Appendix 2 | Background information on ECEC and school closures during the pandemic in Australia (viii) Victoria On 7 April 2020, the Victorian Government announced that all government primary, secondary and special schools would move to remote and flexible learning.110 Under these measures, on-site learning was only available for children whose parents could not work from home and vulnerable students without access to a suitable learning environment at home. Changes were also announced to the academic timetable for Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) students. Following a brief return to on-site learning in May and June 2020, Stage 3 restrictions were reinstated in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire on 8 July 2020 for a period of 6 weeks.111 All Year 11 and 12 students in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire were to go back to school for Term 3 along with special schools. For students in Prep to Year 10, school holidays were extended by one week.112 On 12 July 2020, most Victorian students in the areas under Stage 3 ‘Stay at Home’ restrictions moved to flexible and remote learning for the start of Term 3, 20 July 2020, until at least 19 August 2020.113 All Victorian students returned to remote learning following the declaration of a ‘State of Emergency’ on 2 August 2020, with the exception of children whose parents were permitted workers and vulnerable children who could not learn from home.114 Melbourne entered Stage 4 restrictions with a curfew from 8pm to 5am.115 These changes would be in place for at least the next 6 weeks until 13 September 2020. 58 | Face-to-face learning for students in regional and rural Victoria recommenced on 5 October 2020, with schools able to stagger the return of different grades, depending on local circumstances.116 Students in metropolitan Melbourne resumed in-person learning, from 12 October 2020 utilising a staggered approach depending on their year level.117 In 2021, all students returned to learning on-site for Term 1 on 27 January 2021.118 To ensure the health and safety of all students and staff, free rapid antigen tests (RATs) were made available in schools and masks were made mandatory. With the rise of COVID-19 cases, a ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown was introduced on 15 February 2021, taking place until 17 February 2021, as part of reintroduced Stage 4 restrictions.119 Masks were no longer required in schools by 28 February 2021 but were strongly recommended. A second circuit-breaker lockdown with Stage 4 restrictions commenced in Term 2 on 28 May 2021.120 It concluded on 3 June 2021 for all regional Victorian students and only students in Years 11 and 12 in metropolitan Melbourne. All students returned to on-site learning the following week on 11 June 2021. Students across Victoria returned to remote learning arrangements on 20 July 2021, in line with another reintroduction of Stage 4 lockdown restrictions as the Delta-variant rapidly spread across Victoria.121 This lasted until 28 July 2021 and recommenced on 5 August 2021.122 In Term 3, the Year 12 General Achievement Test was also delayed by one month to 9 September 2021 to restrict face-to-face contact and protect the broader school community.123