The head of the World Health Organisation told the United Nations that COVID-19, the formal name for the new coronavirus, was a global pandemic. This means that it’s a contagious, dangerous disease, which is currently spreading quickly and sometimes uncontrollably.

Core to his message was a condemnation that some countries are not approaching this threat with the level of political commitment needed to control it.

There have been clear cases of community transmission seen in Queensland - yet, the State Government do not want to close schools as they have done in some private schools in the State, others in Australia and other countries.

Experts still don't know if children presenting with no symptoms of the virus, and otherwise healthy, could be carrying and spreading the virus.

Regardless of anyone's stance on school closures, I think we can all agree that parents should be allowed to make the choice to keep their child at home during a global pandemic, without fear of fines or legal prosecution for truancy.

I urge the government to temporarily allow parents to educate their children at home during this outbreak without the children losing their placement at school or parents being threatened that our decisions will cause "unauthorised attendance" and any attached repercussions.

A lot of parents are discussing whether to withdraw children from school altogether (myself included) should the government not change its policy on this subject. We don’t want to be left with  this, as our only option in order to protect our children and the vulnerable adults in our families at this time.

If the government must, leave schools open for those that feel happy sending their children but please give the rest of us the choice.