A principal says her school was "forgotten about" during the coronavirus pandemic, with none of her students able to take part in online learning.
Key points:
- The principal of Cabbage Tree Island Public School said it is among the top 5 per cent most disadvantaged in NSW
- She said none of her 40 students were able to do online learning
- The Department of Education sent out nine iPads to the school last week
When Cabbage Tree Island Public School went into homeschooling mode in March, only one family had a laptop.
But the ageing device promptly broke when four children shared it for schoolwork.
Also, not a single student had reliable internet access at home.
The school, in the Northern Rivers region in NSW, is among the most disadvantaged in the state.
And the coronavirus crisis, which has until this week emptied schools, has highlighted the imbalance and lack of resources in the education system across the board.
"We've been forgotten about," said Principal Dyonne Anderson.
Ms Anderson said the school had desktop computers in classrooms, but they were impossible to lend out.
The school also had half a dozen laptops, but without internet connection students couldn't use them at home.
As other students across the state were taking part in zoom meetings with teachers and logging into online classes, she was printing and posting out hard copies of lessons.
In March, the Department of Education announced it would lend digital devices to thousands of students in need.
Ms Anderson immediately ordered enough laptops, iPads and Wi-Fi modems for her 40 pupils.
She waited almost two months.
Last week, nine iPads arrived.
But, without the internet dongles, Ms Anderson said there was no point distributing them to families.
Now that school's back, the devices need to be returned to the department by the end of term.
"It wouldn't be so bad if they had just told us about the delay so we could look into other options, but we were left in the lurch," she said.
Ms Anderson, who is also the president of the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Principals Association, said her school was in the top 5 per cent of disadvantaged schools in the state.
"I have spoken to numerous principal colleagues who have not received their devices either, and some have been informed that their order will not be delivered due to lack of devices."
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said the school had been supplied with seven student laptops last year.
"After reviewing their request and taking into consideration how many computers the school already had available to loan to students … it was sent nine iPads on May 19."
'Pretty much left behind'
According to Pasi Sahlberg from the Gonski Institute for Education, the pandemic has unearthed an unpleasant truth.
"The education system has unequal structures that have become visible now through this remote online learning period," he said.
The renowned international education expert said many people might be surprised to learn about one in 10 students don't have reliable internet access at home.
And that number jumps to one in three in lower socio-economic areas.
"According to our research, only two-thirds of disadvantaged children in Australia have an internet connection they can use for learning."
"If you happen to be a child in a family that struggles to be connected, of course you are pretty much left behind," Professor Sahlberg said.
Malcolm Elliott from the Australian Primary Principals Association said equal access to education was a human right.
"It's simply unfair if some students miss out on opportunities available to others because a nation like Australia wasn't able to organise itself."
A Department of Education spokesperson said many schools already had enough laptops to loan out to students in need.
"To supplement these existing supplies the department has sourced and provided over 6,400 appropriate devices and over 6,300 internet dongles to schools.
"The supply of these devices prioritised disadvantaged students as well as those in Year 11 and 12."
Back on Cabbage Tree Island, teacher's aide Rani Ferguson said she's trying hard not to worry about any lasting impact.
"This is just going to put them further behind when we want our kids to be deadly at school," she said.
"It's just sad."
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA1LTI3L2NhYmJhZ2UtdHJlZS1pc2xhbmQtc2Nob29sLW92ZXJsb29rZWQtd2l0aC1ob21lc2Nob29saW5nLXRlY2gvMTIyODg0NDbSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTIyODg0NDY?oc=5
2020-05-26 19:53:20Z
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