Coronavirus: Children (and parents) back home for school

More than 700,000 Victorian students have been ordered to stay at home to learn for the next six weeks.

Mat and Kate Tinkler with their kids Margot, 3, Audrey ,9, and Flynn ,7, who will resume remote learning when the Victorian term commences next week. Picture: Aaron Francis

More than 700,000 Victorian students have been ordered to stay at home to learn for the next six weeks, as the state government signals that a return to remote schooling will play a crucial role in combating the second wave of the coronavirus.

While Year 11 and 12 students and those undertaking VCE and VCAL subjects will be permitted to return to campuses when term three resumes on Monday, the majority of students across metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell shire will study from home.

Premier Daniel Andrews said there was “simply no alternative”.

“We can’t have the best part of 700,000 students, as well as their parents, moving to and from school, moving around the community as if there wasn’t a stay-at-home order, as if there wasn’t a lockdown,” Mr Andrews said on Sunday. “That would put at direct risk us achieving our aim and that is to drive these numbers down.”

School holidays have been extended for a week to allow affected schools to prepare for the transition to remote, flexible learning for students, similar to what was provided during term two, from July 20 until at least August 19.

Schools will also be required to provide daily supervision for children of essential workers and parents unable to work from home.

The decision, which was flagged last week, comes as a school in Melbourne’s western suburbs has been linked to the state’s second-largest cluster.

Al-Taqwa College in Truganina has had 134 cases so far and is one of 16 schools across the state that are currently closed to all staff and students while cleaning and contact-tracing is conducted.

The Australian Education Union welcomed the announcement but called for schools to permit teachers to work from home unless they were required on campus. The government has advised that it wants teachers to be based at schools, however schools have discretion to make their own decisions.

“Given the latest community transmission, it’s understandable that based on the health advice the government has made this decision,” said AEU Victorian branch deputy president Justin Mullaly.

Private schools are expected to comply with the order, with many having already enacted remote learning plans last week.

Independent Schools Victoria chief Michelle Green described the return to remote learning as “deeply disappointing” and said it would place “another heavy burden on principals, teachers, their students and parents”.

“But we recognise the risks our entire community faces as a result of COVID-19 — the infection figures tell a compelling story,” Ms Green said.

Education Minister James Merlino said lessons learned from the previous experience with remote learning had led to the decision to have VCE and VCAL students return to campus.

Mr Merlino said it would be a challenging time for schools and families.

“We’ve done it before and we did it well. We can do it again and we will,” he said.

Kingsville parents Mat and Kate Tinkler found the first round of remote schooling with children Audrey, 9, and Flynn, 7, to be a “hard slog” and will look to do some things differently this time.

The couple also have a preschooler, Margot, and both work from home in demanding jobs.

“We know we’re lucky compared to many — we have reliable internet, a nice home and the kids have access to devices,” Mr Tinkler said.

“But [there’s] a sense of trepidation. The novelty factor has well and truly worn off and it doesn’t feel like there’s much light at the end of the tunnel this time.”

Mrs Tinkler said she took some comfort from knowing what worked last time — and what did not — and would adjust accordingly.

“The biggest challenge by far was giving each of the three kids the attention they required with little energy leftover to focus on my own needs or household tasks,” she said.