Students will be sent home after classes are cancelled at one Melbourne senior high school after the impact of the ongoing teacher shortage crisis.
Swinburne Secondary Senior College in the inner east sent parents and students a letter today to say that the school was facing an unprecedented challenge caused by teacher shortages and “other operational issues”.
“Unfortunately,” the letter stated, “there is no perfect solution that addresses all our concerns.”
For the remainder of term one, all period five and six classes where there is no teacher will be cancelled, with students permitted to leave school premises.
If classes have to be cancelled during periods one to four, the school’s students will move to a study hall and complete the work teachers have left for them via an online learning platform.
It’s a situation that prompted angry responses from some school parents, with some likening the announcement as a return to COVID-style schooling.
The school only offers classes for students in years 11 and 12, with the decision to cancel classes impacting students who are navigating their most important secondary school years.
Concerns for neurodiverse students who need in-person support and instructions to achieve their best possible academic outcomes have also been highlighted by the parent cohort.
In the letter sent to families today, Swinburne Secondary College said it would review the situation at the end of term one.
But with more than 1390 permanent teaching-related job vacancies advertised on the Victorian Education Department’s website just last week, finding a fast solution seems difficult.
