Catholic Education Tasmania says schools will accept students during COVID-19 crisis ‘without question’

Catholic Education Tasmania says it will not pass judgment on parents who send their children to school after one principal revealed the reasons parents were not home schooling.

THE organisation representing Catholic schools in Tasmania says it will not ask parents to justify reasons for sending their children to school during the coronavirus pandemic.

State Government officials have urged Tasmanian parents to keep their children at home where possible to limit the risk of COVID-19 spread.

But schools have remained open for children of essential workers during the pandemic, and for those for whom learning at home is not suitable.

Catholic Education Tasmania’s comments come after the Mercury revealed one Catholic school principal’s concerns about some parents’ motives for not keeping children at home.

In an email to parents and carers, St Mary’s College principal Helen Spencer said she had been hearing children were being sent to school for several invalid reasons.

Among reasons listed were that children were missing their friends, “other families are doing it”, they were going “stir crazy”, “it gives me one-on-one time with my other child”, or that sending them “frees me up to get housework and errands done”.

But CET executive director Gerard Gaskin said any student who had come to school during the coronavirus crisis had been welcomed.

“Catholic Education Tasmania has never restricted the return of any student regardless of whether their parents or carers were emergency workers or not,’’ he said.

“We will not pass judgment on parents and carers or their reasons for sending their children to school. If our sites are open, students are welcome.”

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Dr Gaskin said the letter sent from the school principal was not consistent with CET’s policy.

“In times of anxiety and media attention we understand how messages can become confused, even when people have the best of goodwill. I would like to correct any possible misunderstanding this miscommunication may have caused,” he said.

“Further, I wish to give my personal assurance to every parent and carer of every student in our schools and colleges: Your decision to send your child back to school, for whatever reason, will be accepted without question.

“We won’t be asking you why your child is returning to school. Your child is welcome.”

Premier Peter Gutwein speaks at the daily COVID-19 update. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Meanwhile, statewide rules on schools will be in place until the end of term two but will be constantly under review, Premier Peter Gutwein said on Monday.

“When children all go back to school, there is a lot more movement through our communities,’’ he said.

“There are a lot more cars on the road. There are a lot more people at the school gate.

“This is about ensuring that we’ve got a system in place that can provide our children with the learning that they require.

“But where parents aren’t able to support children or they need to go to work, then the schools have remained open.”

Mr Gutwein said events on the school calendar like camps and graduations may be impacted by the rules, which he said was unfortunate but necessary.

Term two started on Monday for North-West students after additional restrictions in that region were lifted.

Schools in the North and South went back last week.