We all hoped that we wouldn't need to have further lockdowns to manage the spread of COVID-19, but unfortunately that is not the case. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that AEU members are now very well-drilled in supporting each other and our students and their families during challenging times.
With Victoria entering Stage 4 restrictions for the next five days, the Department of Education and Training (DET) has issued advice to schools about arrangements during lockdown and for the provision of educational programs to students.
School staff will work from home throughout the lockdown, unless they are attending on-site to provide learning programs for vulnerable students and children of essential workers. These arrangements are similar to those which applied in earlier lockdowns.
The DET advice asks school staff to provide opportunities for students to learn from home. Importantly the Department has advised that this is to be done to the “extent possible”.
Given the timing of the lockdown announcement and the workload constraints, members should endeavour to provide some learning activities for students, however this does not require members to provide a wide-ranging program as was done during the remote learning periods in 2020.
Premier Andrews at today’s press conference made that clear by saying, “there may well be some limited remote learning but it would not be, I don’t think, a situation that was akin to where we were last year.”
Where members are attending on-site they should ensure that all relevant elements of their school’s COVID-19 Safety Management Plan are in place – you can find more information here.
