Victorian students will begin returning to schools for face-to-face teaching from May 26.
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Premier Daniel Andrews and education minister James Merlino announced this morning that students in prep, grade one and two, along with year 11 and 12 students, will return on May 26. A pupil free day will take place on May 25.
Remaining students from grade 3 to 10 will go back to school on June 9.
All special schools will open in full on May 26.
Mr Andrews said he expects the Catholic Education Commission will follow a similar timeline.
It gives families, children and teachers two weeks notice to prepare for the return to school.
Mr Andrews said the staggered approach would help limit the number people moving through communities.
"It is also to give schools appropriate time to move back to face-to-face teaching.
"Schools will look different. There will be a whole range of protocols to have drop-offs staggered, changes to lunch and cleaning. Adults and staff will socially distance.
"We have tried to make it as simple as we possibly can. By early June most schools will be in basically the same place."
Mr Andrews praised the efforts of parents in ensuring children were able to learn from home.
"It is an equally important opportunity to thank parents for contributions made to flattening the curve and making sure this virus is under control," he said.
"I know the last four weeks been challenging. It has made a profound difference to the number of cases we have and prospect for further rule changes."
There are currently 1509 COVID-19 cases in Victoria - an increase of 17 from Monday.
Mr Andrews said schools had remained open with about three per cent of students attending.
"Schools are of course open," he said. "If they weren't safe, they wouldn't be open.
"But we are confident we can now move to bring kids to face-to-face learning but in a staggered way.
"Parents also made it clear they want notice. This give parents two weeks notice between each stage."
Students who need to attend school due to parents being essential workers will still be able to attend ahead of their return dates.
"As we move to this new phase, there still be some parents who need to send kids (in the grade 3 to 10 cohort) to school," Mr Andrews said.
"They'll still be able to do that if parents are essential worker or circumstances mean they can't have kids at home.
"Specific arrangements for year 10 students studying year 11 subjects will be made if it's practical."
