Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein has accused a national education union of fearmongering and trying to "frighten parents" in the lead-up to term one resuming.
Some 60,000 public school students returned to the classroom on Wednesday as the state reported two additional COVID-19 deaths and 574 new infections.
The Australian Education Union's Tasmanian branch had raised concerns about staffing levels and student testing requirements, citing a survey of members that found only one in five teachers felt comfortable returning to work.
Mr Gutwein said the AEU was doing its "level best" to frighten parents.
"We worked very hard to ensure our schools are ready and prepared, based on public health advice," he told reporters.
"It's very disappointing ... some of the fearmongering that has gone on by important voices in the education setting, such as the AEU and some shadow spokespeople on the other side of politics.
"We want to see our children return to school. It's the best place for their learning and importantly their wellbeing."
Deputy Public Health Director Scott McKeown revealed there were seven education settings with confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks, six of them early childhood learning centres.
Under the state government's back-to-school plan, a class outbreak is determined when five or more cases occur in students and staff from a class within seven days.
Dr McKeown said one of the outbreaks was at an independent school in Tasmania's central north.
"Public health services are working very closely with that school," he said.
There are around 200 active cases in the 0-4 age group, 294 in kids aged 5-9 and 518 in those aged 10-19.
Tasmania reported 3214 active cases on Wednesday, continuing a broad downward trend over several weeks.
Mr Gutwein said of some 5400 teachers, 87 had not provided proof of vaccination, as required under an education department jab mandate.
He said every primary school had a sufficient supply of junior surgical masks after parents, unions and political opposition pointed out young kids had been given adult masks in back-to-school packs.
"Parents of primary school children have received the same pack that children of a secondary school receive," Mr Gutwein said.
Primary school students are not required to wear masks but high school students are.
Students are being advised to test for the virus when symptomatic, with no surveillance testing in place like in NSW and Victoria.
"The premier refuses to implement public health protection measures other states and countries are using to protect their students from contracting COVID," Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff said.
Tasmania has now recorded nine virus deaths since reopening in mid-December. The latest two were men aged in their 60s.
