Page 993 - Week 04 - Thursday, 7 May 2020
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students, parents and carers. Everyone has chipped in under these extraordinary circumstances to get the best possible education outcomes for our kids.
I have always said that the ACT is the best prepared jurisdiction in the country to respond to this pandemic because of our nation-leading investments in technology-enabled learning. The work that our teachers have done over an incredibly short period of time has proven that. It is their professionalism and creativity that gives me certainty that we are ready for this next stage of the ACT’s response to COVID-19.
I move:
Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes:
(a) that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to global society with substantial effects on Australian societal and economic norms that are being experienced by the whole community, including school communities;
(b) the ACT Government made decisions about continuing school education based on the best available information, including non-health and health information, at a time when it was expected that the COVID-19 pandemic would result in restrictive social distancing for an extended period;
(c) the ACT community has been very disciplined in its adoption of social distancing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic which has limited the spread of the virus and allowed restrictions to be lifted much sooner than initially anticipated; and
(d) while remote learning and remote learning hubs have met a need, this experience has been challenging for some students, staff and parents and carers;
(2) further notes that the ACT Government:
(a) ceased on-campus school education during term 1 2020 due to increasing concern among school communities about the health risks to students and staff, and declining student attendance;
(b) established remote learning hubs for term 2 2020 to ensure that supervised learning could continue for those students who need it while also balancing a range of factors, including school viability, industrial considerations, and health advice;
(c) has been best placed to provide remote learning for school students because of its nation-leading investment in technology enabled learning;
(d) can assure senior secondary school students that their Australian Tertiary Admission Ranking will not be disproportionately compromised;
(e) has had an acute focus on providing support to vulnerable students and families, and those with additional needs; and
(f) is planning for a return to on-campus delivery of school education as soon as it is sensible;
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