Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Hansard source

For many Australians, lockdown won't truly be over until their children go back to school. To every exhausted mum and dad across the country, I just want to say: thank you for your marathon effort. Thank you to every teacher who worked so hard and so quickly to reinvent their jobs. I want to acknowledge the students who have had to adapt to this new way of doing things, away from their friends, away from the playground.

Homeschooling was a solution born of necessity. It's brought some joys but also challenges. For so many parents, home schooling has been a stressful juggling act—one more challenge on top of all the others, as their own jobs have been reinvented or, sadly, disappeared altogether. Homes have been reconfigured into workplaces and classrooms. Families have squeezed in with their workstations around the table or in neighbouring rooms, where the walls suddenly seemed very thin.

Over these long lockdowns, patience has been tested. Time-starved parents put aside their own needs to support their children. Any chance of success is dependent upon two crucial ingredients—an understanding boss and reliable home internet. Not everyone has had that. Hopefully, the silver lining of homeschooling is that families have new habits and memories that have made them even closer. But, as life goes back to normal, may that school bell ring loud and ring clear.

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