New Victorian home schooling rules not too tough for kids
As thousands of anxious parents prepare for term two to begin next week, new home-school study guidelines for Victorian state school pupils will only require them to study a few hours a day. See how the rules will affect pupils.
Education
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Victorian state school pupils learning at home from next week will be required to study for as little as three hours a day.
The new home-school study guidelines, sent to all 1600 government school principals, sets out the base learning structure that parents should co-ordinate.
For students in Prep to grade 2, pupils should study literacy for a total of 45-60 minutes, numeracy for about 30-45 minutes and another 30-45 minutes for other learning areas, play-based learning and physical activity.
And for years 3 to 10, the advice is for 45-60 minutes of literacy, 30-45 minutes for numeracy, half an hour physical activities and 90 minutes for other study areas.
Separate tailored advice will be issued for years 11 and 12.
“Teachers will provide learning resources and tasks that enable students to develop and demonstrate the learning outcomes defined in the relevant VCE study designs and VCAL strands,’’ the department advice to schools said.
The programs, which each school will modify to suit its students’ needs, will provide some direction for the hundreds of thousands of anxious parents preparing to home-school their children when term two begins next Wednesday.
The subjects and times are aimed at replicating the real classroom, easing parents’ fears that children will need to be studying every minute from 9am to 3.30pm.
For 10-year-old Jackson Foskett, school started on Wednesday on the dining room table of the family home in Wantirna.
The Regency Park Primary School year 5 student is having an operation next week so the term started a week early.
Mum Kristy said the school sent out a work pack for the coming weeks.
“Jackson’s super-excited and was keen to get started.
“I’m feeling OK about it, and for parents who are worrying out there, everyone’s in the same boat,’’ she said.
Victorian Education Minister James Merlino acknowledged that remote and flexible learning would be a challenge, but tried to allay parents’ fears.
“No one is expecting you to become a teacher or subject matter expert,’’ he said.
Parents should be supportive, provide a good learning environment, check regularly with schools and reassure their children, Mr Merlino said.
The state government’s advice is that any child who can stay home to study should do so. But schools will be open for those parents who have no other option and for the children of essential workers.
Deakin University education expert Elizabeth Rouse said parents should remember to be a parent, not a teacher.
“Your role is not to teach your children a curriculum, but to support them as they try to make sense of this new world of school they are facing,’’ Dr Rouse said.
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said remote learning would be a “real challenge” for students, parents and teachers. Extra professional development would be in place to ensure teachers were well equipped to deliver a good education.
Mr Tehan also assured parents that schools would remain open for those who needed it.
“If the parents have to work, or the children are vulnerable, and they can’t be safely looked after at home, then schools will remain open for those children,” he said.
DAILY MINIMUM FOR STUDENTS
PREP-YEAR 2
Literacy 45-60mins
Numeracy 30-45mins
Additional learning areas, play-based and physical activity 30-45mins
YEAR 3-YEAR 10
Literacy 45-60mins
Numeracy 30-45mins
Physical activity 30mins
Other curriculum areas
90mins
YEARS 11-12
Teachers to provide resources and tasks for VCE and VCAL
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