ACT schools remain open but the Chief Minister has urged parents who can accommodate children at home to do so during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Chief Minister, Andrew Barr said no child in the ACT would be turned away from school under the new measures.
“ACT public schools will still be able to safely receive and provide learning for the children of parents and carers engaged in essential services (such as our healthcare sector) who are unable to care for their children at home, as well as vulnerable children and those with additional needs,” the Chief Minister said.
“Our position is again broadly consistent with decisions made in NSW.”
He said the ACT would move towards a program of alternative teaching models for term two, with remote learning to begin this week.
“Government schools are well placed for this shift, after the Government invested significantly in devices for students and digital capability over recent years,” Mr Barr said.
Minister for Education, Yvette Berry said pupil-free days had already started in the ACT.
“School principals will be providing more information to school communities as this fast-moving situation develops,” Ms Berry said.
“How the nation responds to the COVID-19 pandemic will profoundly change the way of life we have come to expect,” Mr Barr said.
Meanwhile, Lyneham High School remained closed following a positive case of COVID-19 infection in a student last week, with school staff and ACT Health officers working through a contact and containment strategy for staff and students.
