“Don’t be surprised” if Australian schools eventually close during the COVID-19 crisis and don’t open again this year, reports AFR political editor Phil Coorey.
Phil told FIVEAA Breakfast’s David & Will on Friday:
“[PM Scott Morrison’s] thinking isn’t fixed on this. I can tell you pretty confidently they expect at some stage they’re going to have to shut the schools. They don’t want to and neither do the premiers… but they suspect it’s probably inevitable but at this stage the advice, medical and other, is no need…
“The reason they’re giving us is once they close, that’s it — they’ll be closed for the rest of the year. So if we close them in March pretty much everyone is going to have to repeat a year. You’re looking at 500-800,000 people won’t be able to go to work because they’ll have to stay home and look after their kids and you can’t rely on grandparents because they’re too vulnerable.
“In England and places like that where they are closing schools kids whose parents are doctors and nurses are still going to school… so you’re not taking out of circulation your frontline workers you’re going to need.
“The prime minster is not bloody minded about this. He’s not saying, no, never. He’s saying not now because once they close that’s it.
“Don’t be surprised if it happens.”
LISTEN:
