The new easing of restrictions for boarding schools could soothe the fears of the Isolated Children’s Parents Association (ICPA), who have expressed concerns that the current restrictions could place boarding students at a disadvantage compared to their day student peers. 

Despite having lessened since the height of Covid-19 cases in 2020 and 2021, restrictions in boarding schools are still very much in place, and very different to the normal scenes in the household of a day student. 

At Tamworth’s Calrossy Anglican School (Calrossy), boarders have adapted to a new way of life from the lifestyle they once knew. 

Head of Enrolments and Community Courtney Coe said that students are still being groups in some contexts to limit the opportunity for Covid-19 to spread, including increased dining settings and limited access to one another’s dorms. 

“The current restrictions are being reviewed today, looking at changes which will be implemented from the start of next week that will in many ways return their life to what it was pre-pandemic,” Mrs Coe said. 

While the students have regained access to all extracurriculars already, the ICPA has expressed concerns for the wellbeing of students in confined contexts. 

“Geographically isolated children are a vulnerable cohort who, in many instances, have no choice but to attend boarding school in order to receive equitable educational opportunities. Their families continue to be exasperated by conditions imposed and measures implemented to limit the spread of the virus in boarding schools,” said an ICPA spokesperson. 

Hopefully, the balanced approach to risks and education will be taken as the restrictions are reviewed. 

For boarding students like those at Calrossy, Covid-19 positive cases need to return home for ‘Seven plus three’, requiring students to isolate for the standard seven days, plus another three for the high risk environment they’ll be returning to.

“That has caused another issue…those in remote and isolated places need to cart in from Broken Hill and pick up their child from the middle of Sydney within a 12 hour time frame has been an added pressure for families, that’s for sure,” Mrs Coe said. 

When the 10 days of isolation and travel days accumulate, boarding students are likely to miss more days of school than their day student counterparts, but it's a factor that schools have become well adjusted to in the past two years. 

“Schools are already well versed in providing a different platform for learning for students…if a student tests positive for COVID or is a household contact, you know they’ve been provided with work and access to class pages,” Mrs Coe said. 

Next week, Calrossy is hoping to see a further return to normal that will hopefully put boarding students back in better standing, including being able to return to larger group settings, and welcoming parents back into the school.

“It’s been really hard for families over the last two years where their relationship with the school has been kept at arm's length,” Mrs Coe said. 

The restriction change will likely see flexibility for schools depending on local case numbers and risk to the environment, meaning that mask wearing and smaller student groups could come and go with the tides of COVID-19.