- Published:
- Monday 21 September 2020
School camps will return in Term 4 along with face-to-face learning for schools in regional and rural Victoria, following health advice that they are safe to resume.
Minister for Education James Merlino today announced that camps will be limited to single schools and can only take place in regional and rural Victoria, in line with health advice.
We know school camps provide important learning opportunities for students, including teamwork, resilience and confidence-building through challenge, problem-solving, connecting with nature, creative and imaginative play, and coordination and strength.
Prep to Grade 6 students in standalone primary schools in regional and rural Victoria will return to on-site learning from Monday 5 October, with schools able to stagger the return of different year levels depending on local circumstances.
Year 11 and 12 students and Year 10 students studying VCE and VCAL subjects can also attend on-site for the General Achievement Test (GAT) and essential assessments during this week.
Students in Prep to Grade 6 in P-12 schools in regional and rural Victoria will return to on-site learning from Thursday 8 October, and all other students – including Years 7 to 10 and VCE and VCAL students – will return to on-site learning from Monday 12 October.
Schools have the flexibility to stagger the return of students, depending on local circumstances.
School communities across Victoria will continue to follow the advice of the Chief Health Officer and undertake a range of measures to reduce risk of transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19), including enhanced cleaning, practising hand hygiene, and wearing face coverings in Term 4.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino
“School camps are an important part of a student’s education and they will also provide a much-needed boost for school camp programs and accommodation providers across our regions.”
“Since regional Victoria took the step to ease restrictions we have been working with schools and health experts on enabling school camps to occur. This is a great outcome for students, regional Victoria and all the industries that benefit from school camps.”
“Our schools have shown remarkable resilience throughout the year, and we’re hoping to deliver students in regional and rural Victoria as normal a Term 4 as possible.”