The King’s School in Sydney shuns mask guidelines, cites ‘confusion’ over public health orders

An elite Sydney school is shunning guidelines around mask-wearing – and it says the government is giving contradictory advice.

An elite private boys school in Sydney has decided to ignore government guidelines requiring high school students to wear masks indoors.

The exclusive King’s School in Parramatta will not require its students to wear face coverings, giving all pupils a choice as to whether or not they wish to don masks indoors.

The school told news.com.au the NSW Education Department’s directive for mask wearing contradicted the state’s public health orders.

Asked if the majority of King’s boys’ parents supported the directive from school principal Tony George, the school said it had not been flooded with complaints.

In a letter to parents from Mr George obtained by news.com.au, the headmaster said the school followed public health orders from the government rather than Education Department directives, and differences between the two had caused “confusion”.

The NSW Education mask guidelines apply to both state public and Catholic schools and “strongly recommend” primary school students wear face masks as well.

The majority of independent schools have decided to follow those guidelines, but Mr George said King’s would give its students a choice, arguing the public health orders do not require them to wear face coverings.

Elite private boys college The King’s School has broken ranks to allow its students not to wear face masks. Picture: Dan Himbrechts

“It is important to note that the NSW Education Department guidelines are primarily intended for NSW public schools,” Mr George wrote in his letter.

“The King’s School seriously considers all the advice and guidelines provided by all relevant authorities … it is the public health orders that provide the express direction to independent schools.

“It is these orders that inform the school in discharging its responsibility to develop a return to school road map for our school in the context of our diverse geographic footprint, our educational programs and our significant boarding operations.

“There are varied sources of additional information providing advice as to how schools should

respond to the current circumstances and that obligation.

“These are released by other bodies including the Association of Independent Schools NSW, the Departments of Education and Health, and the regularly updated NSW government’s road map for easing Covid-19 restrictions.

“The information is provided for a broad range of schools and school systems,

notably the public school sector, and this has resulted in some contradictory advice and a

degree of confusion.”

King’s School principal Tony George’s letter to parents outlining the elite school’s position on face masks. Picture: The King’s School.

The King’s School principal Tony George has written to parents about why the exclusive institution won’t follow Education Department guidelines on masks. Picture: Damian Shaw.

The King’s School has 2100 students from kindergarten to Year 12 and about 430 boarders, making it one of the largest boarding schools in Australia

Mr George said while King’s had a legal obligation to comply with public health orders, the school was independent and could work within those orders to develop guidelines that suited its academic, character, co-curricular and community programs.

Under the Education Department guidelines, singing is not permitted in schools.

However, King’s has drawn on state health orders to say it will allow singing if it’s consistent with the educational programs of the school.

I support the Kings School position here, something I never thought I’d say!

Health and Education bureaucrats threatening people who don’t wear masks with being close contacts is incredibly poor form! Time to stop contact tracing schools! https://t.co/WoTioYPzyd

— Dave (@DaveAceMan1982) October 27, 2021

Confused ideology of Libs’ public health. Only basis to recommend masks for public schools is health. If it’s necessary for them, it is for all. Not a matter of private choice. It affects us all. #Covid_19#masks@BradHazzard@Dom_Perrottet
https://t.co/sC5PKiU6vW

— Cathy Sherry (@CathySherryUNSW) October 26, 2021

On Twitter, the King’s School received some support.

One Twitter user posted: “I support the Kings School position here, something I never thought I’d say!

“Health and Education bureaucrats threatening people who don’t wear masks with being close contacts is incredibly poor form! Time to stop contact tracing schools!”

Another Twitter user wrote: “The Liberal government has everything to do with it. They have the power to write a PHO that requires masks in all schools.

“They have chosen to create a blanket exception for school students in 2.17(I). What King’s is doing is perfectly legal because the government has made it so.”

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