Today’s announcement by the State Government that Year 12 students will aim to complete their studies within 2020 is welcomed.
The State Government must make it clear to parents what their responsibilities are with supporting the education system during this time of remote learning.
Parents will have to take a more active role in supporting their child’s education and the Government must facilitate this and offer more formal guidance.
While the State Government has declared it will support students with thousands of laptops, schools have been instructed to loan out their own devices. Where a school does not have enough devices to meet the needs of its students, they are obliged to find the money within their existing budgets. This makes times incredibly difficult for schools already grappling with uncertainty.
The State Government must take full responsibility for ensuring that all students receive the technological support they need, including assistance that is additional to what has already been committed.
The State Government must also look at innovative ways to partner with other organisations and provide additional funding so that teachers have access to high-quality resources to support remote learning.
All students are no doubt finding this current environment incredibly tough and I wish each and every student the best and encourage them to continue to put in their best efforts in these difficult circumstances.
