The novel Coronavirus has reached a stage in Australia where containment is no longer possible.  Thousands of high school students travel to school every day by public transport at peak hour, making close contact unavoidable.  With swiftly  rising figures of Coronavirus cases across the globe, the risk to our children increases on a daily basis.

Once at school, students are in close contact with many of their peers. Due to the ability of the virus to be be passed on during the incubation period, and as it causes only mild symptoms in most cases, particularly in young people, it is impossible to know who amongst the students attending school has already become infected.

For the same reasons, our children may unwittingly spread the disease to family members who may be at high risk of serious complications and death through this exposure. 

Across the globe, the trend has been for nations to shut down schools and quarantine large regions once the national death tolls have mounted to the vicinity of 100. The current number of deaths in Australia is 3. 

It appears inevitable that Australia will eventually take radical measures to slow down the spread of  Coronavirus. It may, however, be weeks or months until that decision has been made. By providing home study options for our children, the Australian Government could allow families to make choices to keep their children home based on their individual set of circumstances and levels of risk, whilst allowing students to continue their class work, assignments and exams.