COVID-19 school closures: Federal and state governments need to come together
Education in Australia has always been fractured, but in these uncertain times our leaders could at least try not to make it look so obvious that they’re making it up as they go along, writes Clare Masters.
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Leadership right now is more important than ever.
We are in unprecedented times – as we keep getting told – but governments are the ones holding the best and most accurate information, and they are who we look to for guidance.
Which is why it is so disappointing that the NSW Premier has come out and put the onus on parents to make the decision about whether to keep their children home from school or not.
At a time when mass confusion reigns we need our states and territories to be aligned.
When Victoria bring their school holidays forward that makes parents in Queensland wonder why they are not. When the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian asks parents to make the decision about whether to send their child to school amid the coronavirus that makes families in South Australia ask themselves what they should be doing. At least give some specific parameters around the decision like they have in the UK.
Parents need assistance to make choices and they need clarity to do it. Is it for key workers’ children only? People who cannot study at home? Those who don’t have the resources? For those at home, how do we ensure parity in terms of school work? How many hours a day should they be doing? How is it that older teachers or others considered at high-risk are still expected to go to school?
Our Prime Minister is saying that schools are safe while our Premiers are saying they encourage parents to keep their children at home.
When independent schools have swiftly and relatively seamlessly moved to online schooling systems, it makes you question whether the public sector has the resources and the agility to do the same. The answer is clearly not.
Education in Australia is fractured even in normal times, but in a crisis this fracture becomes a serious rupture.
We already have a significant gap between disadvantaged students and those in higher socio-economic areas and if we don’t want that gap to become unassailable then we need to move quickly and give parents and carers a clear idea of what education looks like – at least in the short-term.
The truth is these are unprecedented times and governments are making it up as they go along. They need to try not to make it look so obvious.
Clare Masters is the National Education and Social Affairs Editor.