Fitzroy Community School principal backs ‘conscience’ on Covid infections

The principal of a school at the centre of a Covid cluster in Melbourne says his conscience is clear over at least 31 infections in staff and students.

Fitzroy Community School co-founder Fay Berryman. Picture: David Crosling

The principal of an alternative school at the centre of a Covid cluster in Melbourne’s inner north says his conscience is clear over at least 31 infections in staff and students, arguing society will have to come to terms with regular outbreaks in education settings.

Fitzroy Community School principal Tim Berryman has continued to offer face-to-face classes for students whose parents have opted to send them to school during lockdowns, contrary to Victorian Covid restrictions, which allow only the children of essential workers and those deemed vulnerable to attend classes.

His comments came as Victoria recorded 473 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the highest daily caseload since the state’s second wave peaked with 687 cases (revised down from 725 due to ­duplications) on August 4, 2020.

While Mr Berryman said he ­invited all families to continue to send children to school during the state’s fifth lockdown in July, a ­recent visit from health officials prompted him to abandon that policy, with the school welcoming students who have been unable to study from home. As a result, about 60 of the school’s 120 students have been on site each day.

“There are some whose parents fall into a particular category of worker or who are considered vulnerable but I think the reason we have had so many come to school is because we’ve been offering the full teaching and learning experience,” he said.

The independent primary school was forced to close its doors, and its community test and isolate, late last week, after a teacher tested positive shortly after developing symptoms.

Mr Berryman’s son, aged 11, has since tested positive but has ­experienced only mild symptoms.

“He’s actually set himself a challenge of breaking his pogo stick record – 720 bounces. It’s ­exhausting just watching him,” he said.

 

Mr Berryman said most infected staff and students were doing well, with one teacher reporting quite bad flu symptoms.

The school leader said he was deeply concerned about the long-term ramifications of closing schools to young people for extended periods and did not believe the policy was supported by the data, given the relatively low rates of severe illness and hospitalisation among children.

He noted several European ­nations were no longer closing schools, even during localised outbreaks.

“I think it was lockdown five when I sent out an email to parents saying ‘everyone can come to school’,’’ Mr Berryman said.

“I know what I did was a bit wrong but [to close] didn’t line up with the data or my conscience.

“But this time we did follow all the rules – we couldn’t have had more outside time if we tried – and we still had an outbreak.

“I think that tells you that outbreaks at schools are inevitable, and potentially hundreds, even thousands of cases. We do need to confront that.”

The Andrews government on Monday announced a four-week construction industry Covid compliance blitz, revealing 13 per cent of the state’s 3507 active cases were linked to building sites.

Of 157 people in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus on Monday, 38 were in intensive care, of whom 26 were on ventilators.

Of those hospitalised, 89 per cent were unvaccinated and 11 per cent had received one dose.

As of Sunday 66.82 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and over had received a first dose of Covid vaccine, while 40.95 per cent were fully vaccinated.

A third of 16- and 17 year-olds in Victoria have received their first dose, while about 80 per cent of those aged 50 and over have ­received at least one dose.