Comet Bay College’s population swelled just a little this week, as our Year 10 Caring for Children students adopted virtual babies.
The new additions were delivered on Tuesday morning and the students were responsible for caring for the babies around the clock for several days. They will then hand them over to our Year 11 Children Family and Community students for next week.
Home Economics teacher Marc Mlachak said the computerised babies simulated the needs of six-week-old infants and would give students a great insight into parenthood.
“The babies cry based on four basic needs – when they are hungry, need their nappies changed, need to be burped or rocked,” he said.
“They follow a natural infant cycle, which means they will be requiring attention all day and night.
“The students’ response times and care of the babies is monitored to evaluate their attentiveness as new mothers.”
Students are allowed to make arrangements for their peers to babysit during tests and must complete all other classwork by putting the baby down in a safe place.
“It will be interesting to see how our students feel during the experience and how well they all cope with a lack of sleep,” Mr Mlachak said.
