Victorian students along border fear closure could hinder Year 12 prospects
Victorian students living outside “bubble” zones along the NSW border are being hit with constant rule changes regulating their attendance at schools in NSW — leaving some fearing they’ll miss Year 12 exams.
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The border permit system is a “significant burden” stopping Victorian students from sitting key year 12 trial exams and staff from teaching pupils on campus.
Victorians living outside “bubble” zones allowing free movement across the border are hardest hit by constant rule changes regulating their attendance at schools in NSW.
The latest permits run out on Friday, stopping three year 12 students at Trinity Anglican College in Albury from doing their trial HSC exams at the school next week.
Up to 85 per cent of the school’s students are also affected by the restrictions of movement placed on four teachers who offer advanced HSC subjects.
Student at the school, Patrick Duggan, 17, from Beechworth, has a permit that will run out on Friday, putting in jeopardy a trial exam he needs to sit next week.
“If I can’t reapply then I can’t do my HSC trial exam in extension maths at school,” he said. “It’s a really important lead-up to my HSC exams.”
It is taking Patrick two hours to get to school each day thanks to the border closures.
“It’s been really hard and stressful. I just want to be able to get across the border to do my trials,” he said.
Trinity year 12 English teacher Kym Armstrong, her husband, a year 12 maths teacher, and their two daughters live in Wodonga, ten metres outside the bubble zone. This means they cannot attend campus from next week after their permits run out.
“We are being told we’re all in this together but people in the country are bearing the brunt of this,” she said.
“Students in covid hot spots in Sydney can move freely, but our students can’t move freely and aren’t sure if they will get to school next week.”
Rod Wangman, principal of Indie Schools in Albury and Wodonga, said ten to 15 staff and students who lived outside the bubble were forced to teach and learn remotely as they couldn’t reach their school campuses.
“It’s very inconvenient and should be weighed up against the low number of cases. It’s not proportional,” he said.
“It’s a significant burden.”
NSW Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said she expected “the department will be contacting each of the impacted families before the cut-off date with a solution.”
A Victorian spokesmen said the government would “continue to work with the NSW Government to ensure students residing outside the border zone in Victoria are not unfairly impacted by border restrictions”.
Justin Beckett, principal of Trinity Anglican School, said nothing concrete had been offered four days before the permits ran out.
“We need to know now and we need something in writing,” he said.
“Just seven permits will make a difference for 85 per cent of our kids,” he said.
On Monday, Wodonga had two confirmed cases of covid and Albury had none.
PRIME MINISTER CALLS FOR COMMON SENSE BORDER SOLUTIONS
A two-year-old with complex hip dysplasia will be allowed to cross into South Australia for medical treatment after an exemption was granted amid growing concern over the impacts of tough domestic border restrictions.
Mabel Dyer and her parents, who live in Kaniva 20km east of the border, have been granted permission to see her specialist in Adelaide following intervention from Scott Morrison.
The Prime Minister wrote to state premiers on Sunday, urging them to be practical and compassionate to Victorians needing to cross into NSW and SA to access healthcare and agricultural work.
Victorian farmers and producers have been particularly concerned, with many employees stuck on one side of the border and their workplaces on the other.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the federal government was advocating on behalf of Victoria to ensure crops were harvested, animals were cared for and the food and fibre supply chains were secured.
“We’re seeking flexibility from the individual states,” Mr Hunt said.
– Tamsin Rose
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