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Primary and secondary school closures in Victoria due to COVID-19
Introduction
This chronology provides an overview of key opening and closing dates for Victorian primary and secondary schools between March 2020 and February 2021 in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The school year was modified in an attempt to reduce in-person gatherings and movement into and across the state. Using predominantly government media releases, as well as information from the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, the chronology maps the changes to the school year—from the initial transition from face-to-face learning to remote learning, and then the resumption of face-to-face learning, in Victorian schools.
2020
|
Date |
Announcement |
Source |
|
28 January |
Term 1 begins. |
Department of Education, Skills and Employment (2020) Back to school dates 2020 (archived), DESE website, archived 19 February 2020. |
|
22 February |
Travel exemptions to be granted to senior high school students who cannot travel to Australia, due to restrictions on foreign nationals who have been in mainland China. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2020) Facilitating China-based students to attend Year 11 and 12, media release, 22 February. |
|
22 March |
School holidays to be brought forward to 24 March. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2020) Statement from the Premier, media release, 22 March. |
|
24 March |
Term 1 concludes. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2020) Statement from the Premier, media release, 22 March. |
|
27 March |
Original Term 1 end date. |
Department of Education, Skills and Employment (2020) Back to school dates 2020 (archived), DESE website, archived 19 February 2020. |
|
7 April |
During Term 2 'all children who can learn at home must learn from home'. |
D. Andrews (Premier) & J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) Victorian students to learn from home, as VCE timelines revised, media release, 7 April. |
|
14 April |
Term 2 begins with a pupil-free day. |
Department of Education, Skills and Employment (2020) Back to school dates 2020, DESE website. |
|
15 April |
Students begin Term 2 classes. |
D. Andrews (Premier) & J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) Victorian students to learn from home, as VCE timelines revised, media release, 7 April. |
|
12 May |
A timeline for resuming on-site learning is released. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2020) Getting our kids back into the classroom, media release, 12 May. |
|
22 May |
Details on how VCE and VCAL exams will be run are released. |
J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) Certainty for students with exams to start in November, media release, 22 May. |
|
25 May |
Pupil-free day. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2020) Getting our kids back into the classroom, media release, 12 May. |
|
26 May |
Prep, Grade 1 and 2, VCE and VCAL students, vulnerable students in Year 3 – 10 and those whose parents cannot work from home resume on-site learning. |
J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) First wave of students back in the classroom, media release, 26 May. |
|
9 June |
Grades 3 – 10 return to on-site learning. |
J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) All students back in the classroom, media release, 9 June. |
|
26 June |
Term 2 concludes. |
Department of Education, Skills and Employment (2020) Back to school dates 2020 (archived), DESE website, archived 19 February 2020. |
|
7 July |
VCE students in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will return to on-site learning for Term 3 as planned on 13 July. Prep – Year 10 students will have an additional week of school holidays. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2020) Statement from the Premier, media release, 7 July. |
|
9 July |
Daily temperature checks to be introduced in schools across metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2020) Temperature checks to be introduced in Term 3, media release, 9 July. |
|
12 July |
Prep – Year 10 students in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will begin Term 3 with remote learning from Monday 20 July until at least 19 August. |
D. Andrews (Premier) & J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) Return to flexible and remote learning, media release, 12 July. |
|
13 July |
Term 3 begins. Only VCE, VCAL and students whose parents and carers cannot work from home, and those attending local specialist schools, return on-site. Schools in regional and rural Victoria return to on-site learning. |
Department of Education, Skills and Employment (2020) Back to school dates 2020 (archived), DESE website, archived 19 February 2020. D. Andrews (Premier) (2020) Temperature checks to be introduced in Term 3, media release, 9 July. |
|
20 July |
Most Prep – Year 10 students begin Term 3 remote learning. Face masks to be required in schools from 23 July. |
D. Andrews (Premier) & J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) Face coverings and masks for metro schools, media release, 20 July. |
|
2 August |
Melbourne moves to Stage 4 restrictions. All school children (including in regional and rural Victoria) to return to remote learning from 5 August. Children of permitted workers and vulnerable children may attend on-site learning. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2020) Statement on changes to regional restrictions, media release, 2 August. |
|
4 August |
Pupil-free day for those who attend on-site learning. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2020) Statement on changes to Melbourne's restrictions, media release, 2 August. |
|
5 August |
All students return to remote learning. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2020) Statement on changes to Melbourne's restrictions, media release, 2 August. |
|
18 September |
Term 3 concludes. |
Department of Education, Skills and Employment (2020) Back to school dates 2020 (archived), DESE website, archived 19 February 2020. |
|
21 September |
A timeline for the return to face-to-face learning in regional and rural Victoria is announced. |
J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) School camps to return for regional and rural Victoria, media release, 21 September. |
|
5 October |
Term 4 begins. All students in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire continue to learn remotely. Prep – Grade 6 students in standalone schools in regional and rural Victoria return to on-site learning. Year 7 – 10, VCE and VCAL students in regional and rural Victoria continue to learn remotely. |
D. Andrews (Premier) & J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) Roadmap for all students return to the classroom, media release, 5 October. |
|
8 October |
Prep to Grade 6 students in P – 12 rural and regional schools return to on-site learning. |
J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) School camps to return for regional and rural Victoria, media release, 21 September. |
|
12 October |
Primary school, Year 7, VCE and VCAL students return to on-site learning in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire. Years 7 – 10, VCE and VCAL students in rural and regional Victoria return to on-site learning. |
D. Andrews (Premier) & J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) Metro students head back to the classroom, media release, 12 October. J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) School camps to return for regional and rural Victoria, media release, 21 September. |
|
26 October |
Year 8 – 10 students in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire return to on-site learning. |
J. Merlino (Minister for Education) (2020) Every student returns to the classroom, media release, 26 October. |
|
18 December |
Term 4 concludes. |
Department of Education, Skills and Employment (2020) Back to school dates 2020 (archived), DESE website, archived 19 February 2020. |
2021
|
Date |
Announcement |
Source |
|
27 January |
Term 1 begins. All students return to learning on-site. |
Department of Education and Training (2021) School term dates and holidays in Victoria (archived), DET website, archived 4 March 2021. |
|
12 February |
As part of the circuit-breaker lockdown, students will not return to school on 15 February. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2021) Statement from the Premier, media release, 12 February. |
|
15–17 February |
All students to work remotely. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2021) Statement from the Premier, media release, 12 February. |
|
18 February |
All students return to on-site learning. |
D. Andrews (Premier) (2021) Statement from the Premier, media release, 17 February. |
Research & Inquiries Service
Chronologies are produced by the Parliamentary Library's Research & Inquiries service. They provide brief information on issues of interest to Members of the Victorian Parliament.
Information in this publication was current as at the time of printing. It should not be considered as a complete guide to the particular subject or legislation covered. While it is intended that all information provided is accurate, it does not represent professional legal opinion. Any views expressed are those of the author(s).
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