Mr McCurdy said the Victorian Government is refusing to listen to advice from Australia’s Chief Medical Officer and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) endorsing a return to school in Term Two.
Mr McCurdy released his comments about the subject on Tuesday the same day NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian also foreshadowed a quicker return to full face-to-face teaching in NSW schools.
“From May 11, schools will be returning with face to face teaching,” she said.
“We are very hopeful the first few weeks of school resuming will result in us being able to possibly truncate the process - to have full-time student attendance face-to-face quicker than we anticipated.”
Ms Berejiklian said face-to-face teaching would be staged for the first fortnight, and, based on those results, the government would decide how quickly there would be full-time attendance.
Mr McCurdy said parents were doing their best to make remote learning work, but with other states re-opening schools it was time for Victoria to do the same.
“Too many families are feeling the pressure of having to simultaneously work and home school their children,” Mr McCurdy said.
“It’s frustrating that while other states have made the decision to re-open schools, Daniel Andrews (Victorian Premier) is digging in his heels and ignoring the advice of medical experts.
“Everyone in our community has made big changes in their lives to make sure we protect each other, which has kept the number of positive cases recorded locally very low.
“The experts are telling us our schools are safe. With the right health safeguards students must be able to return to school.”
The Nationals are calling for additional health safeguards to be put in place alongside a return to school.
Staggered drop-offs and pick-ups, banning parents from school premises, banning contact sport and extra-curricular activities, increased funding for deep cleaning and medically-approved hand and surface sanitiser, as well as limiting adult congregation in spaces such as staff rooms are examples of measures that can further protect health and safety.
Mr McCurdy said teachers and support staff considered at heightened risk of COVID-19 due to age, health or other issues should continue to be able to work from home.
“We have consistent advice from the National Cabinet and Australia’s Chief Medical Officer that schools are safe for students to attend,” he added.
“Local students should be allowed back to school, unless they are unwell, or their parents choose for them to learn from home.”
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan has also called on state governments and teachers’ unions to stop resisting school reopenings, declaring the medical evidence shows the risk of coronavirus transmission in schools is low.
“All along (the medical expert panel) has said that it is safe for children to be at school and for teachers to be at school with the proper protocols in place,” Mr Tehan said on Monday.
“If we do not get our children back to school with face-to-face teaching, it’ll be most disadvantageous to those in our community with low socio-economic backgrounds.
“It will be those children that suffer the most.”
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