The new school will replace the Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute. Photo: Facebook.
Children and young people with chronic and acute health issues will from early next year be able to attend a school being established at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.
The $3.6 million Royal Children’s Hospital School is set to open in early 2024 and was inspected on Sunday (22 October) by Premier Jacinta Allan, Minister for Education Ben Carroll and Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas.
It will cater for children from prep up to Year 12 who require extended stays in hospital and provide a learning environment that allows them to stay engaged in their learning while receiving treatment, and to be supported in their return to their normal school after they leave hospital.
A government release says the school will replace the current Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute and will provide a broader range of curriculum and education support, including individualised teaching and learning programs aligned with the Victorian curriculum and VCE using flexible modes of teaching to engage students in classroom sessions, small group sessions and individual bedside support depending on individual patient needs.
It will also expand remote learning opportunities for students who are recovering at home but are not yet well enough to attend school. It will be governed by a school council, led by a principal, and employ teaching and non-teaching staff like all other Victorian government schools.
Premier Allan said no child or young person should miss out on the vital education they need if they’re unwell. “We’re making sure every Victorian child has access to a world-class education,” she said.
Minister Carroll added, “Schools are an important part of a child’s support network, and the new Royal Children’s Hospital School will keep students engaged and on track to achieve their potential.”
Minister Thomas said, “This is an exciting opportunity to build on the work of the Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute and establish a world-class hospital school in a world-class hospital.”
A permanent name for the school will be decided upon in consultation with traditional owners.
