The Australian Government's Department of Health website has up to date information and advice on Coronavirus.

Further information is also available via the National Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you require translating or interpreting services, call 131 450.

• Coronavirus with a baby: what you need to know to prepare and respond
  
• 8 tips on what to tell your kids about coronavirus
• 5 Ways to Help Teens Manage Anxiety About the Coronavirus

The impact on schooling

• Should I keep my children home from school due to coronavirus?
• What does social distancing in schools involve?
• Online educational activites for kids at home Scholastic has came up with a way to keep kids busy and learning while school closures keep them home during coronavirus pandemic. The US-based company has set up a ‘Learn From Home’ website with four categories: PreK and Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2, Grades 3-5, and Grades 6+. Each section is already equipped with one week of content for students with 15 additional days on the way.

• Kids at home because of coronavirus? Here are 4 ways to keep them happy (without resorting to Netflix)

• COVID-19: what closing schools and childcare centres would mean for parents and casual staff
• How would working parents cope?
• Lessons from a school already delivering classes online

Some good news

• Coronavirus pandemic gives rise to acts of kindness
• Coronavirus pandemic sparks outpouring of kindness, community spirit and pickled carrots

Q+A's recent education special discussed whether Aussie kids are getting the education they need?

'Our global education ranking has plunged, results in reading, maths and science are in decline, and a toxic culture of sexism and bullying persists in too many high schools' was the program's premise.

It led to a lively debate between the panel Vy Tran, John Collier, Eddie Woo, Tanya Plibersek, Adrian Piccoli and the audience. 

APC was in the audience and had a question shortlisted about the role of parents in education was and whether we should be viewed as partners, but sadly we didn't get to ask it.

The National Bushfire Recovery Agency has a dedicated Families and individuals webpage that includes links to info on:

• Back to school, early education and care assistance
• Child Care Assistance
• Mental health support

The Department of Health's Bushfire information and support webpage has advice about how you can access the medical help and what extra services are being provided in response to the crisis, including distress counselling and mental health support for individuals, families and communities. Headspace centres in fire affected areas are being given extra funding to provide support and counselling for young people. 

DisasterAssist has information on financial assistance.

The Department of Education also has boosted services for students in bushfire communities, including mental health support in schools and childcare, and special consideration for university scholarships.

The New South Wales Department of Education (NSW DET) has set up a dedicated School safety webpage with links to resources on mental health support, including advice on supporting children, parents and colleagues through a bushfire crisis.

In Victoria, the Department of Education and Training also has a specific webpage on the 2020 bushfires, and a dedicated information page for parents and carers.

Parents can make a huge positive impact on the way their kids learn and there are lots of things parents can do to help them get the most out of school.

But what and how much should parents be doing? What are the best strategies to use at home? What's going to make the most difference? Where can parents get practical tips and ideas?

This is where APC can help parents. Our Successful Learning in the Early Years workshops are designed to help parents help their kids. They concentrate exclusively on what you can do at home to support your child's development of reading, writing and numeracy.  The program sets you up to work in partnership with teachers, so young students can make the best possible start at school.

They are delivered by qualified and experienced facilitators and are suitable for parents, parent groups, pre-schools, schools and community groups.

• Practical ways that parents and families can and do learn at home 
• The way schools teach reading, writing and numeracy
• Reading and writing conventions and how to respond to children’s early literacy
• Developmental milestones
• Positive communication and relationships between parents and teachers

The workshops encourage parents to:

• appreciate their powerful role as first educators and co-educators
• build confidence and competence to actively encourage children’s learning
• actively and positively partner with teachers.

Contact APC for details on the workshops or if you'd like to be trained as a facilitator.

A recent survey conducted by the Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA), found 80 per cent of school leaders regarded anxiety as a growing problem.

• We’re raising a generation of anxious kids — here’s why

This is a huge issue and we'd like to thank Australian Primary Principals Association for their work in highlighting it. We certainly need to be talking about this.

