Independent schools deliver classes online as state schools shut for holidays
Independent schools are exempt from Premier Daniel Andrews’ coronavirus-induced campus shutdown, with remote-learning programs delivering classes until Friday.
MANY independent schools are parting ways with Premier Daniel Andrews’ early school holidays directive by continuing remote-learning programs until the end of this week.
The Geelong College, Gippsland Grammar and Ballarat Grammar today confirmed their remote-learning programs would continue until Friday, with classes delivered using online technology.
The Geelong College principal Dr Peter Miller sent a letter to parents confirming the plans.
“The announcement by the Victorian Premier this morning about the commencement of Government school holidays from tomorrow (Tuesday) has no bearing on the situation for us at this time,” Dr Miller said in the letter.
“Our plan to continue with remote learning remains unchanged for this week.
“As I have said before, there are many challenges ahead with this approach. We are seeking to anticipate these and address them ahead of time.”
Gippsland Grammar communications officer Lisa Baker said students and teachers had a smooth start to using their school’s system, which enabled even instrumental music and Japanese lessons to continue.
“The vibe was positive and exciting as we embrace this new way of learning and possibly living,” she told The Weekly Times.
International boarding students trialled Gippsland Grammar’s online teaching and learning system earlier this term.
Gippsland Grammar’s decision to continue remote learning came after Ballarat Grammar took the lead with an announcement earlier today that students from Prep to Year 12 would be remote learning until the end of the school day on Friday.
Ballarat Grammar principal Adam Heath said the school did not deliberate about changing course in light of the premier’s announcement yesterday.
“Minutes of learning are too precious so we wanted to press ahead with this,” Mr Heath said.
“It was something we had promised to our students and families.
“We sent a short message to students and parents to reaffirm our commitment to deliver learning for home from today to Friday this week.”
Independent Schools Victoria chief executive Michelle Green said she had sought “urgent clarification” from the Victorian Government about the school holiday start date.
“Our understanding is that this announcement is not mandatory for independent schools,” Ms Green said.
”We understand about 50 of our member schools had already implemented online learning by the end of last week, or planned to introduce it from Monday this week. Others were considering bringing forward the start of the first term holidays.”
About 220 independent schools are members of the peak body.
“Like everyone in the community, school leaders have at times been confused and frustrated by the rapid turn of events and sudden shifts in official announcements,” Ms Green said.
“We have recommended that schools follow government advice, which is based in turn on the advice of senior health and medical officers. But we recognise that individual independent schools have a right to take their own decisions to protect the health and wellbeing of their students, staff and parents.”
Melbourne Girls Grammar also confirmed it would continue delivering its programs remotely to students until its scheduled end of term 1 on Thursday, March 26.
Ballarat Clarendon College will trial its remote-learning program on Tuesday and Wednesday, delivering curriculum to some senior students.
Clarendon head of communications Jennifer McGie said teachers would remain on campus until Wednesday, after the majority of their students started school holidays today.
“Our plan is to identify and rectify any technical issues by enabling students to test the technology at home; alleviate student concerns; and provide reassurance that, in the event of closure, there is an effective plan in place,” said Ms McGie.
LEADING IN BALLARAT
Ballarat Grammar was one of the first schools in the nation to shift to remote learning, with the school making an initial announcement last Monday, March 16.
All boarders were sent home on Thursday, March 19, and the coeducational school started its online teaching and learning program on Friday, March 20.
Mr Heath was one of the first school administrators in Victoria to decide that classroom learning was not compatible with the Government’s social-distancing advice.
He said ambiguous decision-making by ministers had made planning the coronavirus response more difficult for some schools.
“We made decisions last Monday, and were only the second school in Australia to decide to move to online learning,” he said. “By Tuesday afternoon there were 20 others who followed suit, by Thursday afternoon there were 30.
“That process was very complex due to ambiguity across state and federal decision-making.”
He said Ballarat Grammar had spent the past week equipping teachers with tools they needed to deliver curriculum in an engaging way and managing plans for students who had connectivity issues at home.
“In our boarding community, we had 58 students in that category,” Mr Heath said.
“We needed to ascertain who in our community had low-level connectivity and give them the learning materials that they needed so they could carry on with their work.”
He said teachers were delivering the online lesson from on-campus classrooms compliant with all workplace health advice, but from Wednesday would be equipped to deliver curriculum remotely.
“Teachers have been working night and day to deliver this,” he said.
“From Wednesday, it will be for staff to determine if they want to work from home or school.
“There are a number of schools for whom this is a bigger step, because they don’t have the online learning communities as prepared as we have. We are offering to share resources and assist any school or other learning institution about what we have learnt along the way to help them.”
Academic lessons have not been the only concern for Ballarat Grammar staff.
“The part of the program that we have been planing really intensively is the online delivery of pastoral care,” Mr Heath said.
Staff have organised online activities such as air-guitar video challenges and cooking competitions to help fill the void left by cancelled sporting and co-curricular events.
“We are conscious that a lot of things that students love doing like sport are not available to them,” Mr Heath said.
Meanwhile, The Hamilton and Alexandra College has confirmed it will not go ahead with its previously announced remote-learning plans this week.
The Western District independent school will instead comply with the Victorian Premier’s directive and start school holidays on Tuesday.
Schools including The Geelong College, Gippsland Grammar and Melbourne Grammar School are still deliberating about whether to continue with remote learning.
SUNDAY SCRAMBLE
THE announcements come after news that school principals and staff were swiftly making arrangements Sunday afternoon, following Mr Andrews’ public statement that Monday would be the final day of term 1.
The decision to bring school holidays forward by four days in response to the escalating number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Victoria caused some schools to reassess their online remote learning plans.
Government schools Sunday evening issued alerts to parents confirming the final day of classes would be Monday.
Speaking to The Weekly Times on Sunday, Apollo Bay P-12 College principal Tiffany Holt said she had no “inside information” before the announcement, and learned about the change at the same time as the general public through media reports.
She said the past week had been “very challenging” for teachers.
The small school of 285 students had approximately 60-80 students absent each day last week, with some students also suffering from a common cold and a strain of flu, Ms Holt said.
PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS TO STAY HOME
INDY SCHOOLS GOING ONLINE AS VIRUS SPREADS
Ballarat Clarendon College and St Patrick’s College Ballarat both confirmed they would follow the premier’s directive and begin the school holidays at the end of Monday.
“Our online delivery of the curriculum will wait,” said Ballarat Clarendon head of communications Jennifer McGie on Sunday.
“We have buses organised to ensure boarders get home.”
St Patrick’s College director of community development Paul Nolan said the school would comply with all government directives, “meaning school holidays start on Tuesday; no online learning this week”, he said.
Other schools that had previously announced a shift from classroom learning to remote-learning programs include Melbourne Grammar School, Methodist Ladies’ College, Melbourne Girls Grammar and Caulfield Grammar.
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