All grade 7 Victorian students will resume face-to-face learning next Monday, while grades 8, 9 and 10 return to classrooms on October 26
Education Minister James Merlino said the decision was based on updated public health advice that took into account Victoria’s progress in beating the second wave of coronavirus
The state registered nine new cases overnight and Melbourne’s 14-day moving average of new cases has fallen to 116
M Merlino said Grade 7 was a « landmark year » and he was happy to be able to announce their return to classroom learning starting October 12th.
« This is their first year in high school so I’m so happy that we got the advice from public health so we can resume 7th grade next week, alongside all the primary schools, VCE / VCAL and specials, « he said
He said the grade 8-10 cohort, which numbered around 164,000 students, returned a fortnight later in October to stage the increased movement of students, parents, teachers, caregivers and staff
« The two weeks gives us time to monitor the impact as we bring 50,000 grade 7 students back alongside grades 11 and 12, » he said
« We have this two-week impact to monitor both the return of these students, the increase in movement of people as well as all the strategies in place at the school level »
M Merlino said that a fortnight was also a full incubation period and that the subsequent return of students from years 8, 9 and 10 would coincide with the period when many VCE students were studying for the exams and so the students could space better
He said “everyone” will wear a mask in high schools and that pickup and drop-off times will be staggered “where appropriate”
« There will be physical distancing at the school gate, there will be a very strong message to parents », he says
« This is the pick-up and drop-off. This is not about dropping off your children and chatting at the school gate, as much as you would like to do »
How kids got to school would be a judgment call for families, Chief Medical Officer of Health Brett Sutton said
It would be reasonable, he said, for a parent to drive their children to school if social distancing was not possible on public transport
« But if you can be in those little four-seater spaces, maybe with your group of friends from your class that you would interact with socially, then that’s probably not a problem, » a- he declared
M Merlino said school camps would not be allowed in schools in the Melbourne metropolis, but music lessons, physical education, art and school sports would continue
He said the primary goal of schools would be to conduct individual student mental health and well-being checks
The minister said individual assessments will be carried out to see which students need extra help to catch up on learning difficulties
The forays and excursions should be done online for now, Mr. Merlino, due to restrictions on the number of adults on site in schools
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Student, School, Victoria, James Merlino, Grade 7, Secondary School, Melbourne, Primary School
News from around the world – AU – All students in Victorian schools will return to learning in class this month
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
