{"id":256654,"date":"2020-04-14T13:50:07","date_gmt":"2020-04-14T03:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=256654"},"modified":"2020-04-14T14:00:35","modified_gmt":"2020-04-14T04:00:35","slug":"give-parents-a-choice-lnp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/04\/14\/give-parents-a-choice-lnp\/","title":{"rendered":"Give Parents A Choice: LNP"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Opposition Leader and Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

April 14, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

Parents who wish to send their children back to school when Term 2 starts next week should be able to do so, LNP Leader and Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

On Monday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that Queensland school students would be learning at home for the first five weeks of Term 2, with schools only open for the children of essential workers.<\/p>\n

From April 20 until at least May 22, all students who are able to be supervised and learn from home are to stay at home, except for vulnerable students and children of essential workers.<\/p>\n

The Premier said this was “another very difficult decision” but it was the right one for Queensland while continuing to slow the spread of COVID-19.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis decision provides mums and dads with the clarity they need ahead of the new school term,” Ms Palaszczuk said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt also gives certainty for our hard-working teachers who will be continuing to deliver lessons in a way they might never have imagined.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Mrs Frecklington said she feared many thousands of Queensland children could be left behind because of the State Government\u2019s “confusing message on education”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cParents and teachers are confused and concerned,\u201d Mrs Frecklington said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to have clarity from the State Government.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving schools open for some children but not others runs the risk of creating a two-tier education system that will leave some kids behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m especially worried about children being left in homes where they may not receive any home schooling at all for the next five weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd let\u2019s remember that many families don\u2019t have access to laptops, printers, digital devices or sufficient internet connections.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIf parents can teach their children at home and are able to do so they can choose to.\u00a0But parents who want to send their kids to school should have that choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth parents and teachers need clarity on these issues urgently.\u201d<\/p>\n

LNP Shadow Education Minister Jarrod Bleijie said the State Government needed to revise its advice to parents, teachers and principals this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe health advice is that schools can open and making sure that can happen should be the government\u2019s focus,\u201d Mr Bleijie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cQueensland\u2019s education results were heading in the wrong direction before coronavirus hit us, so the damage to our children\u2019s future cannot be dismissed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need clarity from the State Government, not a confused situation with some kids going to school and others being encouraged to stay home.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf parents want to send their kids to school they should be encouraged to do so.<\/p>\n

\u201cSchools aren\u2019t a babysitting service, they are places for our kids to learn and get a world-class education and that should continue.\u201d<\/p>\n