Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has just announced a return to school from May 25 with all students back by June 9.
Here are the key dates:
- On May 25, a pupil-free day;
- On May 26, prep, 1, 2, years 11 and 12, including year 10 students; undertaking VCE return. All special schools reopen; and
- On June 9, years 3 and 10 will join.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and said prep, grade 1, 2, year 11 and year 12 students will return on May 26. Years 3 and 10 will join on June 9.
“This is a staged approach, a staggered approach, both in terms of public health – to limit the number of people that are moving throughout the Victorian community – and also for a whole range of practical reasons, to give schools the appropriate time to move back to face-to-face teaching,” he said.
Catholic schools are expected to adopt the same timeline.
He said the Catholic Education Commission “will make announcements later today but we expect they will adopt a similar timeline to the one outlined today”.
The premier said the last four weeks have been very challenging for parents.
“With three students in my own household, all learning from home, including our eldest, who’s doing year 12, I know and understand this has not been easy.
“But it has made a profound difference. A profound difference to the number of cases that we have, and our prospects for even further rule changes as we move throughout May and into June.”
The premier said there will be new rules.
“There will be different practices. School will look different than what it would normally look like. Drop-offs – there will be a whole range of protocols so, we don’t have adults mingling, we don’t have parents mingling. There will be staggered drop-offs, there will be staggered breaks for play for lunch.
“Adults, teachers and staff, will socially distance. That will be challenging.”
Victorian schools to be cleaned every day
“So that means government schools, in addition to the normal cleaning that happens, there will be cleaning every day – disinfect cleaning, high-touch points, every single day throughout the course of the day at schools for the rest of this term and all of term 3,” Education Minister James Merlino said.
Special schools to open on May 26
“So the timeline the Premier has outlined is for two weeks’ notice. On 25 May, a pupil-free day, on 26 May, we have prep, 1, 2, years 11 and 12, including Year 10 students undertaking VCE.
“Also, this is important with quite a bit of work in this space, all special schools will open in full on 26 May.
“This has been one of the most challenging cohorts of kids, children with complex, additional needs.
“This has been really, really tough on parents so the right thing to do as we transition back on 26 May with prep, 1, 2, year 11 and 12 plus VCE students in mainstream schools and all special schools back on the 26th.”
Some staff advised to still work from home
He said any staff member who is aged aged over 70, aged over 65 with a medical condition, or is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander over 50 and with a medical condition, should speak to their doctor about whether they should continue to work from home.
“So for that cohort of people which represents about 2 per cent of our workforce, for that cohort of people, seek some further medical advice and consider working from home.
“We’ve got the capacity to cover that gap if all of those teachers and staff work remotely, but that is the only exception.”