Some schools to close their gates as coronavirus spreads
More boarding schools shift to remote learning in response to the continually changing COVID-19 social distancing advice, as government schools will now have a pupil-free day on Friday. Track the unfolding situation here.
THE Geelong College is transitioning to remote learning starting on Tuesday.
The co-educational school is the latest in a growing number of independent schools to move lessons online, in response to the continually changing advice about minimising the spread of COVID-19.
The school will have a pupil-free day tomorrow, while teachers prepare for the new system, with remote learning running for the final four days of term 1.
LATE on Friday, Government schools in Victoria received advice from the Deputy Secretary for Education that Friday, March 27 and Tuesday, April 14 would be additional pupil-free days for all public schools.
NAPLAN 2020 has also been cancelled.
METHODIST Ladies College has confirmed it will close classrooms starting on Monday, and deliver the rest of term 1 lessons through an online teaching system, following similar moves by at least five other independent schools in Victoria.
Principal Diana Vernon said the change would take place starting on Monday, March 23.
The MLC boarding house will begin a “staged closure” tomorrow, Friday, March 20.
“While we have no reported incidences of COVID 19 within our staff or student community, we have acknowledged the growing rate of infection in the broader community, the fact that many of our students travel to school on public transport,” said Ms Vernon in a statement.
“At the heart of our decision making continues to be our students’ learning, as well as the health, safety and wellbeing of all members of the college and broader community.”
GIPPSLAND Grammar will stop all on-campus classes from Monday, March 23, and deliver the last week of Term 1 using an online remote-learning system, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The independent school has three campuses, two at Sale and one at Bairnsdale.
The school expects normal schooling to resume early in term 2, with the exact date still to be determined.
“In a time of uncertainty, we are proud of how our teachers have adapted this new teaching model and how well students have risen to the challenge,” principal David Baker said.
“As always, the wellbeing of our community is our top priority.
“While there are still no reported cases of COVID-19 infection within the Gippsland Grammar community, the decision to move to Learn@Home came as the school’s COVID-19 response team felt there was no real way a school could ensure the social distancing recommended by health authorities and government.”
Gippsland Grammar’s teachers and students have been trialling the new style of learning during the past several weeks and will go through a three-day transition period from Monday, March 23 to Wednesday, March 25.
The school has also postponed its biennial Fair, scheduled for Saturday, March 21 and cancelled camps, excursions, sporting commitments, assemblies, chapel services, parent teacher interviews and music concerts.
CAULFIELD Grammar School and Melbourne Girls Grammar have suspended classroom teaching, moving all lessons to an online teaching system that allows students to continue their studies at home.
MGGS principal Dr Toni Meath released a statement that said the decision was “ethical” and made to protect students, staff and vulnerable members of the community.
“One of the many strengths of MGGS is our innovative work in the learning technology space and in our ability to deliver our curriculum online in remote settings,” Dr Meath’s statement said.
“It is now time to put this learning in to action. We have taken the decision to ask all students to work from home from Tuesday 17 March 2020 as we transition to remote learning.
“By taking this initiative we can facilitate a smooth transition to remote learning in a calm and timely manner.”
Other boarding schools, including Melbourne Grammar School, Ballarat Clarendon College and Hamilton and Alexandra College have released statements saying they support the advice of Victorian chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton, who wrote to all principals yesterday telling them the best course of action was to keep schools open.
“The health advice on school closures from previous respiratory epidemics shows the health costs are often underestimated and the benefits are over-estimated,” he said in the letter.
His statement also said that up to 30 per cent of the healthcare workforce may need to take time off to care for children if schools were to close.
BALLARAT Grammar will close its campus to students at 3.20pm on Thursday, March 19, and deliver the remainder of classes through on online learning platform, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Principal Adam Heath said the school had been monitoring the quickly evolving situation and had taken the conservative step for the health and wellbeing of its students, staff, parents and wider Ballarat community.
“We have one of the largest boarding communities in Victoria,” Mr Heath said. “So, we are not just talking about students coming and going from school every day. There are over 200 students residing here.
“When you look at mitigation strategies used in other countries, the only real strategy we can find where there is research to show it works is something referred to as social distancing, which is when you keep two metres between people.
“That is simply not achievable in a school environment. So, it was literally a question of either we have school or we don’t.
“In our particular context, the most prudent decision was to move to online learning in a calm and orderly way over four days.”
Mr Heath confirmed Ballarat Grammar had no diagnosed cases of COVID-19. He said the move to online learning was in response to information from the World Health Organisation, Federal Government and advice from medical professionals who are part of the school community.
Students including boarders will remain on campus until the end of Thursday, to make the transition to online learning easier.
For six days from Friday March 20 to the end of Term 1, on Friday March 27, the school’s nearly 2000 students and staff will continue classes using the digital platform.
Mr Heath said the school would review the situation and provide further advice to families about what will happen in Term 2, which may also include a period of learning at home.
Ballarat Grammar’s announcement follows the news that Geelong Grammar will close for student learning and activities until further notice from Wednesday, March 18.
Interstate boarders at St Patrick’s College in Ballarat have been sent home early in response to COVID-19, and the school has cancelled all non-essential activities, including its annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations which were scheduled for tomorrow.
Director of community development Paul Nolan said the boys’ school was delivering academic lessons on campus, but would not run any assemblies, sporting events or other extra-curricular activities for the safety of students and the community.
Gippsland Grammar remains open this week, but has cancelled its biennial school fair, which was due to be held on Saturday, March 21.
The independent school said staff were ready to implement an online learning system, which was trialled earlier this year.
It has cancelled assemblies, camps and excursions until further notice.
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