Parents express disappointment over another Year 12 setback

Leading experts and parents are urging the Andrews government to allow primary-aged children and VCE students to return to school at the start of term 4.

Leading experts and parents are urging the state government to allow primary-aged children and VCE students to return to school at the start of term 4.

Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Wednesday that VCE students would have priority vaccinations in state hubs from September 7 to 17 to ensure they had all had at least one dose by the time they would sit the General Achievement Test on October 5.

Confirming students would not return to classrooms this term, he said a plan for a possible return-to-school in term 4 would be detailed next week.

Federal data obtained by the Herald Sun shows that children have been getting seriously ill and hospitalised at far lower levels than adults.

There have been 105 children under 14 admitted to hospital this year with Covid-19 – a hospitalisation rate of 2.9 per cent.

The rate of children with Covid admitted to intensive care is 0.1 per cent, and no one under 14 has died.

VCE students will be hit particularly hard, parents fear.

This compares to a hospitalisation rate of about 10 per cent for people aged in their 30s, and almost 50 per cent for those aged over 70.

University of Sydney infectious diseases paediatrician Robert Booy said primary-aged children should return to school in early October.

“Primary schoolchildren are at very low risk of catching the Covid, if they do catch it they’ll get it mildly,” Professor Booy said.

“They need the education. For the mental health of children and their parents, there are so many reasons to get them back to school and they need a very good argument not to do so in the fourth term.”

Professor Booy said he also supported VCE students returning to face-to-face learning at the start of term 4 if the majority were vaccinated.

“All the states, including Victoria, NSW and other states, need to prioritise getting 16 years and above vaccinated so they can get back to school. Year 7-10 could go back later in October.”

Parents Jeruisha Williams-Kerr and Dean Kerr from Keysborough, who have two primary school aged children, said face-to-face learning needed to urgently return.

“The announcement today has just been so disappointing, children are really struggling to get motivated – enough is enough,” Ms Williams-Kerr said.

Year 12 student continues remote learning

Albert Park College year 12 student Ben Collis said while remote learning was challenging, his teachers had been “really supportive”.

“We’re almost there, just one step to go and before you know it we’ll finish 12 years of school, it’s really important to remain resilient during this time,” he said.

Caroline Dowling, spokeswoman for the #WhatsThe PlanDan parents’ lobby group, said the lack of chances for year 12 students to see their teachers before exams was “incredibly disappointing”.

“Why couldn’t they look at special situations for year 12s – especially those doing folio subjects?” Associate Professor Dowling said.

She said the priority vaccination of year 12s “should have been on the table a month ago”.

Victorian opposition Education spokesman David Hodgett said: “There is still no plan to get all kids back to face-to-face learning. The government has had weeks to prepare a plan for term 4, but we got nothing today.”

Originally published as Parents express disappointment over another Year 12 setback