Coomera Anglican College parents say easing COVID restrictions should allow them to attend Year 6 Crossing the Bridge Ceremony
With COVID restrictions easing in Queensland, parents at a Gold Coast private school say they should be allowed to attend ‘rite of passage’ ceremony.
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PRIVATE Gold Coast school parents are furious the principal is refusing to let them attend a ‘rite of passage’, despite COVID restrictions being lifted on gatherings inside.
Coomera Anglican College has told Year 6 parents they can’t attend the Crossing the Bridge Ceremony, where kids symbolically leave primary to start their high school years.
Instead parents have been offered a link to watch virtually, with the school saying the recording will be a “memento”. It’s understood these parents pay nearly $7500 a year in fees and this increases to about $10,000 in Year 7.
A Year 6 parent said students had already experienced so much upheaval in 2020, having missed camp, sports carnivals and their end-of-year celebration.
“With events now allowed by the government, this ceremony is the last chance our Year 6 parents have to acknowledge their child’s achievements in primary and to celebrate schooling during a try year,” she said. “They are moving to a whole new area of the school, with much older children around and some are apprehensive. It’s understandable they look to their parents for support.”
The same Year 6 parent cohort refused entry to the ceremony have already attended an indoors COVID-safe event in the first week of September to get briefed on what to expect in Year 7.
“Naturally, it makes the denial of this event during lesser restrictions quite hard to swallow,” said the parent. “We are at a loss as to why there is a reluctance to alter the event, given there is ample time to do so. The only excuse we have been given is it would be a lot of work.
“Other schools seem to be showing they are more nimble in the relaxing of the guidelines across all events for all school years. We understand that just across the road, Assisi (Catholic College) is back to normal with all its end of year celebrations.’
In a school newsletter, principal Mark Sly acknowledged some parents were having “difficulty” coming to grips with the decision to only allow event relaxations for Year 12 students who are leaving the College not “merely moving from one part of the College to the next”.
He was contacted by the Bulletin for direct comment but did not reply.
In the newsletter he said “from the first restrictions due to COVID-19 back in February we have been following directives from the State Health Department and the Director General of Education regarding what we can and cannot do”.
“While I appreciate that there certainly seems to be some inconsistencies in what is happening across the state regarding sporting events (AFL, State of Origin), we have to follow the direction of those from whom we receive funding, and to whom I am answerable regarding accreditation to operate as a non-Government school.”
But a parent said they found it “interesting the leadership team seems to reference the need to follow direction from those who fund the school, yet is dismissing input from parents who pay the fees”.
“If state schools funded by government can change their plans and other private schools with fees half of what we pay can also meet new guidelines, then which funders’ directions are being followed at CAC?”
Mr Sly, also in the newsletter, said that decisions were always based on “what we believe is best for our students and our community”.
“Other schools did not cope as well during the learning from home period. Other schools did not give significant fee discounts to all families for two terms during the worst of the COVID pandemic,” he said.
“There is nothing I would like more than to see the College full of happy and proud parents at all of our usual events. Despite this desire, my responsibility is to ensure our decisions are made with the best long-term interests of our students and community, within the prescribed guidelines.
“With this in mind we will not change the arrangements we have in place for the final events of the year.
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