Classrooms empty as school attendance rates plummet amid strict lockdown measures

The attendance rate at some public schools has hit single figures after the Premier requested children be kept home as part of new measures to limit the spread of coronavirus.

THERE is an unusual quiet in Tasmanian schools with parents having responded to the Government’s call for them to keep children at home if possible.

The preliminary statewide attendance rate fell to just 12 per cent on Monday after Premier Peter Gutwein made the request as part of new measures to limit the spread of coronavirus.

According to Department of Education data, attendance rates were already plummeting with 50.6 per cent in classes on Wednesday last week, 44.2 per cent on Thursday and 40 per cent on Friday.

Some schools recorded attendance rates of 7 and 8 per cent on Monday with most of the attending students the children of teachers and other essential service workers.

Australian Primary Principals Association president Malcolm Elliott said schools around the country recorded 20-30 per cent declines in enrolment in the early stages of the pandemic, but that had increased significantly in recent days.

He said it was good to see the plan set by the national cabinet with the advice of the chief medical officer was being followed.

“We take absolute direction from that because we’re not doctors,” he said.

Australian Primary Principals Association president Malcolm Elliott.

Mr Elliott said it was an “interesting phase” with parents being required to take on some of the learning responsibilities for their children.

“It’s a really complicated space. The vast majority of parents are not trained teachers and there seems to have been an expectation that somehow parents will replace teachers in the role of learning for kids and that’s just not possible.

“Parents are taking on far too much pressure, when in fact they should be being a little kinder to themselves and making sure their connection with their child’s school is nice and clear and that they are able to build up a program of appropriate educational activity.”

Tasmanian Principals Association president Dr Sally Milbourne said the state’s decline in attendance was “remarkable” and would be the same around the nation.

Tasmanian Principals Association president Dr Sally Milbourne.

It is not yet known whether schools will reopen for on-site learning in term two, but teachers are now preparing for online and at-home delivery.

“It’s a significant undertaking and I take my hat off to leaders and teachers for the work that they’re doing in preparing for that,” she said.

“These are very uncertain times for us all and what I see and what I hear about and what I’m just in awe of, is the work that is being done in schools to enable the learning of our students to proceed.”

The school holidays have been brought forward four days to April 6 so teachers can prepare for online delivery.

Parents can find at-home learning resources on the Department of Education website (www.education.tas.gov.au) and following the Learning at Home link.