The information in the Weekly Wrap is aggregated from other news sources to provide you with news that is relevant to the education sector across Australia and worldwide. Each paragraph is a summary of the subject matter covered in the particular news article. The information does not necessarily reflect the views of CompliSpace.

AUSTRALIA

PM outlines seven principles for schools ahead of Term 2

The Educator reports that in a media conference last Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlined a list of seven principles have been adopted by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) on the advice of the medical expert panel. The seven principles are: Schools are critical to the delivery of high-quality education. Alternative, flexible, remote delivery of education services may be needed. Schools must be healthy and safe environments for students, teachers and other staff. State and territory governments and non-government sector authorities are responsible for making operational decisions for their school systems respectively, subject to compliance with relevant funding agreements with the Commonwealth. Decisions regarding the response to COVID-19 in the schooling sector must continue to be informed by expert, official national and state-based public health, and education advice, consistent with these national principles. All students must continue to be supported by their school to ensure participation in quality education during the COVID-19 crisis The health advice consistently provided by the AHPPC is that attendance at a school campus for education represents a very low health risk to students. During the conference, Mr Morrison reiterated that the expert health advice “remains very clear that schools are a safe place for children to be” and defended the Federal Government’s decision to keep schools open. On Thursday, the Catholic education sector welcomed the National Principles for School Education response to COVID-19.

Coronavirus: States divided on the time frame for reopening schools

According to The Australian, state and territory governments have failed to reach a national consensus on reopening schools during term two, despite pleas from Scott Morrison to get classrooms back to full capacity. The national cabinet last Thursday agreed to a seven-point strategy supporting schools, but approaches on reopening classrooms will vary between states and territories. Victoria and NSW, which experienced large spikes in COVID-19 cases and community transmission hotspots, have adopted more cautious positions on the timing for reopening schools. The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee last Thursday night published advice provided to the national cabinet, outlining measures to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 in schools. Australia’s chief health officers said physical distancing, risks to vulnerable populations in schools, hygiene, environmental cleaning, psychological wellbeing and communication were the key priorities for governments to consider when reopening schools.

Rostering system to guide NSW schools return in term two

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says a rostering system may be used to stagger the return to classroom schooling in term two, rather than encouraging all students to return at once. Ms Berejiklian sought to further clarify the confusion around school returns last Friday, after announcing on Thursday that face-to-face teaching would resume on May 11, the third week of term two. "I want to stress this does not mean all students are going back. This does not mean all classrooms will be full," Ms Berejiklian said. Instead, the Premier said the government was considering implementing a roster system "to provide at least some aspect of face-to-face [teaching] for each student". She said the rostering system was yet to be determined, but could mean some students attend school on certain days. Schools, teachers and parents are expected to have around three weeks to prepare for the new system. NSW students are currently on holidays, with term two beginning on April 27. Week three begins on May 11.

School shutdowns could be reviewed, Premier says

The Age reports that Victoria could soften its hardline stance on school closures if the state's coronavirus infection rate remains stable, the Premier says. The state announced its fifteenth death from the virus on Sunday, with nine more diagnoses bringing the number of cases to 1328. Importantly though, there were no new cases of community transmission. Premier Daniel Andrews said on Sunday he believed schools would stay closed until the end of term two but “if we were continuing to see very stable numbers … then of course we would always reserve the right to look at those restrictions". In four weeks, there may be an opportunity to ease some social distancing restrictions with “high economic reward”, or to thank Victorians for their hard work in suppressing the virus, Mr Andrews told Sky News. The Premier said Victoria had become so successful at suppressing the virus - considering the relatively low number of positive cases each day - that the "notion of being able to eliminate coronavirus comes within reach".

“We can't do this”: Worried parents ask principals to take their kids

According to The Age, overwhelmed parents began calling Victorian school principals after only one day of home schooling to beg that their children be allowed to return to regular classes. Their pleas came as Victorian Education Minister James Merlino last Thursday revealed public schools had recorded an on-campus attendance rate of 3 per cent, saying parents understood his government’s directive that “if you can learn at home, you must learn at home”. Anne-Maree Kliman, President of the Victorian Primary Principals’ Association, said parents of students in early primary school in particular expressed concern to principals on Thursday that they would not be able to adequately support their children’s learning. “Principals have told me that while student numbers are still very low in schools, some parents are finding it difficult to follow the work set by teachers,” she said.

Queensland students start learning at home as school resumes under shadow of coronavirus

The ABC News reports that Queensland parents were urged to exercise patience and contact principals if they were unsure about whether they could send their child to school when term two resumed on Monday. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk thanked families for their understanding so far, as many students prepare to learn from home amid coronavirus restrictions. Schools will only be open to children of essential workers for the first five weeks of term, with the measures to be reviewed on May 17. When asked if children of non-essential workers would be turned away, Education Minister Grace Grace said no child would be left in an unsafe situation, but parents should seek clarity from the schools if they were not sure if their child can attend. Queensland Teachers Union president Kevin Bates said it was important to "keep a lid" on the number of students at school. "The key issue for us, in any attempt to broaden the definition of who are essential workers, is it will create a situation where we have too many students at school to actually be able to have that 1 to 12 ratio, which has been determined as the safe level.”

