STUDENTS at schools and early childhood services can continue to access Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) as needed as the program will continue in term four.

The State Government has distributed more than 100 million free RATs to schools this year, to reduce costs for parents and help keep kids in the classroom.

Minister for Education, Natalie Hutchins, this week said the ongoing program to distribute RATs in schools had collectively saved Victorian families hundreds of millions of dollars throughout the school year.

In addition, as part of the government's $190 million plan to keep classrooms safe, more than 105,000 air purifiers have been distributed to all 1587 government schools and almost 25,000 to 620 non–government schools since term four last year, helping to reduce instances of classroom transmission.

Primary and secondary school students and staff, and early childhood education and care staff and children aged three to four are recommended to test at home if they experience COVID–19 symptoms or are a contact of a confirmed case.

Acrording to most health experts, vaccination of children aged five to 11 and booster shots for people over 16 years old remain the best way to protect students and staff against the risks of COVID–19.