Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett fears the new school system could see some children fall through the cracks.
Mr Bennett said the sad reality is some families in the Bundaberg and Burnett region can’t afford to have breakfast at home, let alone an iPad to learn on.
“According to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, almost 25 per cent of homes in the Bundaberg Local Government Area don’t even have internet access,” he said. *
“If kids have no choice but to do online learning from home for at least five weeks, the State Government needs to provide devices, quality internet access and printed materials.
“Many families are struggling at the moment and they can’t bear this additional burden alone.
“Coronavirus has cost us so much already, we can’t let it cost our kids a year of learning.”
Me Bennett said he fears that this school system will create a two-class system.
“We can’t have a system where those kids from disadvantaged backgrounds are left behind because they can’t go to school and can’t access the internet,” he said.
“It just isn’t good enough for the state government to force our most disadvantaged kids to learn from home without printed materials, internet access and appropriate devices.
“With many families worrying about their jobs and how they will pay the bills, the last thing they need is mixed messages in their kids schooling.”
* Link to ABS Statistics, Internet Access (Page 14): https://statistics.qgso.qld.gov.au/profiles/qrp/resident/pdf/5KLSLTRL9NNVV4VOQSUF21SQPFAPLL90V512GB0IK6S6434H2G9AYAKUZWI7E1M4SOYBGV6BZNM74W8SVJZKVUVV1J9UDMNDVRIKZBT13VH27TNVFHRAVHZU886TITOU/qld-regional-profiles-resident#view=fit&pagemode=bookmarks
15/04/2020