ACT schools close from Friday as teachers prepare for remote learning - The Canberra Times

ACT parents have been urged to keep their children home from school and childcare from Friday after a coronavirus case sent the territory into a snap seven-day lockdown. Schools, before and after school care and childcare providers will remain open for children of essential workers or for students in vulnerable circumstances. ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said public school teachers would spend the week preparing for a transition to remote learning. "From tomorrow, if you can keep your children at home, you must keep your children at home," Ms Berry said. "If you are an essential worker, if you are experiencing vulnerability, or if for some other reason you can't keep your children at home, then your children can still attend the local public school. "Public school teachers will spend this period of time moving and planning for and transitioning to remote education, should they be required after this initial lockdown period. "This means that normal schooling won't happen during this week." Teachers and school staff must wear masks if they are attending school during the lockdown period. Children who are aged 13 years and over must also wear a mask on campus. Catholic systemic schools will have two pupil-free days on Friday and Monday to allow teachers to prepare to start remote learning on Tuesday. Catholic secondary school students are on an pupil-free day today because teachers are involved in moderation day. Catholic primary schools and out of school hours care will continue to operate to normal times this afternoon. Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese director Ross Fox said it was important to note that remote learning was different to normal classroom practice and so expectations needed to be adjusted. "It's not going to be the same quality as in-person learning because we don't do it as much and there are constraints, but I'm confident... our teachers and schools are working really hard to provide a really good experience given the circumstances," Mr Fox said. READ MORE COVID-19 NEWS: Mr Fox said children of essential workers would be supervised at school if needed. He said Catholic schools will be in active communication with families and support their technology needs. Public, Catholic and independent schools have been preparing for the possibility of a lockdown and a return to remote learning. Principals have been advising teachers to take their laptops and materials home each day and to test their online platforms in recent weeks. Ms Berry encouraged public school families to access the home learning resources via the ACT Education Directorate website during the lockdown week. She said public schools would be checking with families over coming days to make sure they have access to devices and internet services. MORE COVID-19 NEWS: "I just want to reassure all of our school families and our public schools and across all schools in every sector that our teachers have been preparing for this moment," Ms Berry said. "None of us obviously expected it to occur so soon, and none of us really wanted to be in the space but we are. We are fully prepared and our teachers are ready to move to remote learning, should that circumstance arise." Schools in NSW council areas surrounding the ACT remain at level two restrictions, meaning students can attend school but are encouraged to wear masks if they are 13 years or older. Restriction on excursions and gatherings remain in place for these. Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT and the lockdown is free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

ACT parents have been urged to keep their children home from school and childcare from Friday after a coronavirus case sent the territory into a snap seven-day lockdown.

Schools, before and after school care and childcare providers will remain open for children of essential workers or for students in vulnerable circumstances.

ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said public school teachers would spend the week preparing for a transition to remote learning.

"From tomorrow, if you can keep your children at home, you must keep your children at home," Ms Berry said.

"If you are an essential worker, if you are experiencing vulnerability, or if for some other reason you can't keep your children at home, then your children can still attend the local public school.

"Public school teachers will spend this period of time moving and planning for and transitioning to remote education, should they be required after this initial lockdown period.

"This means that normal schooling won't happen during this week."

Teachers and school staff must wear masks if they are attending school during the lockdown period.

Children who are aged 13 years and over must also wear a mask on campus.

Catholic systemic schools will have two pupil-free days on Friday and Monday to allow teachers to prepare to start remote learning on Tuesday.

Catholic secondary school students are on an pupil-free day today because teachers are involved in moderation day.

Catholic primary schools and out of school hours care will continue to operate to normal times this afternoon.

Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn Archdiocese director Ross Fox said it was important to note that remote learning was different to normal classroom practice and so expectations needed to be adjusted.

"It's not going to be the same quality as in-person learning because we don't do it as much and there are constraints, but I'm confident... our teachers and schools are working really hard to provide a really good experience given the circumstances," Mr Fox said.

READ MORE COVID-19 NEWS:

Mr Fox said children of essential workers would be supervised at school if needed.

He said Catholic schools will be in active communication with families and support their technology needs.

Principals have been advising teachers to take their laptops and materials home each day and to test their online platforms in recent weeks.

She said public schools would be checking with families over coming days to make sure they have access to devices and internet services.

MORE COVID-19 NEWS:

"I just want to reassure all of our school families and our public schools and across all schools in every sector that our teachers have been preparing for this moment," Ms Berry said.

"None of us obviously expected it to occur so soon, and none of us really wanted to be in the space but we are. We are fully prepared and our teachers are ready to move to remote learning, should that circumstance arise."

Schools in NSW council areas surrounding the ACT remain at level two restrictions, meaning students can attend school but are encouraged to wear masks if they are 13 years or older. Restriction on excursions and gatherings remain in place for these.

Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT and the lockdown is free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:

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2021-08-12 04:18:00Z
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