Canberra Closes More Than 60 Schools Over Asbestos-Contaminated Sand

It comes after an initial shutdown on Nov. 14 that closed 16 schools and 6 preschools and left 8 more partially operating.Fencing and warning tape seen around playground equipment at a park where asbestos has been found at Hosken Reserve in Coburg North, Melbourne, Australia, on April 5, 2024. AAP Image/Joel Carrett11/16/2025|Updated: 11/16/2025More than 60 public schools and preschools across Canberra are closed on Nov. 17 after testing uncovered asbestos contamination in widely used coloured sand.The move led to a sweeping recall and urgent safety checks across the ACT education system.Naziya Alvi Rahman is a Canberra-based journalist who covers political issues in Australia. She can be reached at [email protected].Author’s Selected Articles