COVID-19 isolation: Keeping schools closed is state and union push back against Scott Morrison

There’s no medical reason for why schools remain closed. But for the union and premiers, it’s partly push back against the PM. Frazzled parents and devoted teachers are political collateral, writes Renee Viellaris.

The way Australia is heading – especially in Queensland – the public has a greater chance of winning Lotto than catching coronavirus.

In a country of 25 million, about 6600 have tested positive and about half of those have recovered.

There were no new reported cases in Queensland on Monday and Victoria just had one.

Make no mistake, these gains are because of social distancing and mothballing the economy, but some decisions right now are being politically led.

Right now, as schools all but force working parents to teach their kids at home for the coming weeks, the infection rate and the number of cases is lower than it was in the final weeks of term one.

This will hang around the neck of politicians come election time.

It will also harm the cause of some teachers the next time they demand a pay rise. Many parents will remember this shemozzle they believe is unnecessary.

Frazzled parents are now quipping, “how do we start a petition to get teachers back to school”?

There is a tipping point and a clear distinction now between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the premiers.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made it clear school is safe for students but states have not supported his message. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Because of federation, Morrison cannot force schools to open. But he has made it painfully obvious that it is safe for students and, if appropriate measures are put in place, safe for teachers.

Highly placed sources have revealed that NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will likely allow students to return to schools in a fortnight – being the most forward-leaning state for schools.

In Queensland and Victoria, teachers’ unions have big voices, are big influencers of policy and help Labor governments stay in power.

There is no medical reason for schools to remain closed for all students. While childcare workers champ at the bit to stay and continue to go to work, our schools are running on skeleton staff for “essential workers” only.

Why? Part of it is a push back against Morrison – whose initial message showed just how precious some teachers and unions are. They believe Morrison had called them glorified babysitters.

The other reason? Teachers, especially those on the public purse, will get paid if they turn up or not.

Childcare workers – those who have to deal with younger children who share germs more than they share their toys – are desperate for an income. So the question is: Why can every single enrolled kid in daycare turn up, but not every student enrolled in a school? If there are no health implications for childcare workers, why is there such concern about the health of teachers?

In my experience, the childcare workers I have come across are older than many teachers. It is absolute bollocks because we know that parents with childcare-aged kids can’t just “stop, drop and go” like parents of school-aged children can. They carry their children into rooms. Often they hand their crying toddler over to a carer.

One mum, who has two children and remains at work, faces having to get up at 5am to start her working day to ensure she meets her required working hours and have the time to teach her kids.

After her kids go to bed, she will log back on.

Audrey Merriman, 9, and her sister Grace, 8, learn from home on the first day of Term 2 in Brisbane. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

Because she can work from home, the stress levels for herself and her husband have skyrocketed. Her story is all too familiar. And it was not a great start yesterday.

Some parents were sent this email. “Dear families who are learning from home. Please be advised that there is a statewide outage for online learning platforms including The Learning Place. Information and Technologies Branch of Education Queensland are working to resolve this with priority.”

A 2016 Queensland College of Teachers report found the average age of educators in the state was 48 years. However, one in four were over the age of 60 years. For teachers who have comorbidities, are immunocompromised or are older, they should have the right to educate from home, or mark assessments while social-distancing.

To those teachers who are turning up to teach our children, we thank you. We know and will remember who you are.

As the nation pulls together, your sense of duty keeps a frayed society from further losing its social cohesiveness.

Renee Viellaris is The Courier-Mail’s Federal Political Editor.