Appendix 2 | Background information on ECEC and school closures during the pandemic in Australia
There were several 3 to 8 day circuit-breaker
closures in selected local government areas
(LGAs) during 2021.100 The start of the 2022
school year was delayed until 7 February 2022,
and remote learning for students in Years 11
and 12 to commence from 31 January 2022.
Schools were open to students experiencing
vulnerability and children of essential workers
from 24 January 2022.101
(vi) South Australia
On 13 March 2020, the SA Minister for Education
communicated advice to education agencies that
schools would close for a minimum of 24 hours
in the event of a confirmed COVID-19 case and
only reopen on the advice of health experts when
safe to do so.102 Families were urged to send their
children to school or preschool from the start of
Term 2 2020, based on the advice of SA Health
that schools, preschools and early childhood
facilities were low-risk and should remain open.
The management of cases and decisions to close
schools was directed by SA Health on a case-bycase basis. Any short-term site closures related
to the need for close contacts to isolate and for
undertaking thorough cleaning of the site to
ensure the health and safety of children, staff
and the wider community. For example, on the
30 March 2020, all SA schools, early childhood
facilities and out of school hours care services in
and between the towns of Nuriootpa, Tanunda,
Angaston, Lyndoch and Williamstown were
closed to stop the spread of COVID-19.103 The
schools reopened at the end of April 2020.104
During 2020 and 2021, apart from case-bycase circumstances and a 6 day circuit-breaker,
schools remained open in SA. At this time,
devices and internet dongles were provided to
students that needed them to ensure that they
were able to participate in remote learning.
(vii) Tasmania
On 25 March 2020, the Minister for Education
and Training Tasmania announced that parents
could choose to keep their children at home, with
learning at home opportunities to be provided as
much as practicable.105
In addition, school holidays were brought
forward to 9 April 2020, with school staff using
the pupil-free days to plan and prepare for
learning at home in Term 2. On 24 April 2020,
the Minister announced that all government and
Catholic schools in the North-West of Tasmania
would remain closed, with Term 2 commencing
on 4 May 2020.106 Government schools outside
this region would commence Term 2 on 28 April
2020.
Term 2 recommenced with students being urged
to learn from home, but could learn on-site, if
they required. Restrictions in the North-West of
Tasmania remained, meaning all students must
learn from home. These restrictions were lifted
on 4 May 2020, allowing students to return to
school if they needed to.107 On 8 May 2020, a
roadmap to recovery was introduced, detailing
a staged return to on-site learning, starting
with kindergarten to Year 6, and Year 11 and 12
students from 25 May 2020 and for all remaining
students on 9 June 2020.108
Southern Tasmania, across 12 LGAs experienced
a 3-day snap lockdown between 15-18 October
2021.109 Between these dates, students in these
areas were required to learn at home, unless
they needed support.
No other restrictions to on-site learning applied
across 2021 and 2022.
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