But a lot of the commentary ended up blaming parents, even though the biggest new factor in the equation appears to be social media. 

The Australian Government's proposed new direct measure of parents' capacity to contribute towards the cost of their child's schooling at non-government schools, is expected to be more accurate.

• Non-government schools set for multibillion-dollar funding boost

The new direct measure uses parent income tax data instead of the school's location. It is due to be rolled out from this year but requires an amendment to the Australian Education Act first.

But the Coalition for Regional Independent Schools said the majority of established regional independent schools will each be stripped of more than a million dollars a year on average under the new model.

Chair Stephen Higgs, said: 'This flawed methodology will hurt many parents, students and families. We support a means-based funding scheme, but the proposed application of this new model fails the fundamental tests of fairness and transparency on which it was supposed to be based.'

• Regional Schools Funding Hit

Following the outcry from regional schools, the government has announced a further inquiry, which was supported by the National Catholic Education Committee.

• Catholic education welcomes review into impacts on regional, rural and remote schools

Schools will be given until 2029 to fully transition to the new model. Those getting less government support, will get a share in a $1.3 billion 'choice and affordability fund'.

The My School website has now been updated with the most recent data available on Australian schools, and presents NAPLAN data in ways designed to be clearer and more relevant for parents.

The site has been streamlined and there is a stronger focus on student progress so that is 'fair and easier to understand'. The old comparisons with statistically similar schools, which were often spread far apart across the country, have been replaced.

“These changes are being made to help parents and school authorities focus more on how a school is performing in terms of student progress i.e. improving literacy and numeracy outcomes over the two years since the previous NAPLAN tests, and less on ‘school versus school’ comparisons that only take account of overall levels of achievement,” said ACARA CEO, David de Carvalho.

The changes have been broadly welcomed by parent groups, including the APC, and educators, although heads of schools rightly point out that MySchool information can't replace a personal visit to a school if you are deciding where to send your child for their education.

“The new My School website is a big improvement. It now provides more of the kind of information parents want to know, with a new layout, graphics and language that are much more parent friendly. The focus on how much students have improved, especially the new comparisons to similar students, also gives parents a simple way to see how well their child's school is going.”
Jenni Rickard, President, Australian Parents Council

“ACSSO applauds ACARA for listening to the feedback from parents to continue enhancements to the My School website. Parents have been asking for a simpler site with focus on student progress instead of direct rankings, and this change promises to deliver.”
Andrew Bidwell, President, Australian Council of State School Organisations Ltd

“Catholic Secondary Principals Australia (CaSPA) has welcomed the review, consultations and changes to NAPLAN and My School. CaSPA supports the renewed focus on student progress and improving educational outcomes for all students.”
Phil Lewis, Executive Officer, Catholic Secondary Principals Australia

“The My School website is a good place for parents to start when gathering information about where they will educate their children. But it is no substitute for a personal visit to a school, where parents have the opportunity to talk with the principal, teachers and students to help determine whether the school is the best choice to meet the unique needs and interests of their child.”
Beth Blackwood, CEO, Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia

“With the changes to the My School website the focus is now on tracking students’ learning growth and progress against students with both a similar socio-educational background across Australia and from the same starting score, which makes for a more accurate measure of how well students are progressing at any given school.”
Jacinta Collins, Executive Director, National Catholic Education. 

Despite advances in classroom technology, the weight of school backpacks continues to grow, with experts advising parents to look for physical signs that it's affecting their children.

Nicole Haynes, chair of the Australian Physiotherapy Association's paediatric physiotherapy group, said parents should look for physical signs that it's affecting their children.

"From a physical perspective, if they're having to really lean forward to hold their backpack and bend at the waist, then that's the biggest physical sign you can see," she said.

"We want to make sure kids are independent with carrying their backpacks and encouraging them to be active at the same time."

She said in early primary school years, students often had bags that were too big for them.