The growing distress at the critical circumstances facing a number of boarding school families as mid-semester holidays approach has prompted nine school principals to make an urgent joint appeal to the state government.
The principals at St Ursula's College, St Saviour's College, The Glennie School, Fairholme College, Toowoomba Grammar School, Downlands College, Toowoomba Anglican School, Scots PGC College, and Concordia Lutheran College are seeking "reasonableness" in relation to border exemptions for NSW families based on semi-isolated properties and in small rural towns.
"Our fears are that students will have to remain at school for the holidays, or that parents who rightfully want to see their children over the holidays will have to make tough decisions about schooling for term four and into the future," the letter states.
"Of greater concern, is the mental health impact inherent in this dislocated arrangement. To not see your son or daughter for months, or to develop trust with a boarding school and then to have to even contemplate starting again with a new school are added complications in the difficult time that we are all experiencing."
An ongoing refusal to consider exemptions, accompanied by statutory declarations and COVID-19 testing, could mean the hundreds of thousands of dollars invested by NSW families in education in the Darling Downs region is removed to Sydney schools.
In a similar letter to opposition leader Deb Frecklington, the principals say that boarding schools have never been asked to discriminate on the basis of 'state of origin' before.
The Slacksmith family at Burren Junction, between Wee Waa and Walgett, have three children at Toowoomba boarding schools and say they are very concerned about the circumstances they face.
"My children are far more likely to be exposed to COVID in Toowoomba than at home," Jo Slacksmith said.
The principals' letter said it was understood that day students had been given exemptions to travel to and from school across the NSW/Queensland border under Border Restrictions Direction (No. 11a).
"We want boarders to have the comparative opportunities their day student peers have; those who can cross the border, daily," it said.
A Queensland Health spokeswoman said exemptions to the Border Restrictions Direction were limited and issued only in exceptional circumstances.
An LNP spokesman said Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk needed to find a workable solution for families, adding there was no reason why a COVID plan couldn't be put in place.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