One in four Catholic school families pleading for fee relief

The Advertiser reports that Catholic Education SA, which represents 101 schools in SA, has told the Sunday Mail that as many as one in every four families at “some schools” is seeking fee remission. “The reality is all of our 101 schools have a number of families under financial pressure,” Catholic Education SA director Dr Neil McGoran said. “We expect to receive more requests for fee relief when school goes back for Term 2.” Dr McGoran said it was “too early” to give a number of how many schools had parents asking for help. Catholic Education SA announced on April 1 that all Catholic schools would provide fee remissions to families “financially impacted” by COVID-19. Of the 101 schools, 86 are specifically governed by the Archdiocese of Adelaide and Diocese of Port Pirie, which gave an immediate three-month fee remission to families who had lost significant income. Catholic Education SA was not aware of any parents who had removed children from schools because of an inability to pay their fees. Independent Schools Association of SA chief executive Carolyn Grantskalns, whose association represents 113 private schools in the state, was unable to provide specific details on the number of families that had sought school-fee relief.

Back to school in term 2 for WA teachers and students

WA Today reports that Premier Mark McGowan has announced West Australian parents would have the choice to either send their children back to school or keep them home from April 29 when term 2 starts. Schools will remain closed for the Anzac Day public holiday on April 27 while teachers will return to classrooms on April 28, a pupil free day for students, to prepare their classes. Although Mr McGowan has given parents and carers a choice of how their children will be educated, he strongly encouraged year 11 and 12 students to go back to their physical classrooms. New measures in place schools must follow: parents and carers must drop their children off at the gate; canteens will be takeaway only; school swimming pools will be closed; assemblies cancelled; excursions and school activities not allowed. Private and independent schools will determine how to proceed from what the state government has announced and in consultation with their dignitaries.

The NT is the only jurisdiction in Australia without a coronavirus death. It wants to keep it that way

The ABC News reports that the Northern Territory has Australia's lowest rate of coronavirus infections, with 11.4 cases per 100,000 residents to date — less than a third of NSW's 36.17 cases per 100,000 people. It also has the lowest rate of COVID-19 tests returning a positive result, although NT Health's current rate of testing is slightly behind the national average. In more good news for Territorians, Monday marks two weeks since the NT's last detected case of coronavirus, there has been no community transmission and the NT is the only jurisdiction in Australia without a COVID-19 death. While NT students would head back to the classroom on Monday, other restrictions will remain in place.

Digital distraction: New report raises concerns about online learning

The Age reports that children are too often turning to Siri for answers to questions and becoming distracted with computer games at a time when the COVID-19 crisis has meant they need to be more immersed in digital learning than ever before. In the first of a series of Growing Up Digital Australia reports, the Gonski Institute at the University of NSW has warned that digital technology has become a growing distraction from learning and that students are less able to focus on educational tasks. The Gonski Institute surveyed 1876 teachers, principals and school support staff from government, Catholic and Independent schools and found 59 per cent had observed a decline in students' readiness to learn. It found 43 per cent of teachers and principals believe digital technology enhances teaching and learning activities. However, 84 per cent said digital technologies were a growing distraction in the learning environment and 78 per cent of teachers said they had seen a decrease in the ability of students to focus on educational tasks.

New police probe wouldn’t be a surprise: George Pell

According to The Age, freed Cardinal George Pell has labelled Victoria Police's handling of his case as "extraordinary" and said he would not be surprised if police continue to investigate him. In his second interview since his release from prison, Cardinal Pell told conservative commentator Andrew Bolt on Sky News that it was ironic that he was convicted of child sexual abuse when he had led the Melbourne archdiocese response against it. The Cardinal said the Church did not get enough credit for the fact it “broke the back” of the problem and offending dried up in the 1990s. The Cardinal also questioned whether his accuser might have been abused by another person and might have been "used". The 78-year-old said “culture wars” and anti-Catholic prejudice contributed to his conviction. He singled out the ABC for its coverage of him. The Cardinal rejected criticism that he did not act sufficiently to stamp out child sex abuse in the church when he was archbishop of Melbourne. He said he would be “very surprised” if the Royal Commission’s report into child sex abuse found that he covered up actions of predator priests.

INTERNATIONAL

What will Canadian schools look like after COVID-19? Here’s what could change (Canada)

According to Global News, with the new coronavirus still wreaking havoc in Canada, there’s no clear answer on when students will return to classrooms — but questions surround how they might reopen once the call is made. Lessons about “what to do and what not to do” could be taken from places like Denmark, according to Charles Pascal, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Denmark relaxed some of its strict coronavirus lockdown measures the previous week, allowing preschool to fifth-grade students to return to classes. The remaining grades were expected to return by April 20. The students are not returning to the status quo. In order to comply with national sanitary guidelines, classrooms have been reorganised and redesigned. Desks have been placed two metres apart, and recesses are staggered for small groups at a time. While gatherings of 10 or more people are still banned across the country, teachers are expected to ensure students are never in groups of more than two either inside or outside. One school has chosen to divide classes into groups to limit the total number of students in one classroom to 12, Danish paper The Local reported.

Merkel announces plans to reopen schools and shops in Germany (Germany)

The Guardian reports that conservative politicians vying for the leadership of Angela Merkel’s party argued over a timetable to exit the nationwide lockdown as the German chancellor announced plans to partially reopen schools and shops in the coming weeks. Hailing latest figures indicating a slowing down of the infection rate as a “fragile intermediate success”, Merkel said last Wednesday evening that teaching at schools across the country would start again from 4 May, initially for students in their final years of primary or secondary school. under Germany’s federalised system the closure and reopening of schools and nurseries falls under the jurisdiction of the states or Länder, meaning any concerted exit strategy envisioned by Merkel requires a consensus among the 16 state premiers, which has been hard to achieve.