UPDATE Tuesday 9am
PRIVATE and state schools across the Redlands are preparing online or home learning options in case coronavirus forces them to shut down.
Thornlands State School principal Robyn Wilton issued a statement to parents on Monday, saying teachers were working on preparing a basic home learning overview for each year level.
"We are seeking to keep these as simple as possible in order to remove any unnecessary burden on parents should you need to implement them," she said.
"We will be distributing this whole school overview sooner, rather than later, to ensure that, as parents, you are prepared should the situation change quickly and/or unexpectedly."
The overviews would use textbooks and online programs.
Meanwhile, Victoria Point State High School principal Scot Steinhardt reassured parents that there had been no reported cases at the school but alternative arrangements for the school cross country were being considered.
Students who were in self-isolation after having contact with a confirmed novel coronavirus case or returning from overseas would not have their attendance records impacted.
"Students who do not meet Queensland Health's requirements for self-isolation but who are being kept at home as a precaution will be marked as 'Unauthorised'," Mr Steinhardt said.
"These absences are not considered a reasonable excuse based on current health advice."
Students feeling unwell should stay home from school.
Sheldon College principal Lyn Bishop said the school's management team was monitoring the situation across all school operations including kindergarten, after school care and day care.
"In the event of a school closure for either a short or extended period of time, we have developed a business continuity plan ... which will see modified academic programs being delivered virtually to students," she said.
"This process will enable interaction between staff and students in a virtual classroom, including lesson notes, links to videos, worked examples, PowerPoint presentations and forum discussions.
"Mass gatherings including whole-school assemblies, local and inter-state excursions, our Anzac Day ceremony, holiday workshops, open days, school camps and various inter-school sporting activities have been placed on hold, pending further development and advice for authorities."
EARLIER
REDLANDS schools remain open despite new social distancing and self-isolation measures put in place over the weekend.
The Australian government announced that non-essential public gatherings of more than 500 people must be cancelled from Monday, March 16.
This did not include schools, universities or workplaces and would not impact public transport at this stage.
"Principals will review the forward events schedule for their school to minimise large gatherings and postpone any that meet this criteria until further notice," the statement said.
"In large schools across the state, full school assemblies will cease and actions such as staggered lunch breaks will be implemented, that many schools already do."
A statement from the Education Department said there was no need for mass school closures currently but the ban on large gatherings included activities like fetes or fairs.
Many schools have issued updates to parents with information on how they will be handling the pandemic and what they will do if closures are enacted.
Schools were also looking into alternative means of teaching, like online courses, in case the call was made to shut down.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday that closing schools could create more problems than solutions.
"In terms of the impact it would have on them going back home, they would need to be cared for," he said.
"They may actually be being cared for by older Australians, their grandparents. That is not a particularly good idea at the moment.
"It would also take potentially nurses and others out of the, out of the workforce when we need them right now."
It comes as students across the Redlands have been disappointed by the cancellation or postponement of events like sporting competitions.
Meanwhile, University of Queensland students will have a week off from classes with all in-person and online teaching and assessment paused until March 23.
"The University will use this time to fast-track transition to the online delivery of lectures and other course activities where possible," a UQ statement read.
Meanwhile, Queensland University of Technology issued a statement on March 15 saying classes would proceed as normal but extra options for off-campus study would be implemented.
Arrangements would be made with students who needed to self-isolate.
Queensland declared a public health emergency on January 29, 2020 in response to the global outbreak of coronavirus.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said police were continuing to check people who had been placed in quarantine to ensure they were complying with requirements.
Fines of up to $13,000 can be given to people who fail to comply with the conditions.
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