The children of essential workers are still permitted at school during phase one of the Return to School Guidelines.
Phase Zero of the NSW Department of Education’s Managed Return to School Guideline will commence on Monday, 11th May.
Like the rest of the State, Forbes school students are currently in phase one of the plan which encourages families to keep their children at home wherever possible, and to continue to support home learning.
Forbes schools have been in consultation mode, organising for Phase One of the guidelines which will see students split into groups to return to school for one day a week. Establishing which group attends on which day is to be decided at the school’s discretion, however preferences are to be given to siblings.
This guideline is supported by Forbes Public School, with Principal Meg Staples saying, “For us, we will look at family groups and follow the government’s phased, deliberate approach to returning children to school.”
For parents who have concerns for their child’s progress while learning from home, Sydney University vice-chancellor, Michael Spence weighed in with some encouraging advice, saying that the Australian education system is adaptable enough that teachers are able to identify where a child may need extra support, and provide that.
“The process of education is not a neat, straight progression forward, sometimes it leaps forwards, sometimes it plateaus and sometimes it goes backward, so have faith in your child’s ability to bounce back into learning at school and their teachers ability to work with their individual needs.”