Victoria and Tasmania are now the only states delaying a return to face-to-face teaching in term two after Queensland unveiled its plans for a staged return to the classroom from May 11.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that Queensland's kindergarten, Prep and Year 1, 11 and 12 students would go back to school in a staged roll-out from Monday, with the intention of sending all students back on May 25.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is holding firm on his government's school strategy with no date mooted.
"This is fragile. It can change and it can change rapidly," Mr Andrews said.
"We've had outbreaks in lots of different settings and there's every reason to expect that we'll have outbreaks in the future."
Tasmania is also requesting students, where possible, continue to learn at home, supported by parents and carers, with teachers leading this learning.
Victorian mother Erin Freeland says she is still happy to wait
The Stawell pathologist has five children at home, three of whom are primary-school age.
Mrs Freeland and her husband both work and have had to rework their hours to ensure someone was home.
"Home-school has been going very well and I've actually enjoyed having the kids home a lot," Mrs Freeland said.
"Honestly, I'd probably like them to stay home for the rest of the term.
"There's so much uncertainty, so even if I did send my children, which I'm 100 per cent confident in sending my children to school, a lot of families won't be.
"Teachers are then going to have to do online learning and classroom learning which is a huge stretch for them to do at the best of times. This whole online learning has been a huge learning curve for them.
"I'm expecting communities won't be quite ready.
"There'll be a lot of parents who aren't ready to send their kids back, so teachers are going to have that struggle of doing both and I think everyone will struggle and suffer because of that.
"Whereas if we just leave the whole of the term at home, we've got that end date, it's just going to be for this term and get a real control of the situation ... then term three we start again, we know what's happening, everyone is good to go, fresh slate."
STATE BY STATE
- NSW: Schools will resume face-to-face learning for students initially one day a week, increasing attendance as the term progresses. Students will attend on different days to limit the number of pupils at school. The NSW government aims to resume full-time, face-to-face learning from the start of term three.
- VICTORIA: The health advice is for remote learning to remain in place for the rest of term two. All students who can learn from home must learn from home.
- ACT: Chief Minister Andrew Barr confirmed the government was "preparing to move to face-to-face delivery during term 2 if the circumstances allow us to do that sensibly". Younger children and those at key points of their education were likely to return first.
- TASMANIA: Where possible, students will continue to learn at home, supported by parents and carers, with teachers leading this learning.
- QUEENSLAND: Prep and Year 1, 11 and 12 students will go back to school in a staged roll-out from Monday, with the intention of sending all students back on May 25.
- SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Open for learning as normal in term two.
- WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Schools are open for all parents and carers who choose to send their children.
- NORTHERN TERRITORY: All Northern Territory students expected to physically attend school if well.
