School remains open despite reports student ‘standing outside with nowhere to go’

Logan’s Mabel Park State High School has been forced to deny it had closed over coronavirus fears after a social media post whipped parents into a frenzy over reports students were waiting outside school grounds “with nowhere to go”.

A Logan high school was today forced to deny it had closed its doors after a social media post reported hundreds of students were left waiting outside the school grounds over coronavirus fears.

The Crime Watch Logan Facebook page reported “hundreds” of students at Mabel Park State High School were “standing outside with nowhere to go” after being sent home, prompting a wave of queries and complaints from parents.

The post was later corrected to say “about 50” students were outside the school, and that many parents had ‘panicked’.

The Education Department was aware of the reports and was looking into the situation but the school denied reports it had closed its doors.

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Student were seen waiting outside Mabel Park State High School after being informed about the school’s coronavirus policy. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Walker

“Please note that Mabel Park SHS remains open and operating as per normal. We will follow Queensland Government advice and inform parents should this change,” a post on the school’s Facebook page says.

It is understood parents were informed by the school today that they would be contacted if their child presented as sick, and they would need to collect their children from school.

It’s believed a number of students only presented at the school’s office after being told by staff they would need to go home if they felt unwell, or had family members who were sick.

“100 per cent true,” one parent wrote of reports children were waiting outside the school grounds.

“My wife’s there now and there’s kids crying as well because their parents are at work and can’t get them.”

However another parent said students only presented to the office after school staff said they should be collected by parents and remain home as a precaution if they felt unwell.

“I saw this and panicked, called the school and they said “as precaution” they sent a message out to all the kids and said all kids who feel unwell or have family members who are unwell please come to the office, you will be sent home … 600 kids showed up at the office wanting to go home,” they wrote.

Another parent wrote: “My son goes there and apparently the school told any child who is not feeling well or has any flu symptoms at all to go home, needless to say pretty much most of the kids got up and left … not because (they) are truly sick but because they didn’t have to stay.”

The school’s principal sent information to parents this morning communicating Department of Education advice about how schools should manage the mass gatherings ban.