Health & Safety

For those of you moving towards e-learning in the coming days, weeks and months... It’s not realistic to think that instructors can rejig their face-to-face course into a fully robust online format in a matter of days, or to expect students will have unlimited time for learning.

Although the risk is small, teachers aged above 65 or who have a chronic condition, should consider not going to school. It is advisable for schools to have policies in place to ensure people in the higher risk groups are supported if they need to stay away for a period of time.

Asked about the risk of students transmitting COVID-19 to teachers and school staff, the National Cabinet said it believes there is no significant evidence of transmission in a school and it does not want to sacrifice a year of education for Australian children if possible.

Getting through all these curve-balls will be a challenge for all. Some schools are closed, others remain open, the government has yet to issue a lockdown but that may change... The line between teacher and parent will blur! Self-care is essential.

Professor of Educational Psychology Andrew Martin offers a five-point guide for educators in the face of COVID-19. Due to the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) there will be increasing reliance on online learning for school students. From my perspective as an educational psychologist, I propose five key considerations for educators to …

The NSW department of education offers a closer look at its recommendations for schools in the state that has so far been worst-affected by coronavirus pandemic...

Federal government prepares for widespread school closures as the risk of community transmission rises.

Without a concrete national plan, individual schools rely on state and territory advice, which varies significantly (see NSW and NT). This may mean there will be an untimely and inconsistent response to containing COVID-19 in schools across Australia.

Even without closures, the fewer numbers of students across Australia will impact on casual staff in both the childcare and school sectors. But if both were to close their doors, this may mean a massive loss to Australia’s workforce and economy.

The government announced this decision based  on the latest public health advice on social distancing measures.