The Federal Education Minister has lashed out at Victoria, urging parents to ignore that state's Premier and instead follow medical experts and send their children back to school.
Key points:
- Victoria has about 97 per cent of students learning via online classes
- The Federal Government wants face-to-face learning to resume in all public schools by June
- Victoria says its health advice, not the Federal Government, will determine when pupils return
Dan Tehan accused Daniel Andrews of taking a "sledgehammer" to the state's education sector as tension bubbles over between the state and federal governments.
The Prime Minister wants all public schools to return to face-to-face learning by June but Victoria has insisted it would make its own decisions about when to encourage parents to send children back to classrooms.
"The question to Daniel Andrews, sure, take a sledgehammer to defeating coronavirus, but why are you taking a sledgehammer to the state education system?" Mr Tehan told Insiders.
Victorian state schools, which remain open, have been running online learning for up to 97 per cent of students this term,
That's based on the advice from Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, who has warned restarting teaching in classrooms now could jeopardise the state's progress in reducing coronavirus transmission.
"[Daniel Andrews'] state chief medical officer is on the expert medical panel that says it is safe for children to be in schools," Mr Tehan said.
"We have seen outstanding leadership from [state leaders in WA, NT and South Australia] who have reopened their schools and have a 70 per cent attendance rate.
"This is a failure of leadership from Dan Andrews and it is the most disadvantaged children who are being most affected.
"We have one state premier who is jeopardising the national consensus on this."
Mr Tehan, in recent days, offered to bring forward $3 billion in funding for independent and catholic schools if they could get students back into the classroom by June.
The principal of a Melbourne religious school said his school felt like it was "being bribed" into bringing students back.
The state's Education Minister James Merlino offered a similar sentiment, and accused the Federal Government of using the funding to try to undermine the state's strategy on face-to-face learning.
"Expert health advice, not money, should determine whether nor not a school fully opens," he said.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA1LTAzL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWVkdWNhdGlvbi1taW5pc3Rlci1kYW4tdGVoYW4td2FudHMtc2Nob29scy1yZW9wZW5lZC8xMjIwOTczNNIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMjIwOTczNA?oc=5
2020-05-03 00:41:11Z
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