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New South Wales Premier Asks Parents To Keep Children At Home Due To Coronavirus

New South Wales Premier Asks Parents To Keep Children At Home Due To Coronavirus

Schools will remain open across the state for parents who have no other choice, but Victoria and the ACT will close all schools en masse

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Children in New South Wales are being asked to stay home to avoid catching or passing on the coronavirus.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has ruled that while schools will remain open during the pandemic, students won't be forced to go to campus to learn.

Authorities have also ordered for school facilities to remain open in case some families have no choice but to send in their children.

Ms Berejiklian said: "For practical reasons, in NSW we will be encouraging parents to keep their children at home.

Gladys Berejiklian.
NSW Government

"However I want to stress that for parents who have no option, for parents who are workers, that have no option, the schools will remain open. No child will be turned away from school.

"Online learning will take place until the school holidays in three weeks' time. There won't be a separate class for children at home, there won't be a separate class for children at school, there will be one unit of teaching."

Victoria, on the other hand, has ordered all schools to close en masse.

It's the first time this has happened in the state since World War Two.

PA

The last day of school will be today and comes three days before classes would normally end for holidays.

The ACT has also decided to close schools.

Parents have been warned about the dangers of pulling their kids out of being educated unless there is a specific reason.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said schooling is a big part of a child's life and there are ways to still learn during the outbreak of Covid-19.

"Parents who... make the decision for the children to remain at home must take responsibility for those children," he said.

PA

"Those children are staying at home, it is not an excuse for them to go down to the shopping centre or to go and congregate somewhere else or potentially put themselves in contact with the vulnerable and elderly population.

"If you choose to keep your child at home, you are responsible for the conduct and behaviour of your children. It is important that they observe the strict social distancing arrangements that have been advised to the public."

He also cautioned that once schools go into holiday mode over Easter, parents need to be incredibly cautious about where their child goes.

"This term break will be like none other. This will not be a holiday, as it is normally known for the break in term. There will not be trips interstate, there will not be those holiday normal type arrangements," Mr Morrison added.

"There will not be congregating up at the trampoline venue or whatever it happens to be. That will not be happening. It won't be a holiday as anyone has ever known it."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Coronavirus, Australia