Fitzroy Community School to be examined by health department after 31-case Covid cluster

Authorities are demanding an explanation from Fitzroy Community School after it was caught operating in lockdown and responsible for a cluster of 31 cases.

A private primary school that was operating with around 60 kids during lockdown and has since been the source for a 31-case cluster is set to be investigated by the health department.

The Herald Sun understands Fitzroy Community School in Fitzroy North will be issued with a please-explain and asked to justify why each student was attending face-to-face.

Health department investigators are examining concerns up to 100 people were on site on some days, with 189 close contacts already identified.

Under current lockdown rules only students of essential workers or those considered vulnerable can access onsite learning.

The principal of a private primary school with a large Covid cluster has hit back, saying it was “inevitable that kids would catch Covid at school”.

Principal Tim Berryman said he didn’t regret having his school open to around 60 kids for most of the outbreak.

The state’s deputy chief health officer Dan O’Brien said on Sunday that 30 students and staff had tested positive from the school, with another case confirmed on Monday.

Mr Berryman said his 11-year-old son had caught the virus but, like all the kids at the school with the virus, was well.

“He’s just set a new pogo jumping record because he can’t go out to play footy. If he hadn’t gone for a test we wouldn’t know he was sick,” Mr Berryman said.

“None of the kids who have Covid are sick. We have to accept that kids catch Covid at school. This will happen but it doesn’t make the kids desperately sick.”

Mr Berryman said his own son had contracted Covid but could barely tell he was sick. Picture: Jason Edwards

It’s understood three teachers were among those who tested positive.

Mr Berryman said he only fully opened the school on one day in violation of health orders during the fifth lockdown in June.

“We got visited by the police and the health department and we stopped it after one day because it was too much grief,” he said.

“Since then we have only taught the kids who turned up,” he said. “That’s just over half, around 60 kids.”

Departmental rules allow schools to teach remote learning onsite to children whose parents are permitted workers and those who are vulnerable.

But, unlike many schools trying to keep the numbers learning onsite to a minimum, Mr Berryman repeatedly invited parents to send children to school.

Mr Berryman said parents had been “ridiculously supportive and believe the benefits of sending their kids to the school for the past 18 months had been strong”.

The Fitzroy Community School has been hit by a significant outbreak. Picture: David Crosling

“Parents have been happy because their children have had the benefit of our full program of onsite remote learning for the past 18 months. For those kids the last 18 months have been relatively normal,” he said.

“Kids are more likely to be killed on the roads than catch Covid, but does this mean we stop driving them? No.”

However, some parents are angered by Mr Berryman’s actions, with one telling the Herald Sun the Department of Health should “investigate” Mr Berryman’s actions.

“He has continued to email parents offering them the option to send our kids to school,” she said.

“It’s completely ludicrous, we are in the middle of a pandemic and it’s unsafe.

“There has to be consequences for this as this behaviour is completely irresponsible.”

Another parent told the Herald Sun they were “angered” by the school’s growing cases.

“That school now has at least 30 cases of Covid. Given they only have 60 to 70 kids enrolled that is a huge proportion of their school population,” she said.

“My concern is that the school has been open to all families that wanted to send their kids, definitely not just frontline workers.

“There are many people, including vulnerable and elderly people, who are associated with the more irresponsible families at that school that have been sending their children despite not being frontline workers, who are now at risk.”

Parents have been angered by the outbreak. Picture: David Crosling

Health Minister Martin Foley said the school was already on the health department’s radar.

“This school has some history (of) sailing pretty close to chief health officer orders.”

“Our compliance people — after the priority of responding to the outbreak is dealt with — will investigate the matter and, based on whatever outcomes they come up with, take appropriate action.

“Our key priority is the wellbeing of those kids, the staff, and their families.”

Opposition education spokesman David Hodgett said the school’s cluster could have been prevented if the state government had a plan.

“We don’t support breaking the rules but this is what happens, schools open up illegally and they shouldn’t be, but if they had a plan or something to work towards, it would be a much better outcome,” he said.

“There’s no reason why kids should not be back in the classroom back to face to face learning. There is not a single plan from this government to reopen schools or get our kids back to face to face learning.

“There’s no certainty, there’s no hope, there’s no plan.”

Mr Hodgett said there was a need to strike a balance between mental health and physical health.

“We don’t want kids to get sick, but we know kids do not get as sick with Covid. It’s about balancing the risk of Covid with their education and mental health needs,” he said.

“For students (in metropolitan Melbourne), it’s grossly unfair for their regional counterparts to be allowed to go to school but they can’t. We’re creating a two tier system.”

Last month, the Herald Sun revealed Mr Berryman was one of three Victorian school principals who wrote a letter to the Premier stating that “keeping primary schools open supports children’s learning and mental health – their learning and mental health suffer when they are isolated”.

Mr Berryman said in August he had seen increasing desperation from parents and children.

“Some parents share that they worry that they are bad parents, as they cannot cope. They are struggling, struggling to do their jobs, look after their team and teach their children,” he said.