A call for school students to be randomly tested for Covid-19 has been described as “nuts”.

The recommendation was made by the Australian Education Union to a parliamentary inquiry into long Covid.

A “regular asymptomatic testing program” for staff and students should be mandated in all public schools, the union said.

It also recommended that “mandated isolation from the school or other education setting is reintroduced for students or school staff who are infected with Covid”.

“Current government approaches to limiting Covid infection, repeat infection and long Covid demonstrates a lack of concern for the health and wellbeing of students, teachers and the broader school community.”

But former education minister Stuart Robert said the idea was “ridiculous”.

“It is a complete brain fade by the education union,” he said.

“Covid is now endemic, which means we treat it like any other endemic disease – that is the medical advice.

“But do we do random testing for chickenpox, measles, mumps or rubella? Do we do it for the flu and find another disease that comes along and shove things up young kid’s noses because they have no choice.

“This is nuts. Let’s be sensible.”