures in Queensland is available from closures.qld.edu.au.
As of 9:30am on 6 March, 663 state schools, 186 Independent schools and 181 Catholic schools have been declared closed in Queensland.
All state schools in the greater Brisbane and Gold Coast areas will be closed on Thursday, 6 March and Friday, 7 March for the safety of students, staff, and families.
Queensland Department of Education said some schools in the Darling Downs and North Coast areas will also be closed.
In NSW, schools across the North Coast will be non-operational for the next two days to safeguard students and staff as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches.
Due to potential impacts of the cyclone, including a heightened risk of flooding, more than 230 public schools, 29 Catholic schools, five independent schools and 16 TAFE campuses, along with two additional TAFE campuses being used as evacuation centres, are closed. The closures are expected to impact schools from Wednesday 5 March, through to Friday 7 March 2025.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to cross the coastline north of Brisbane as a Category 2 cyclone late on Thursday or early Friday.
Substantial flooding is expected with up to a metre of rain forecast to fall in southern Queensland and north-eastern NSW over several days.
Because of these risks, families have been asked to not send children to school for the next two days.
At this stage schools are expected to resume operations on Monday 10 March 2025.
The NSW Department of Education has a stock of essential products ready to be dispatched to support school communities, including gloves, paper towels, pump soap, tissues, toilet paper, bottled water and personal insect repellents. Additional blow-drying units and air purifiers are also available.
“As our communities prioritise their safety and prepare for the arrival of Cyclone Alfred, we are ensuring teachers, students and school staff are not unnecessary placed in harm’s way by attending school,” Minister for Education and Early Learning Ms Prue Car said.
“Keeping our students and families safe must always be our top priority. While we usually do not advocate for the closure of schools and places of learning, in these circumstances, an abundance of caution can be what keeps our community safe.”
Deputy Secretary of Public Schools Ms Deborah Summerhayes said the department is taking a safety-first approach.
“We know a lot of our North Coast communities have been through difficult periods in recent years – with the 2022 floods still fresh in their memories.
“That’s why we are planning for the worst and hoping for the best. We want to do everything we can to ensure our school communities are well supported and our staff and students are safe,” she said.
