Fires and virus no match for Mallacoota students
This remote East Gippsland school has come out of the fire and into the frying pan, but is coping with the huge challenge of remote learning in its stride.
STUDENTS in bushfire-ravaged Mallacoota are in the spotlight again for their resilience in the face of crisis.
After living through January’s devastating East Gippsland bushfires, the 141 children who attend Mallacoota P-12 College are learning remotely under coronavirus restrictions.
Teachers are working tirelessly to deliver seamless learning. Laptops and internet dongles provided by not-for-profit group State Schools Relief have also been a huge help.
“It has certainly been challenging and still is challenging around connectivity,” said principal Tim Cashmore, who just four months ago was celebrating amazing VCE results achieved by senior students.
“We have some students living quite remotely between the border of Mallacoota and NSW who do struggle to get internet access and even struggle to get to school,” he said.
“Some students have to come by boat — or an hour drive ... and that is not an hour drive down the Hume Highway. It is some pretty rugged terrain.”
Access to digital devices and a reliable internet connection have become imperative to allow Mallacoota’s teachers keep these students on track, which is Mr Cashmore’s main priority.
He said he and a group of principals in fire-affected East Gippsland towns made a submission to the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, asking them to adjust exams and curriculum so VCE timetables and students’ career pathways could be maintained.
“I’m vitally interested about landing my students in the pathway of their choice,” he said.
Keeping Mallacoota locals safe is also a priority.
“We will be very mindful around all the protocols of keeping COVID away from our community,” Mr Cashmore said. “I think it is really important we follow our health officers’ direction and instruction. Our premier has led magnificently in terms of Victorians’ safety, guided by our state minister for health. We will be guided by them.
“Of course we would like the kids to come back tomorrow if possible, but that is not possible at the moment. If we have to stay at remote learning, so be it, we will stretch and make do.”
Mr Cashmore said the school was open to any families that need on-site classes, and 12-15 students had attended on average, with 10 staff on campus.
Students in Prep to Year 4 are receiving hard copies of school work while students in Years 5 and up are taught using digital technology to the normal daily timetable.
Mallacoota P-12 has received help from State Schools Victoria, which is providing laptops and internet USB dongles to financially disadvantaged Year 12 students across the state.
“State Schools Relief — as they have always done — have done a fantastic job in responding to not just disadvantaged students, but disadvantaged schools too,” Mr Cashmore said.
“We had a cache of laptops and connectivity dongles arrive last week. And there are more to come.”
State Schools Relief chief executive Sue Karzis said they were able to divert funds that would have gone to providing uniforms and shoes, to instead assist families who were unable to afford the cost of a device and internet connectivity.
“State Schools’ Relief, with the support of the state government, is pleased to be able to offer Year 12 students support with learning devices and internet connectivity during such a crucial period in their learning,” she said.
Lenovo 11E laptops, internet USBs with 50GB of data a month for three months, desks, chairs and stationery are available for students whose families are experiencing financial difficulty.
Mr Cashmore said despite Mallacoota trying to cope with the “double whammy” of bushfires and coronavirus, residents were pulling together.
“The support people are showing for each other is something to behold in my opinion,” he said, “and I am proud to be part of this community in terms of being the principal.”
Teachers at government schools across Victoria can apply for State Schools Victoria assistance here: Ssr.net.au/schools/
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