Back to school guide: Tips to help Victorian parents prepare for the new school year
Victorian parents are rushing to buy last minute school supplies as thousands of children head back to school next week. Here’s everything you need to know about preparing for Term 1.
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Victorian parents are rushing to buy last minute uniforms and supplies as thousands of children head back to school next week.
More than one million students are enrolled in Victorian government, Catholic and independent schools for 2024.
Here’s everything you need to know about being prepared for Term 1.
UNIFORMS
Uniform shops are being inundated with last minute requests for clothing and other items.
The Herald Sun has spoken to several uniform shops who say they are have been “extremely busy” with last minute requests for clothing.
Most schools use external companies to sell uniforms including Nicholls, PSW and other shops.
Major retailers including Kmart and Big W are offering families bargains, with some similar essential school uniform items 50 per cent cheaper than uniform shops.
Parents are also being encouraged to take advantage of second hand uniform shops, which are mostly run by volunteers.
Melbourne High School principal Dr Tony Mordini said he encouraged parents to make use of the school’s second hand uniform shop, which is run by volunteers.
“We’ve had a lot of parents purchase items from our second hand uniform shop over the holidays, they have big savings on items including blazers,” Dr Mordini said.
“I’m sending a notification out to all students and their families before school begins to get them ready for Term 1 and ensure their transition is smooth.”
STATIONERY
Families scrambling for back to school stationery don’t have to look far to get the essentials, with retailers Officeworks, Kmart, Target and Big W still stocking supplies.
Exercise books, pens, pencils, rulers, erasers, glue sticks and scissors can be purchased for a dollar or less at some stores, while others have a range of more expensive brands to choose from.
Some retailers are also offering home delivery which means parents don’t have to leave the house for their back to school needs.
Officeworks Merchandise general manager Jim Berndelis said: “We know many families will be getting ready for the new school year this weekend, and Officeworks is here to support on all their last needs and help kids and parents start the 2024 school year with confidence.”
“Whether it’s stationery supplies, BYOD tech devices or school bag essentials, Officeworks is your one-stop destination for back to school,” he said.
“Our 169 locations across Australia are open across the weekend and our online store is open 24/7, meaning families can shop to suit when suits their schedules.
“Our friendly store teams are ready to help families find exactly what they need, and with our every day low prices, Price Beat Guarantee and wide range of high quality items, parents can be confident they’re getting the right back to school products at the right price at Officeworks.”
SCHOOL COMMUTE
Drivers are urged to be cautious and obey the road rules when classes commence next week, with school zone speed limits back in action from Monday.
Motorists are reminded they can only drive 40km/h in permanent school zones, while time-based school zones operate before school between 8am and 9.30am and after school between 2.30pm and 4pm.
When the speed limit is 80km/h or higher, these speed limits are reduced to 60km/h during the above times if a school is in the vicinity.
The warning to drivers comes after national insurer AAMI and the Australian Road Safety Foundation conducted a survey which unveiled some shocking statistics.
A third of Aussie drivers confessed that they have sped through a school zone because they didn’t notice the signs, while one in 10 have disobeyed speed limits because no children were in sight.
Meanwhile, almost a third of drivers are confused about school zones, and 13 per cent don’t know what times school zones apply.
AAMI motor claims manager Leah James said there was no excuse to speed through school zones.
“A pedestrian crossing the road has an 87 per cent chance of survival when hit by a vehicle travelling at 40km/h or less. This drops dramatically when the speed is higher,” she said.
“School aged children, particularly those starting prep or under 10 years of age, have limited road safety experience and can behave unpredictably. The onus is on us as adults to protect their lives and ensure they can get to and from school safely every day.”
As for those students in the city’s outer suburbs who catch public transport to school, they will have access to new bus services from Tuesday.
The state government has invested $25 million to introduce, modify and extend school bus services.
Students from Greenvale Secondary College, Springside West Secondary College, Yarrabing Secondary College, Bemin Secondary College and Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College will reap the benefits of the new services that will be rolled out near their schools.
“We are delivering more school bus services to strengthen our public transport network and to make sure our students get to school on time,” Public and Active Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said.
TEEN WAGES WARNING
Businesses that have hired kids under 15 over the school holidays are being urged to review their shift rosters before Term 1 starts to avoid falling foul of Victoria’s child employment laws.
Under the laws, businesses with a child employment licence can hire kids under 15 for up to 6 hours a day and 30 hours a week (including rest breaks) during school holidays, but this decreases during the school term when kids can work a maximum of 3 hours a day and 12 hours per week.
Victoria’s child employment regulator, Wage Inspectorate Victoria, is encouraging businesses to review their staffing rosters to ensure they abide by the school term restrictions.
Wage Inspectorate Victoria acting commissioner, Lily Dekic said: “Many businesses hire kids over the school holidays to help manage holiday crowds, particularly in retail and hospitality.” “Those businesses can keep offering kids shifts when the school term starts, but they need to ensure they’re doing so legally,” she said.
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