Assemblies, playing with friends from other classes, speaking to unmasked faces – these normal school-day experiences were a first last week for many children who only remember going to school under COVID-19 restrictions.

It’s the first scholastic year since 2019 that has started without the need to follow any sort of pandemic measures.

While students got a taste of eased restrictions at the end of last scholastic year – when mask-wearing was no longer mandatory – for the first time in two years they were not bombarded with talk of face coverings, social distancing, hand sanitisers and class bubbles from the word go.

“School is better without a mask as now I can see my friends’ and teachers’ faces and mouths,” said Kelly, soon to be six, who has just started Grade 2.

We don’t have to keep our arms out to measure the distance from our friends- Charlotte, 9

“I can breathe better. I don’t want to go to school with the mask again.”  Kristina, five, who started Grade 1, concurred: “I don’t like masks because they make me feel hot. I did not like bubbles because I could not play with other friends who were not in my class. Now I can chase my friend Seb.”

Reeva, six, in Grade 2, misses “absolutely nothing” about COVID, stressing that “I like unicorns”.

Marcus, 6, was also excited about being mask-free, adding: “It is also great that I can play with everyone in the playground.”

'School feels free again'

His sister Cara, 4, jumps in: “School feels free again.”

Masks made Julian, who has started Grade 4, feel hot: “I didn’t like it when I blew my nose in the mask and I had to change masks all the time.”  He likes being able to play Tag and touch his friends with his hands instead of his elbows.

However, he misses online schooling since “I prefer being at home.”

Two years of restrictions wiped out many memories of the “normal school days” – two years is a long time in the life of a child.

Which is why even the older children only have a vague recollection of what school was like pre-COVID.

Nine-year-old Charlotte, just starting Grade 5, likes it that this year “we don’t have to keep our arms out to measure the distance from our friends”.

'COVID years were quieter, no more bubbles or masks

On the other hand, the COVID years were quieter, she recalls with a touch of nostalgia.

“Now we have to gather in the morning to wait for our teacher and there is a lot of noise. I don’t like it.”

Andre, 9, is glad it’s all over: “This year there are no more bubbles or masks so it’s really good. I don’t miss anything about the change.”

Emily, now in Grade 7, much prefers in-person school to online learning, with all the internet connection problems it brought with it.

“But I miss that, during online school I could wake up later and just wear what I wanted to lessons.”

There’s something else that made online schooling a little easier: “Now if I want to say something in class I have to really put up my hand and it can get tiring.”

Small price to pay for the relative freedom of post-pandemic schooling.