Geelong schools feel virus impact

CORONAVIRUS is wreaking havoc on the start of the school year with attendance rates taking a hit as some students self-isolate.

The impact is being most felt at schools with higher populations of students from overseas.

Classes started at Kardinia International College last week, but the school has several students from mainland China who are isolated for 14 days from their return to Australia at the school’s request.

“We also have some students who have not been able to return to Australia as a result of restrictions put in place on their travel,” principal Catherine Lockhart said.

“Our teachers are very proactive in putting work and resources online for all our students as a matter of standard practice which always helps students who may miss school for many reasons.

“In addition, our teachers are in email contact with the students and we are also investigating videoing or zooming lessons for the students still in China.”

Last week Geelong Grammar School principal Rebecca Cody confirmed in a letter to the school community that there were no students from Wuhan City or the Hubein province enrolled.

“We acknowledge those families who visited mainland China recently and have chosen to self-isolate, which has been reflected in today’s attendance records,” she wrote last week.

Geelong College principal Peter Miller said all the school’s Chinese students who were in Australia were attending class.

“Our medical centre is monitoring these students, but all are deemed to be extremely low risk as they have been in Australia for more than two weeks or have had very low risk of exposure due to where they live and their activities prior to returning to Australia,” Dr Miller said.

He said the school had seen little to no impact on attendance aside from one student who remained home in Beijing.