Yes – under the provisions of the Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004 (Vic), the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) and the Education and Training Reform Regulations 2017 (Vic).

Under Victorian occupational health and safety law, employers have an obligation to provide and maintain a safe workplace. This obligation extends to all people at the workplace, whether they are employees or not.

Schools should:

• Continue to monitor the advice from the Australian and Victorian governments
• Review the school’s emergency management plan
• Ensure that communications to parents, students and staff are clear and timely
• Prepare for the possibility of high absenteeism from large numbers of students and staff
• Review the school’s capacity to deliver online learning to students
• Review the school’s business continuity plan
• Make appropriate arrangements for international students

You may be in breach of the Occupational Health & Safety Act 2004 (Vic).

You may also be in breach of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic.) and the Education and Training Reform Regulations 2007 (Vic.). Non-compliance with the minimum standards for school registration could result in the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA):

• imposing conditions on a school’s registration
• prohibiting a school from enrolling any new students
• requiring the school to report its non-compliance to parents
• suspending, cancelling or imposing conditions on a school’s registration.

Your reputation could be affected.

Peter Roberts
Director, School Services
Ph. 03 9825 7211
peter.roberts@is.vic.edu.au

Tom Hyland
Media and Communications Advisor
Ph. 03 9825 7217
tom.hyland@is.vic.edu.au

Australian Government websites

• Department of Education, Skills and Employment:
  • Coronavirus
  • This website provides up to date fact sheets for schools, early childhood providers and CRICOS registered providers.

• Department of Education, Skills and Employment: Early Childhood and Care Relief Package
  • Child Care Provider Handbook
  • Child Care Funding Packages

• Australian Government Department of Health:
  • Coronavirus
  • Australian Government Coronavirus Emergency Response Plan
  • Australian Immunisation Handbook
  • National Immunisation Program Schedule

• Australian Government, Treasury:
  • Fact sheet: Cash flow assistance for businesses

• Australian Government, National Health and Medical Research Council:
  • Staying Healthy Preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services

• Australian Taxation Office:
  • Information about ATO measures and tailored support during COVID-19

• Safe Work Australia:
  • Infographic – Suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in the workplace

Victorian Government Websites

• Victorian Department of Health and Human Services:
  • Coronavirus

• Victorian DET:
  • Coronavirus
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for early childhood services
  • Funding for Four-year sessional kindergartens remains unchanged. The State Government has also announced support for unfunded three-year kindergarten programs – full information can be found here
  • Learning from home in an early childhood setting
  • Educator to child ratios
  • Educator to child ratios for funded kindergarten programs
  • Early childhood teacher centre-based services
  • Health and hygiene in early childhood education and care services

• Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC): Advice on reducing the potential risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools
• Safe Work Australia: General information and guidance for workplace health and safety in a variety of industries, including education and training
• Safe Work Australia: Early childhood education and care

This section contains useful content in the form of exemplars, templates and relevant links for schools.

Downloadable resources are located in isConnect for Member School access.

Relevant links:

ACARA: Resources for parents and carers

ISV: Student support discussion and resource space on isLearn

ISV: COVID-19 Research Articles

Australian Government, eSafety Commissioner: COVID-19: Tips on how to stay safe online during the COVID-19 pandemic

Going Digital: Making digital ways of working, work! 

ISV: Remote Learning – curated digital forums on isLearn

Victorian Department of Education and Training: Learning from home

Cleaning

ISV has reached an agreement with Cleaning Melbourne which is offering Member Schools a 40% off discount on standard rates for COVID-19 cleaning services.

Cleaning Melbourne can undertake a ‘deep clean’ at your school to help minimise the risk of infection and contamination. This could include precautionary cleaning and disinfection of high touch point (HTP) areas, sanitisation and thorough deep cleaning of your school facilities, as well as decontamination control.

Click here for more information about this exclusive Member offer.

Face masks

ISV has secured access for Member Schools to disposable facemasks at cost price – $30 for a box of 50. The normal retail price is $50. Details on how to order these facemasks can be found here.

Hand sanitiser

ISV has negotiated a bulk supply of hand sanitiser with DefendTex.

The hand sanitiser is being provided in 15 litre and 5 litre containers. The liquid format is ideal for hand sanitisation and cleaning of surfaces. It is also ideal for refilling spray dispensers (such as you find in most toilet facilities), and normal spray and wipe bottles. Schools will need to provide their own dispensing equipment.

For more information, refer to:

• product specification
• safety data sheet
• supplier information.

To place an online order, click here. ISV will consolidate orders daily and send them to DefendTex, who will contact schools directly.