The Minister for Education has issued a direction to the VRQA to afford schools some flexibility, allowing schools to choose to monitor attendance once rather than twice daily.
The direction recognises the challenges Victorian schools face as they transition to the delivery of online and remote learning in Term 2.
It's important schools continue to ensure the care, safety and welfare of their students, including child safety and the risks posed in an online environment. Schools should consider the duty of care owed to their students and that different and sometimes greater measures need to be taken for younger students or students with disabilities.
The ministerial direction is in place for the duration of Victoria's state of emergency or until a date determined by the Secretary, during which time the VRQA is to refrain from:
- reviewing or evaluating school compliance with the prescribed minimum standard for monitoring and recording student attendance twice a day
- pursuing a principal or person in charge of a registered school for non-compliance with section 4.3.7 of the Education and Training Reform Act which states it is an offence if attendance is not recorded in the attendance register in accordance with the minimum standard.
For a copy of the ministerial direction see:
The Department of Education and Training has advice for government schools about tracking, recording and reporting on student attendance in the context of remote and flexible learning.
For a copy of the advice, see: