ACT public school students went back today – but for how long? Last term’s restrictions will continue for the next fortnight, and are expected to be lifted as schools return to normal. But the ACT Education Directorate predicts that some schools could return to remote learning as COVID cases increase during winter.
Last week, the Directorate advised that COVID-19 restrictions in ACT public schools will remain as they were in Term One for at least the first two weeks of Term Two. This means that public school staff and secondary students will continue to wear masks; Check in CBR app will continue to be required for visitors; and household close contacts will not be able to attend public school sites, even if they are asymptomatic.
Rapid antigen tests will be available for students on request during Term Two, as they were in the final weeks of last term.
For the first two weeks of this term, a Directorate spokesperson said, public schools will consult staff and review COVID safety plans for the rest of the term. School principals met the Education Directorate today.
“We are hoping to move towards settings that allow more interaction between families and their schools, as well as an increased range of activities for students,” the spokesperson said.
Public schools will communicate directly with staff, parents, and carers as COVID safety measures are adjusted.
“If we can reduce or change our COVID management plans from what’s been in place in the first term of this year, we will,” said Yvette Berry, ACT Minister for Education and Youth Affairs. “For the next two weeks, if we can change it to be earlier than that, then we will.”
But the ACT Government will consult school staff and teachers first. After a “particularly challenging” Term One, the government believes teachers should rest, rather than worry about procedures.
“We wanted to make sure they had a really good break where they didn’t have to think about what was coming when they return to school,” Ms Berry said. “We didn’t want to interrupt that break for our school staff.”
The Australian Education Union – ACT branch considers the continuation of COVID safety measures for schools “entirely appropriate” for the start of this term. “It allows for proper work health and safety consultation and planning to be conducted,” said president Angela Burroughs.
Remote learning could return
The Education Directorate expects more schools will temporarily move to remote learning this term, “where a circuit breaker is needed to overcome a significant short-term teacher shortage,” the spokesperson said.
Teacher numbers are already limited, primarily because staff are isolating with COVID-19 or as household contacts, and further COVID-19 spikes are expected to impact the workforce come winter.
The Directorate would access relief staff, collapse classes, or move temporarily to remote learning if necessary.
Schools will monitor staff and student attendance daily, and make workforce decisions in the best interests of staff and students, the spokesperson continued.
“We don’t know what the ’flu season is going to bring us this winter, but we know that it will have an impact,” Ms Berry said. “So we’re prepared for that. That will likely mean more of our schools, or cohorts within our schools, will need to move to temporary remote education.”
Ms Berry reassured the public: “We shouldn’t be worried about going to remote education.
“As frustrating as that is, we’re prepared; we have great systems in place within our public schools. We have fantastic online internet resources; we have Chrome books; we have wi-fi available for families who need it; and our teachers are well prepared and trained to do this.”
“This possibility has always been part of the planning,” Ms Burroughs (AEU ACT) said. “It has always been recognised that Terms Two and Three would be more challenging as historically those are the periods when more staff absences occur. Our members want to be at school teaching, but if it is not safe to do so, moving to remote learning is an excellent way to ensure continuity of learning.”
To make school easier for staff and students, Ms Burroughs believes the ACT Government should address school leader and teacher workload and staffing shortages.
She considered measures to relieve workload pressures for Term Two “a positive development”. The teacher Workforce Taskforce was working through these and other strategies, and would report to Ms Berry later this year.
