Shut your mouths: Dan Andrews bans Melbourne school kids from singing amid fears children who have been trapped at home in isolation for months might spread coronavirus in classrooms
Melbourne school children who dared to break into song in class this week after months of home schooling have been told to keep their traps firmly shut.
Children in all year levels apart from grades eight to 10 returned to Melbourne schools this week after months of miserable home schooling.
But some excited children who innocently rolled out a tune in class have been told to cut it out.
Melbourne school kids have been banned from singing in class under COVID-19 regulations dictating their return to class this week
Prep students returned to school this week after months of home learning. Singing in class is not allowed under strict guidelines imposed by Premier Daniel Andrews
Premier Daniel Andrews has killed Melbourne businesses, sports clubs, minds and sweet song of children
Under Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews' COVID-safe return to school decree, kiddies are not allowed to sing.
Nor are they allowed to play woodwind or brass instruments.
School choirs have been axed, with some strict teachers warning children that all singing in class is indefinitely banned.
Daily Mail Australia has been told schools as far away as the Mornington Peninsula, which has fought to free itself of Melbourne's plagued metropolitan status, have warned primary school children not to sing.
'Can you believe the boys came home from school today and were both told they can't sing in class,' one shocked parent said.
'Department of Education idiots under the helm of Labor morons.'
While most parents are reluctant to rock the boat with educators after spending months home schooling their kids, Daily Mail Australia has been told the ban on music and song has come as another slap in the face.
Many children, whom had no choice in selecting the instruments they were assigned by their teachers, had already struggled to learn their wind instruments from home.
The rules have been implemented despite all Melbourne school children being forced to wear masks and socially distance.
It is understood the bans have not gone down well with all teachers, with some appealing to the premier to overturn them.
Wind instruments have been deemed the evil tool of COVID-19 and have been banned from Melbourne classrooms
Melbourne school kids who have been locked up for months are being made to wear face masks at school
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews takes the microphone every day during his press conference. School kids are being forced to keep their mouths shut
One teacher told The Age this week that students were 'devastated' that music classes could not go ahead as expected.
'We have been giving lessons via remote learning, teaching from our homes,' she said.
'That can’t continue because students will actually be on site, so they can’t do online lessons at school because they still can’t play their instruments like they’ve been able to at home.'
The Australian Band and Orchestra Directors' Association has already written to the Victorian government urging it to approve a COVID-safe way of teaching music.
In Queensland and New South Wales, the latter of which continues to suffer more active cases of COVID-19 than Victoria, music classes continue.
On Thursday, Victoria recorded six new cases of coronavirus, with metropolitan Melbourne’s 14-day average dipping again to 8.9 — down from 9.6 on Wednesday.
Educators argue there has not been a single incidence of COVID-19 transmission in Australia via music classes.
Along with bans on swimming lessons, sports and all kinds of other ordinary activities undertaken by children across the globe, music educators fear children will lose their motivation after months of remote music classes.
A Victorian Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia it continued to work with the education department to re-introduce music to Melbourne schools.
'Updated health advice allows schools in regional Victoria to conduct individual tuition and small ensemble groups (10 or less participants) outdoors, with physical distancing and other hygiene measures where possible,' she stated.
As it stands, singing, choirs and woodwind/brass instruments can only be used 'where required for essential assessments'.
The health department claims the rules as based on 'evidence regarding the potential spread of aerosols and droplets from the use of woodwind instruments and singing and voice projection'.
Schools have been told that children who need to prepare for essential assessments ought practice outside, 'with physical distancing and other hygiene measures where possible'.