Coronavirus Melbourne: List of Victorian schools closed due to COVID-19
There are 87 schools across the state that are closed on Thursday and anxiety levels are “extreme”. The total number of schools that have closed in Victoria since the start of the coronavirus pandemic is up to 133.
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Victoria has experienced its worst day of school closures since the coronavirus pandemic began after 87 schools shut their doors on Thursday.
The southwest region of Victoria has been hardest hit by closures with 36 schools closing their doors on Thursday, while the northwest region has 18 closures.
The total number of schools that have shut since the pandemic started is up to 133.
Australian Principals Federation president Julie Podbury said the alarming rate of school closures was producing “a new level of anxiety”.
“This is a new level of anxiety that had not been anticipated,” she told 3AW.
“Over 50 secondary schools closed, one school has even shut three times and another was told to reopen today but overnight told contact tracing hasn‘t yet happened. The anxiety level is extreme.”
The closures have raised serious doubt about whether a return to classrooms for prep to Year 10 students in less than four weeks is feasible.
Experts have said opening schools across Victoria will not only put students and staff at risk of contracting the virus, but it could continue the virus’ spread throughout the state.
Monash University Professor Paul Komesaroff said on available evidence it was safe to assume young people were just as susceptible to contracting the disease as anyone else and suggested all students returning to school could spell danger for Victoria.
“Even if it doesn’t manifest itself in young people to the same severity as older people, the risk of transmission through open schools is high,” he said.
“It does have to be weighed up because there are issues of not being included in learning and higher rates of child abuse in some settings.
“So the balance to weigh up is the risk of the pandemic versus the health of the child.”
But Mr Komesaroff said switching to a proactive approach and closing schools across the board was the big questions at the moment, rather than a reactive approach in closing them once a positive case had been identified.
“The view supported by evidence at the moment is if the virus is highly prevalent, which it is in Victoria, then it is appropriate to close schools proactively,” he said.
“It helps to prevent the spread and also keeps parents at home, where they can’t contract it or spread it either.”
Mr Komesaroff said if schools closed completely for up to six weeks it would help stop the spread of the virus.
Education specialist at Monash University Dr Amanda Heffernan said there was already a mountain of pressure on staff to make sure everyone is safe.
“There is a huge amount of stress, even in just regular times they feel the weight of responsibility looking after students, so when you add the pandemic into the mix it’s an extraordinary amount of stress,” she said.
“Teachers and principals are vulnerable themselves, we have so many that are at that age where they become more vulnerable to contracting the virus.”
Ms Heffernan said returning to the classroom in just less than four weeks would create pressure on staff.
“Everyone is trying to do the best they can with the information they have, but there is a real concern about bringing young adults back into proximity in less than four weeks’ time,” she said.
On Monday, the State Government announced it had 1.2 million single-use masks to distribute to government schools in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire in a bid to curb infection at schools.
“Over the coming couple of days we will also be providing these single use masks for our Catholic and independent schools,” Mr Merlino said.
“Schools will be a very interesting place from Thursday.
“The bottom line is, any student who needs a mask will be provided with one.”
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