Boarding students’ life on campus nothing near normal

No visits from family and no weekend passes off campus. These are just a few of the health protocols schools must enforce and students must endure to keep boarding communities safe.

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EDUCATIONAL disruption has become the norm this year, and boarding students have experienced more than most.

As term 3 gets off to a rolling start, boarding schools in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire are able to welcome back just Year 11 and 12 students.

Regional schools, however, can bring more boarders back into houses, thanks to relaxed guidelines issued by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee in June, which give staff more flexibility to manage risk in dormitories.

Many schools have gone to great lengths, increasing deep cleaning, installing room partitions, enforcing social distancing and even offering coronavirus testing for pupils.

At The Geelong College, which has 100 boarders, about 90 per cent of students had returned to the boarding houses by the end of last term.

Head of boys boarding Gareth Gilby said much planning had gone into the return.

“The welfare of the students in our care – that is always the priority – and creating an environment where students can flourish,” Mr Gilby said. “The challenge, I think, was to have the students understand that it is very different from them coming to school, which is governed by fairly different regulations to their living environment in the boarding houses.

“They come to school and interact closely with their peers, then come back to the boarding house and a lot of the regulations around social distancing are totally different.”

The Geelong College head of boys boarding Gareth Gilby with boarders.

NEW NORMAL

The Geelong College boarders had to adjust to a new way of life, with limited out-of-house trips, no weekend leave, one hour of exercise a day, no visits from family or friends and strict protocols about use of shared rooms including kitchens and recreation rooms.

“Our families have been super supportive,” Mr Gilby said. “A number of students were a little nervous about coming back, thinking life would be significantly changed. For most of them it has been a positive experience to get back with their peers and friends.”

For larger communities, however, such as Ballarat Grammar with its 230 mostly rural boarders, the situation was more challenging.

Director of boarding Chris Van Styn said the school could have only 110 senior boarders back in the house in term 2, with the remaining 120 younger boarders studying as day students. “It hasn’t been easy for a lot of families,” said Mr Van Styn, who is also the vice-chair of the Victorian chapter of the Australian Boarding Schools Association.

Ballarat Grammar’s Year 7 and 8 students will join the Year 11 and 12 students in the boarding houses this term. Year 9 and 10 students will live at tourist destination Sovereign Hill, a 10-minute bus ride from the campus.

The school organised buses to collect NSW students from the Victoria border so parents would not have to quarantine on their return home.

HOUSE RULES

Year 11 boarders Alice Dufty and Brait Headon said boarding felt different without all year levels.

“As the weeks went on and more students came back, the community of Grammar returned,” said Alice, who is from Hamilton. “However it’s great to be back boarding and catching up with everyone and getting away from my parents.” Brait, from Hay, said he was “keen for the rest to be able to come in and get things back to normal”.

While returning to “normal” is not on the horizon, Ballarat Grammar’s campus at Sovereign Hill will maintain safe sleeping arrangements for students, while offering respite for rural families who had moved to rental properties in Ballarat during term 2, so children could attend school.

“We just employed a former head of boarding to run that (Sovereign Hill) campus,” Mr Van Styn said.

“We have a really big responsibility to lead here.

“The decision-making matrix has been based on three tenants: health and wellbeing is first; the decisions must reflect the values of the school; and being financially prudent. That last one may be under threat a little here. We won’t charge our families any extra, but will run on a loss.”

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