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

NSW COVID lockdown extended as state records 177 new cases, changes for Year 12 students, singles and construction

The ABC News reports that Premier Gladys Berejiklian blamed low vaccination rates as she announced that the current stay-at-home orders affecting Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour would be extended for four weeks, until 12:01am on Saturday, August 28. But there will be changes, including a pathway for Year 12 students to return to classrooms from August 16. Year 12 students will return to face-to-face learning on August 16 under strict COVID-19 protocols. A Pfizer vaccination program will be launched for Year 12 students in the eight LGAs of concern with doses being redirected from regional NSW. The NSW government is also working to introduce rapid antigen testing for Year 12 students to mitigate against outbreaks. All other students in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Wollongong, Central Coast and Shellharbour will continue remote learning for the next four weeks.

State records nine new COVID cases as Victorians wake to eased restrictions

The Age reports that cafe tills were ringing and school bells chiming once again on Wednesday morning as Victorians cautiously emerged from a fifth coronavirus lockdown. The sun even made a brief appearance to welcome more than one million students back to school as cafes and restaurants served seated customers once more and gyms reopened after the state’s 12-day lockdown. New cases were linked to Cremorne restaurant Ms Frankie (four), Trinity Grammar (one student), St Patrick’s Primary School in Murrumbeena (one), Young and Jackson’s pub (one) and a household contact of a positive Mildura case. On Wednesday afternoon, the state and federal governments announced a joint support package for struggling Victorian businesses.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for kids aged 12-15. Here's what happens next

The ABC News reports that Australia's medicines regulator has approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for young teenagers, but experts say it'll be some time yet before most kids are included in the wider vaccine rollout. Now that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has decided the vaccine is safe for 12 to 15-year-olds, it's up to another group, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), to decide how and when younger people should get the vaccine. Immunocompromised children and kids with underlying medical conditions are likely to get added to priority group 1B, which will give them immediate access to the Pfizer vaccine. But some experts say it's not necessary to prioritise other young people over adults yet. ATAGI's full advice is expected to be published next week. Trials showed the vaccine was 100 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19 infections in 12 to 15-year-olds, with only mild side effects, the TGA said.

“Children are not a tool”: specialists’ warning on COVID-19 vaccination

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that infectious diseases specialists said the long-term data on whether COVID-19 vaccination was safe and effective for children was not yet available, and vaccination would need to be justified when children were considerably less likely than adults to become very sick or die from the virus. Professor Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases expert at the Australian National University, said the greater number of infections among children only reflected the transmissibility of the Delta variant and it did not mean they were more likely than adults to become infected. It may be that vaccination should be offered to teenagers who were more likely to develop severe disease but it was open for debate whether it should be extended to primary school-aged children if they were not going to receive a direct benefit and the long-term side effects were not known, University of Sydney infectious diseases specialist Professor Robert Booy said.

OPINION: We must improve remote learning to reduce school closure harm

According to an opinion piece in The Age by Jordana Hunter, education program director at the Grattan Institute, by now, it should be clear that stints of remote schooling are likely to occur well into 2022. Once we face up to this reality, we can start to grapple with another: there is significant variation in the quality of remote schooling currently offered. Transforming regular schooling into remote schooling has been a tremendous challenge. Yet some schools − including some primary schools − have found ways to deliver quality teaching online, including “live” teaching each day in virtual classrooms, and opportunities for children to work together in small groups. But not every child has this type of experience. There are better ways to share the load. For example, with support from the UK government and philanthropists, the UK’s Oak National Academy developed a huge library of engaging, well-sequenced online lessons and resources during the 2020 lockdowns.

Environment Minister appeals ruling she must protect children from climate harm

The Age reports that Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley has argued in an appeal against a landmark court ruling that she does not have a duty of care to protect Australian children from climate harm caused by the potential expansion of a coal mine. The Minister’s appeal also says that the primary judge, Justice Mordecai Bromberg, erred in his findings about global temperature rise. During the Federal Court case, the scientific evidence on temperature rise was not contested by the government. While the court dismissed the teenagers’ application in May to prevent the Minister approving the coal mine extension, it found Ms Ley owed a duty of care to Australia’s young people. New appeal documents lodged just eight days after the court issued its declaration detail the Minister’s grounds for appeal. David Barnden, the principal lawyer at Equity Generation Lawyers, who acts on behalf of the teenagers, said the group would defend the appeal. The teenagers were supported by Sister Brigid Arthur, an 86-year-old Brigidine nun and former teacher, who is their “litigation guardian” because they are under 18.

New report reveals cost of cyberattacks to education sector

The Educator reports that newly released Sophos State of Ransomware in Education 2021 report confirms the particular vulnerability of educational institutions to relentless cyberthreats. Education, together with retail, faced the highest level of ransomware attacks during 2020, with 44 per cent of organisations hit (compared to 37 per cent across all industry sectors). The total bill for rectifying a ransomware attack in the education sector, considering downtime, people time, device cost, network cost, lost opportunity, ransom paid, and more, was, on average, $3.64 million – the highest across all sectors surveyed, and 48 per cent above the global average. Over half (58 per cent) of the education organisations hit by ransomware said the attackers had succeeded in encrypting their data, and over a third (35 per cent) of those with encrypted data gave in to the attackers’ demands and paid the ransom. Only the energy, oil/gas and utilities (43 per cent), and local government (42 per cent) sectors were more likely to pay.

