News in 5: Back to school, the JobKeeper blunder, and WA's rare weather event.

1. Back to school today for many Aussie students.

Public school students in several states are returning to the classroom today, with only four new cases of COVID-19 detected nationally yesterday.

All children in NSW and Queensland will be getting back into the classroom this morning.

Tasmanian kindergarten to year 6 students, along with year 11 and 12 students, will also resume learning at school today, before students in years 7 to 10 join them on June 9.

The current COVID-19 figures.

The ACT is continuing its staged return with students in years 3, 4 and 10 getting back to school today, leaving only years 5, 6, 8 and 9 to return on June 2.

Victorian kids are bracing for their return, with children in prep to year 2 and years 11 and 12 returning on Tuesday, before the remaining cohort goes back from June 9.

Students are already back in school full time in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

2. Morrison takes responsibility for JobKeeper reduction from $130 billion to $70 billion.

In a press conference yesterday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison likened the reduced size of the JobKeeper stimulus package to saving money on a house build.

He said the shortfall in the cost was similar to a housing contractor originally quoting $350,000 to build a new home, but the ultimate bill being $250,000.

“That is news that you would welcome,” he said.

The Prime Minister is dismissing the push to expand the JobKeeper scheme even though the government has only spent half the amount on the project it budgeted because of a $60 billion blunder. @CUhlmann #9News pic.twitter.com/Jdhz5tB01K

— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) May 24, 2020

On Friday, it was announced that JobKeeper will now be $70 billion rather than $130 billion and will now only cover 3.5 million people rather than the 6.5 million that had been forecast.

“Ultimately, I have to take responsibilities for those things,” Mr Morrison told media yesterday. “So, sure, the estimate was overstated.”

Labor is demanding Treasurer Josh Frydenberg front a Senate inquiry to explain the “embarrassing” $60 billion blunder.

But Morrison has labelled the demand a “political stunt”.

3. Ferocious winds and 8 metre waves for WA.

More than 60,000 homes in Western Australia have been left without power as a severe storm batters the state.

A deep low pressure system – the remnants of ex-tropical cyclone Mangga – formed off the state on Sunday, and despite already copping more than 100km/h winds overnight, the worst is due to hit today.

Experts are predicting winds up to 130km/h and eight metre swells at the storm’s peak, with the weather being labelled a “rare event” by meteorologists.

Squally conditions over the south as the strong low pressure system moved to the southwest of the State early this morning. The strongest gust recorded by 2am has been 126 km/h at Cape Leeuwin at 12:53 am. Isolated falls 40 to 50 mm in the SW. https://t.co/TLsIPN2Yq9 pic.twitter.com/NTh0UX3Ghr

— Bureau of Meteorology, Western Australia (@BOM_WA) May 24, 2020

Department of Fire and Emergency Services Chief Superintendent Danny Mosconi told 9News now is too late for people to prepare their homes and they needed to stay inside.

Swells of up to 10 metres were also recorded off NSW’s coast over the weekend.

A complex low-pressure system has been sitting off the coast generating the enormous waves, which are expected to continue until Tuesday.

- With AAP.

Feature image: Getty/Jenny Evans.