Your essential guide to home schooling in Victoria
Hundreds of thousands of students will be forced to study from home - again - with Premier Dan Andrews ordering prep to year 10 to learn online until at least August 19. This is what it means for your family.
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School is back in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire - to remote learning.
As more than 700,000 students return to studying at home because of Victoria’s second coronavirus wave, here are the main details you need to know.
WHEN DOES REMOTE LEARNING START?
School holidays have been extended for another week to give teachers the time to prepare. Students will restart remote learning from Monday, July 20. They will be learning from home until at least August 19.
WHO WILL BE LEARNING FROM HOME?
More than 700,000 students, from prep to year 10, in metropolitan Melbourne and in the Mitchell Shire. Students in regional areas not under stage-three restrictions will go to school as normal.
WHAT ABOUT STUDENTS IN YEARS 11 AND 12?
Students in years 11 and 12 will return to face-to-face learning from Monday. Year 10 students who are studying VCE or VCAL subjects should also go to school for those classes.
IF MY CHILD HAS SPECIAL NEEDS, CAN THEY GO TO SCHOOL?
Yes, all government specialist schools will resume on-site learning from Monday. Special needs students who attend mainstream public schools will also be able to attend school from July 20, where they will complete the online learning at school under supervision. Premier Daniel Andrews said some parents of special needs students may take up this option on some days as a form of respite.
CAN MY CHILD GO TO SCHOOL IF I AM WORKING?
Yes, children of parents who cannot work from home can go to school. “Whether mum and dad are stacking shelves at a supermarket or are a police officer or nurse — whatever the profession — if you can’t work from home, your kids can come to school,” Mr Andrews said.
SHOULD MY CHILD WEAR A MASK IF GOING TO SCHOOL?
Students can wear masks if they want to but it is not compulsory.
WHAT IF MY FAMILY NEEDS HELP WITH A COMPUTER OR INTERNET?
About 48,000 laptops and devices and 26,000 internet dongles were rolled out during the first stint of remote learning. The government has an extra 1000-plus devices and 2500 dongles in stock. If your family needs one, contact your school directly.
ARE SCHOOLS BEING CLEANED?
Yes, the state government is spending up to $45m to boost cleaning in public schools daily throughout term three.
WHY HAS THE GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO REVERT TO REMOTE LEARNING?
Mr Andrews said on Sunday that remote learning was a “critical part” of the fight against coronavirus. If schools were running normally, more than 700,000 students, their parents and teachers would be travelling to and from school. “If we all just go about our business as if this was a normal term three then, far from driving case numbers down, we will in fact drive them up,” Mr Andrews said.
MORE QUESTIONS ANSWERED
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Originally published as Your essential guide to home schooling in Victoria