Thursday, 16 September 2021

COVID-19

Mr HODGETT (Croydon)

I rise today on behalf of the Victorian school camp industry, who have been decimated due to the continuing lockdowns, resulting in the cancellation of all school camps. I am informed the outdoor education industry is worth $374 million to the Victorian economy annually and employs over 4880 staff per week. They make a significant contribution to our economy.

I have been contacted by many families across Victoria who operate these school camps, who are struggling without a plan from the government to reopen face-to-face learning, which in turn will see a return of excursions and school camps.

The impact has been enormous across the entire state as most school camps are situated in regional areas. When Melbourne schools are locked down our regional camps are in lockdown by proxy. Even with the easing of restrictions in regional Victoria and with preps to grade 2 and year 12s having returned to school, the outdoor education industry has seen no benefit as it is grades 3–6 who attend school camps.

This industry needs certainty that schools will return to face-to-face learning and hence a return to school camps in term 4. We all know that school camps facilitate education learning through adventure activities, promoting life skills, connection, diversity, wellbeing, and physical literacy, which are even more crucial for our school children’s mental health after the last year and a half of lockdowns and remote learning.

If the government continues with their blanket lockdown of metropolitan Melbourne schools, it is imperative that the school camp industry remain supported and is included in the ongoing business costs assistance program and the emergency COVID payments for their staff.

I have been very vocal and a strong advocate for the reopening of schools with a COVID-safe plan and a return to face-to-face learning. A follow on from this would be the resumption of school camps, which would have a positive flow-on effect for the school camp industry.

They, like everyone, need certainty; they need a plan, hope, information and a road map that sees support and a way forward for the Victorian school camp industry.