Premier Daniel Andrews, who issued a statement jointly with state Minister James Merlino on April 7, said all state primary, secondary, and special schools will move to remote and flexible learning and teaching starting next week.
“I know this year will be different to any that students, teachers, and families have experienced before—but we are making sure that our kids still get the education they deserve,” said Andrews.
Internet access should not determine a child’s access to education the joint press release said. To aid in this, the Victorian government has partnered with Telstra to provide free sim cards or portable WIFI devices to 4,000 primary and secondary students in public schools.
On-site learning will be available to students whose parents can’t work from home or to vulnerable students who have no safe learning environment at home.
Changes for Year 12 Students
Year 12 students sitting for their end-of-year exams will also see some changes to their courses. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority revealed that the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) students sitting for tertiary placements will still receive their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).Importantly for Year 12 students, Premier Andrews’ office has asked Victorian universities to delay the start of semester one in 2021 to account for the disruptions caused by the pandemic.