10.07pm – Mar 22, 2020

Robert Bolton

Parents say they are completely confused about what's happening with school closures following the prime minister's late night press conference which was intended to clear the air.

Mr Morrison said he wanted students to stay at school since keeping education going was very important.

But he said Victoria would be closing schools for the end of term one on Tuesday, four days earlier than previously planned.

He said parents in other states could "choose" to send their children to school and if they did "those schools would remain open" until the end of term one.

He said these schools will also offer distance learning where possible.

"I don't want to see our children lose and entire year of their education. That's what we're talking about here."

"Parents who chose to keep children at home must take responsibility for those children," the prime minister said.

The acting president of the Australian Council of State School Organisations, Andrew Bidwell, said he was completely confused by the statement.

He said from the conversations he had on Sunday, Victoria, NSW and the ACT had a different approach idea to what the prime minister had presented.

He said schools in the ACT did not finish term one for another three weeks and this seemed out of kilter with all the planning for increased social distancing.

"For those health workers and others, a complete closure of schools across the country would take out 30 per cent of our health workforce.

"Now, you could imagine what the health impact would be."