BENDIGO families are listening to the advice of governments by keeping their children at home rather than sending them to school.
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Victorian Minister for Education James Merlino on Thursday said only three per cent of state school students went to classrooms for the first day of term two.
Catholic Education Office Sandhurst director Paul Desmond said those figures were reflected in Bendigo's Catholic schools.
About two per cent of students in the diocese's secondary schools have been going into classrooms this week, while the figure rises to eight per cent in primary schools.
Mr Desmond said only vulnerable children or those who had parents who were essential workers attended schools.
"Our principals had consistent dialogue with parents so everyone understood these are extraordinary circumstances," he said.
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"The figures are no surprise. I would have been surprised and disappointed if parents ignored the governments' requests."
Mr Desmond said the transition to online learning had been relatively smooth for schools in the region.
"Our great concern was with the internet and whether it would cope with thousands of students logging on at the same time," he said.
"I heard some reports from Melbourne that were negative. I haven't heard that in the Bendigo region - whether that be from Catholic, state, or independent schools."
Mr Desmond said the shift to online learning would continue for at least the remainder of term two and possibly even longer.
"By and large, people are being really supportive," he said. "They know we're in a dangerous situation. The level of cooperation has been remarkable."
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