By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The new frontier of online schooling came as no surprise at St Therese’s Primary School in Cranbourne.
As part of Covid-19 safety measures, Victorian school students – with limited exceptions – will learn at home for Term 2 starting on 15 April.
They will be taught through online portals, with the majority of teachers also working from home.
At St Therese’s, students took home a “remote schooling pack” at the end of Term 1. Holidays started early to allow the school to adopt the remote-learning change.
The pack included workbooks, pens, pencils and laminated maths games. Their contact with school is through an “online student learning portal”.
Where necessary, families have been loaned devices to access the virtual classroom.
Principal Michelle Bruitzman said staff, students and their families had embraced the necessary change.
“Families are preparing to become a more active part of their child’s formal education, which will help students become self-motivated and independent learners
“I thank our students for the way they have adapted to the changes that have been imposed on them in such a short period of time.
“We are encouraged by their abundant enthusiasm to provide innovative and engaging learning opportunities, whether they are at school or learning from home.”
Catholic Education for the Diocese of Sale director Maria Kirkwood said schools were working hard to provide “normality” in “unprecedented times”.
Education Minister James Merlino said free internet access and laptops would be available to students in need during the lockdown. All students’ learning needs would be supported, he said.
“We will provide a device to every child that needs one and provide thousands more with free internet.” There were no “hard and fast rules” on student exemptions from remote learning, Mr Merlino said.
He cited students whose parents can’t work from home such as those in supermarkets, emergency services or health care.
Or the students may have special needs such as living in out-of-home care or disabilities that require on-campus learning, Mr Merlino said.
Year 12 VCE and VCAL students will complete their school years by December, but it would be a “different” year, Mr Merlino said.
The GAT test will move from June to October or November, and end of year exams postponed until at least December. The exam schedule may be compressed, with shorter exams.
School-based assessment tasks (SATs) will be reduced.
Universities may be required to delay the start of their 2021 courses.
