Australia's second-most populous state will resume in-person teaching May 27, weeks earlier than expected, after schools were shut down to halt the spread of the coronavirus, Premier Daniel Andrews said Tuesday.
The state, including the city of Melbourne, will take a staggered approach with teenagers in classrooms first, followed by younger pupils starting June 9, Andrew said.
The Labor premier has been criticized by his political opponents for being too slow to reopen schools, a step seen as key to restoring a national economy that is heading for its first recession in 30 years.