Released 08/04/2020
At the start of term 2, ACT public schools will be moving to an alternative delivery of learning with most students to undertake their learning from home.
ACT public schools will move to remote learning in term 2, beginning Tuesday 28 April. This will be different from what families have experienced over the last few weeks, while teachers have been developing a new kind of learning.
Most public school students will undertake their learning from home.
For parents and carers who cannot keep their children at home, due to work or additional needs, the ACT Government will provide supervision at a reduced number of public school sites for these students to continue to be provided with support.
Students at these sites will be supervised by Out of School Hours Care staff supported by teaching staff, and allied health and support staff. Students at these sites will be undertaking the same remote learning program as their peers at home.
The ACT's four specialist school settings will continue to be available for students enrolled in these schools. Muliyan, the Off Campus Flexible Learning Program, will also be available for those who need it.
The Education Directorate is asking families to register their children through an online form if they are unable to have their children at home. This will assist the government to confirm how many and which school sites will be required to host children who continue to attend. This will also consider students who are usually in a Learning Support Unit or who have other additional needs.
More information about which schools will be designated school sites will be available soon based on parent registration information.
Additional supports will be in place for vulnerable students studying from home, including appointments with school psychologists.
Over the last few weeks thousands of teachers in the ACT have been learning a new way to deliver what they do best—supporting our children to learn.
Wherever a child is learning, it will be delivered by their own school. Families will still be part of their usual school community with the classmates, school leaders and teachers they know.
Families will be able to flexibly access classes run by teachers remotely while continuing to focus on the wellbeing of their children and their household needs. Parents are not being asked to become teachers, their job remains to care for the wellbeing of their children. Our expert teachers will continue to teach and are adapting to be able to do this remotely.
All remote learning will be designed and delivered by teachers. Teachers will set a number of tasks for the week for students to complete at home, and they will be checking in with students regularly over the phone, email or through video conferencing.
If public school students don't have access to a device or a computer at home, the ACT Government will provide one, along with internet access for families who need it. Families should contact their school to organise a device.
Examples of tasks may include watching pre-recorded videos from teachers, listening to music, undertaking physical activity, doing a simple home based science experiment, reading, online maths activities or making models out of cardboard boxes. All tasks will be age appropriate and not too different to learning that would usually happen in school.
For the younger students, who learn through play, teachers will provide packs with materials they might need such as dice and cards for maths games.
While routines are important for a child's mental health and wellbeing, there is no need for families to stick to a rigid, timetabled 9am to 3pm school day. For example, early rising children might like to get started on their tasks first thing in the morning, while other might start later in the day.
However, teachers will only be available during their normal work hours while they continue to support learning for their whole class.
The ACT Government is also working to ensure that transport options are available for public school students needing to access a school site.
At the end of term 2, this new approach will be reviewed to assist planning for term 3.
As announced yesterday, year 11 and 12 students will continue to be able to work towards a senior secondary certificate and ATAR, if relevant, with assessment modified so that it remains fair for every student.
I would like to thank parents, teachers, school support staff, and early childhood educators for their patience and understanding as the ACT Government rapidly responds to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to parents and carers, for keeping children at home. This has allowed our schools to plan and prepare for how learning will continue.
For the Big Canberra Easter Egg Hunt visit yvetteberry.com.au/news/latest-news/easter-egg-hunt/
- Statement ends -
Yvette Berry, MLA | Media Releases