Coronavirus: Gold Coast parents with immunocompromised children fear sending them to school

Fearful Gold Coast parents are defying government directives to keep their children at school during the coronavirus pandemic.

GOLD Coast parents are defying directives to keep their children in school, which Prime Minister Scott Morrison advised should stay open as the best approach to slowing corona­virus.

Dozens of parents contacted declined to be named, with one fearing online attacks by “vigilante parents who might hassle me” and another worried her children might “cop backlash” if she spoke publicly about keeping her kids home.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison won’t close schools. Picture Gary Ramage

Parental anxiety on Facebook chat groups appears to be at an all-time high after Mr Morrison advised schools yesterday to stay open for the “foreseeable” future as “the virus operates very differently among younger people”.

It follows Singapore’s lead where it had success and was based on the best medical advice, he said.

He said closing schools would also cause “severe disruptions” and tens of thousands of job losses, plus the heath workforce dropping 30 per cent if parents had to stay home with kids.

Sal Scanlon is keeping Grace, 12, and Jack, 14, home from school to safeguard her immunocompromised two-year-old from coronavirus. Picture: Tim Marsden.

But that’s little comfort to parents with immunocompromised children such as Pimpama’s Sal Scanlon, who is keeping her 12, 14 and 17-year-olds at home. She also has a four and two-year-old.

“My youngest has had whooping cough, croup, pneumonia and is an asthmatic, so I’m not going to take any chances that he might be exposed, especially since kids can be asymptomatic so could unknowingly give it to him,” she said.

“I’m not willing to compromise their health, and what’s the big deal for me sitting at home for two weeks? I understand some parents have to go to work and don’t have a choice, but I think the Government should advise parents who can keep kids at home from school to do so.”

Sal Scanlon is keeping her five kids, including Grace, 12, and Jack, 14, out of school during the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: Tim Marsden.

Teana Dillon has an immunocompromised seven-year-old and a high-schooler and said her children were her first priority: “I’m my child’s only voice.

“It’s just not worth it for me, she is likely to pick up every bug going around, her immunity is so little and her allergy count is through the roof. School does try although some parents do not teach basic hygiene,” she said.

“I’ve also kept my oldest home from high school. He is fully equipped to handle the situation and basics of hand hygiene but the parent vigilante groups would be at my doorstep if I sent him with so much as a sneeze right now.”

She has called on parents to stop criticising each other’s decisions saying: “Australia is about mateship, let’s show them how it’s done”.

Strict COVID-19 measures including travel restrictions and restrictions on non essential gatherings are now in place.

A woman undergoing chemotherapy said she couldn’t afford for her children to pick up anything at school and pass it on to her so they were staying home.

One parent claimed a state school told her the Department of Education “has advised (keeping kids home) will be recorded as an ‘unauthorised absence’ and teachers would not be providing work for children to be completed at home”.

The department confirmed independent and Catholics schools on the Gold Coast were “expected” to remain open in line with state schools, unless otherwise advised.

Merrimac-based All Saints Anglican School is the first Gold Coast private school to ignore government advice and close its doors tomorrow and move more than 1500 students to online learning. It will make a decision on reopening after Easter.

Meanwhile, tertiary educators across the city have made changes to the way they operate.

• Southern Cross University will deliver all study programs online from Monday, graduation ceremonies are cancelled until July 1, but Gold Coast and Lismore campuses remain open.

Vice Chancellor Professor Adam Shoemaker said timetables would not change and clinical placements in health and teaching practicums would continue unless otherwise advised.

The Southern Cross University Gold Coast campus at Bilinga was in shut down last week after a visiting staff member was identified with COVID-19. Picture: SCOTT POWICK

• Bond University has brought forward the end of classes by a week, with formal teaching finishing on March 27. From next Monday, students will study remotely by joining multi-modal classes using technology, a spokeswoman said.

“Final examinations will be undertaken through a mix of alternative assessments which will include online exams. This will enable students to complete their studies without impinging on academic standards, while minimising the risk to students and staff.”

• TAFE Queensland CEO Mary Campbell said it would continue face-to-face training at its Gold Coast campuses and was following all Queensland Health and Australian Government advice and directives.

“This includes postponing or cancelling events or gatherings that are not related to training

delivery. All campuses continue to undergo extensive daily cleaning to ensure the health and

wellbeing of our staff and students,” she said.

“Due to the practical nature of the vocational education sector, a full transition to online

delivery of training may not be possible in all circumstances. Options to ensure students

continue to progress their course of study with TAFE Queensland are under way.”