Farming families plead for help to get their children into schools despite COVID-19 restrictions
A station located hundreds of kilometres from the nearest major town should be the perfect place to be isolated from COVID-19 but bush parents are having issues getting their kids into SA for school.
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Parents on bush stations in New South Wales and the Northern Territory are pleading with the state government for travel exemptions for their children who attend boarding school in South Australia.
They say with the kids living so far away, they pose little risk of COVID-19 and essential travel exemptions would allow geographically isolated students who attend boarding school to access education without 14 days in isolation.
Isolated Children’s Parents Associations of New South Wales President Claire Butler said with an estimated 30 children in need of exemptions to travel to SA, it should not be an onerous process.
“We understand the need for caution. We understand we all have a responsibility to managing risk, given the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
“In this case, we are asking authorities to consider a situation that has virtually no risk. “Students who live on remote properties live in geographic isolation to the rest of Australia.”
President of NT branch of the ICPA Sarah Cook said remote families with students who attend boarding school in SA are faced with a complex dilemma.
“Students must quarantine in SA for 14 days before they can return to boarding school,” she said.
“Parents can’t afford to be away from their family lives, their farm, their businesses and responsibilities for 14 days. But children cannot quarantine alone”.
Mrs Cook said the ICPA were drafting risk management plans to support travel exemptions for students.
Wayne and Arleta Smith, Karoola Station, Pooncarie, NSW, have three children – two of which attend school in Adelaide.
Mr Smith said with the station located 200km from the nearest city, and their children not being anywhere near a COVID-19 hotspot, it made sense to grant an exemption.
“We can understand why not everyone can have an exemption, we just feel the government needs to take into consideration the circumstances around where we live,” he said.
“We live on a 150,000 acre sheep station, 200km from Mildura and Broken Hill. We feel we can easily quarantine our children on the farm, rather than have them down in Adelaide by themselves for a fortnight.”
Viv Lawrence lives on a sheep station 300km east of Broken Hill and her son Charlie usually boards in Adelaide.
His mother Viv Lawrence said restrictions were making it tough for farming families.
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“Being a family farm, we’re our own workforce, so we don’t have the option of spending two weeks down in Adelaide with Charlie, especially at this time of year when we’re busy with crutching,” she said.
A State Government spokesman said SA Health had advised that boarding schools are considered places of higher risk for COVID-19 transmission and existing requirements are necessary for those travelling across state and territory borders.
The spokesman said principals of SA’s regional public boarding houses – at Cleve, Burra and Lucindale – have elected to keep their boarding houses closed for the time being.
“Principals are currently working with the recently released guidelines from SA Health and risk assessing the requirements for a safe and staged reopening,” the spokesman said.
“In the meantime, schools are supporting students continue their learning.”