CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
There were cheers of joy around Victoria and New South Wales today, as a vast number of kids in both states were dropped off at the school gates by their frazzled parents.
While NSW students were lucky enough to get a good 6 months in the classroom last year, Victorian families will remember this moment for the rest of their lives.
Victoria’s faster-than-expected jab rollout allowed the government to accelerate its road map out of lockdown last week.
After close to 300 days imprisoned in their homes lockdown finally ended at 11.59pm Thursday, October 21. This loosening of restrictions allowed some Victoria school children back the next day, ahead of their initial schedule.
The state government is forecasting a full return for metro students to in-school teaching on Friday, November 5, when the state is expected 80 per cent double-dosed.
Melbourne students in grades 1 and 2 returned to the yard on Thursday last week, with many kids never having stepped into a musty primary school classroom before.
7-year-old Ringwood girl, Madeline, says that familiarising herself with the ancient tradition of communal learning environments has been a brutal task.
“I never knew what it was like to ‘go to school’ – I always thought that was something from the movies” says Madeline.
“But now I’m here… It kind of makes sense I guess”
“I never knew that there were TWO lunch times”
Madeline says the amount of noise has been a bit difficult to overcome, but after two years in lockdown, she doesn’t mind the ability to have a conversation with someone who isn’t a financially distressed adult.
“I didn’t even know there were this many kids in my neighbourhood. I thought the only other people that lived in my suburb were the grown ups who delivered mummy her wine every Friday”
“I’m also learning that some of these kids speak different languages at home. I didn’t even know there was more than one language until dad accidentally let me watch Squid Game last week”
“I think I’ve met a couple of these other kids at the park before during that brief couple months where we were allowed to use playground equipment”
“But even If I have met them before… It’s hard to know because we’ve all been wearing masks since we were basically toddlers”
MORE TO COME.