Bosses push for return of COVID-19 industrial relations changes

The Australian reports that chief executives from seven employer organisations called on the Prime Minister to revive the temporary workplace flexibilities that operated under JobKeeper, insisting that federal and state support measures were not enough for businesses to maintain their workforce numbers. The changes that business wants the Coalition to reintroduce when Federal Parliament resumes on August 3 would allow employers to reduce the hours of workers, move workers from location to location or request that they take annual leave. ACTU president Michele O’Neil said employers wanted the power granted under JobKeeper to vary the hours and reduce the pay of workers but they were offering workers none of the protections or security JobKeeper provided. Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash last Wednesday ruled out reintroducing the changes at this stage but said the government would “monitor the situation”.

Australia's first body image program for primary schools aims to help kids build confidence

The ABC News reports that the Butterfly Body Bright program is designed by the Butterfly Foundation, a charity for people affected by eating disorders, and uses positive psychology to help kids be happy with their bodies and stay active. Students will be taught about risks and protective factors under six headlines: Brave, Resilient, Inclusive, Grateful, Happy and Thoughtful. It also aims to develop self-esteem and acceptance, as well as arming kids with the tools to call out bullying and improving media literacy so they can be aware of unhealthy body stereotypes in advertising. Butterfly's national education manager Danni Rowlands said the program was age-appropriate, so would not address eating disorders like anorexia. But it will have resources for teachers and parents to identify warning signs. Butterfly Body Bright has been mapped to the current PE and health curriculums in each state.

Students seek “no-questions-asked” mental health days to ease COVID-19 stress

The Age reports that senior students are calling for the right to take one or two “no-questions-asked” mental health days each term and want the number of hours of VCE class time they must attend cut to help ease what they warn is a mental health crisis in schools. Peak student body the Victorian Student Representative Council has urged state Education Minister James Merlino to do more to ease the mental burden on students who have had VCE studies thrown into chaos by unpredictable moves in and out of lockdown this year. The student executive advisory committee met virtually with Mr Merlino last week to make their case for further help for the VCE class of 2021. Last week the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority confirmed that all VCE and VCAL students will receive individual consideration of educational disadvantage this year, in a repeat of last year’s process.

Survey finds alarming rise in severe emotional distress among WA school students

The ABC News reports that the largest study of school student wellbeing ever undertaken in Western Australia has found a concerning number of adolescents are experiencing emotional distress. The survey of more than 24,000 students across 79 public schools found that around 40 per cent of secondary students were experiencing moderate to high levels of emotional distress. The study also found a much higher proportion of female students — 45 per cent — were experiencing emotional distress, compared with 28 per cent of male students surveyed. It found the data reflected an increase in adolescent mental health difficulties during the last decade, "which may have been further exacerbated by COVID-19", although the authors said this link required further investigation. The study used the Child Health Utility Index (CHU9D) scale — a scoring method that, according to the report, has been used and validated extensively in other child wellbeing studies in Australia.

Sexual consent education in Queensland schools to be more explicit and start at younger age after review

The ABC News reports that more explicit and age-appropriate education on consent and reporting sexual assaults will be delivered in Queensland schools, following a state government review of its respectful relationships program. The review aimed to examine whether the state's Respectful Relationships Education Program "adequately addresses issues of sexual consent and reporting in schools". Conducted by the Education Department, the review consulted 70 stakeholders including state and non-government education leaders, students, principals, unions, parent bodies and sexual assault support services. Teachers also raised the need for high-quality professional development to ensure they felt equipped and confident in teaching the topics, and to respond to disclosures of assault or abuse. Resources and support for teachers, including professional learning to ensure all people in schools feel confident and able to seek help and to report concerns of sexual assault will be released at the end of 2021 for use next year.

INTERNATIONAL

Private school boom as teachers overplay hand (United States)

The Australian reports that American public schools have seen the biggest drop in enrolment on record as parents frustrated by extended school closures turn to private, charter and home schools, a trend that could accelerate as state governments expand school choice in the wake of the pandemic. About 1.5 million US school students, near 3 per cent of the total, dropped out of the US public school system last year, according to preliminary figures released last month by the National Centre for Education Statistics that some analysts say mark a permanent shift in the structure of US education. Public schools in districts with stronger teacher unions were “substantially and consistently” less likely to reopen after the pandemic, according to a study of 835 school districts across the US by Corey DeAngelis, director of research at the American Federal for Children and Arizona State University economist Christos Makridis.

Some parents leery as deadline nears to fully immunise kids ahead of return to school (Canada)

The CBC reports that time is running out for Manitoba students aged 12 to 17 to get fully immunised against COVID-19 before they return to school. Dr Jesse Papenburg, a paediatric infectious disease expert, says research has shown good ventilation can reduce the spread of the virus in schools. However, he said a recent US study published in the journal “Science”, which he was not affiliated with, also suggests it's the totality of individual measures that makes the difference. They include: masking, cohorting, reducing class sizes, screening for symptoms, reducing extra curriculars, modifying cafeteria space to ensure distancing, restricting entry into schools, not sharing supplies, improving ventilation and installing desk shields. The study suggests that so long as schools on average have seven of those measures in place consistently, students are at no greater risk of contracting the virus in the education system and spreading it to family than other groups in the general population.

Britain says most children will not be given COVID jabs (United Kingdom)

Reuters reports that Britain said on Monday last week that it has decided against giving mass COVID-19 vaccinations to all children and that they would only be offered in certain situations such as when young people have underlying health conditions. Compared with adults, children are much less likely to develop severe illness following infection with the coronavirus. But the majority of British parents in a survey this month said they favoured giving their children a vaccine if offered it. Children with severe neurodisabilities, Down's Syndrome, immunosuppression and profound and multiple learning disabilities will be eligible for the vaccine in new guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). Britain's decision is at odds with those taken in countries such as the United States where children over the age of 12 are being vaccinated.