Students in the Scenic Rim will leave their school bags at home for another two weeks as the State Government announced Queensland’s first school term would be delayed due to a predicted Omicron peak.
Queensland schools were supposed to have their first day of the school year on January 24.
However premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said the Omicron outbreak was likely to peak at this time, making the return to education too risky for the age group who remain mostly unvaccinated.
Ms Palaszczuk said students would now return to school on February 7.
Schools will remain open for children of essential workers and remote learning offered for years 11 and 12 from January 31.
“[Delaying the school year] is a common sense move to avoid students heading back to primary or secondary school just as the rapidly rising number of Omicron cases in Queensland hits its peak,” she said.
“As the Chief Health Officer has said, there is no way to completely stop this virus from spreading.
“But we can take steps to protect the community – including our children – as much as possible.
“I know parents are concerned about sending children back to school at a time like this, so I want to assure them that delaying the start of the school year by just two weeks is a sensible solution.
“This is especially important to give more time to vaccinate five- to 11-year-olds, who only become eligible to be vaccinated [on] Monday January 10.”
Health and Ambulance Services Minister Yvette D’Ath said parents should book their children in as soon as possible.
“It’s really critical you take your kids to get their COVID-19 vaccination as soon as you can, so they have a layer of protection before school begins for 2022,” she said.
“By logging on to the Queensland Government’s website, a parent, carer or guardian is able to easily book a vaccination appointment for their child.
“We’ve already seen an excellent uptake in vaccination bookings from this age group, with more than 26,666 kids in this cohort scheduled to receive their first dose over the next two weeks.”
Education Minister, Grace Grace, said students would not miss any essential content due to the delayed start of term, with teachers to review lesson plans to deliver the curriculum accordingly.
“Principals will implement staffing arrangements to ensure only the minimum number of staff are on site, but we will ensure vulnerable children and children of essential workers can still attend,” she said.
“This the first time most of us in Queensland are experiencing widespread community transmission of Covid-19, and it’s challenging for everyone.
“I have been working closely with my department and key stakeholders on a number of plans and scenarios for months, but the emergence of the Omicron variant has seen cases rise much more quickly than expected.
“An extensive range of resources and activities will be available to students via our comprehensive learning@home site.
“However, school staff – like the wider workforce – are likely to be significantly impacted by the number of Covid cases, so directed remote learning [for years 1 to 10] won’t be offered at this stage.”