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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 381 asked in the Legislative Council on 17 April 2020 by Hon Donna Faragher

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

CORONAVIRUS — SCHOOLS — BOARDING SCHOOLS

381. Hon DONNA FARAGHER to the Minister for Education and Training:

I refer to the minister's announcement today regarding term 2 arrangements for schools. Can the minister advise whether a review is underway with regard to boarding schools and their likely reopening at some point during term 2?

Hon SUE ELLERY replied:

I thank the honourable member for the question. This is an important area of work. The advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, the national body of Chief Health Officers, is that boarding facilities should remain closed. However, the Premier has today asked as a matter of urgency for some advice from our Chief Health Officer and through AHPPC, if that is necessary, to see whether they could consider alternative advice in the event, for example, that we wanted to ensure that year 11 and 12 students who attend school through boarding facilities, can attend if we can come up with arrangements to satisfy social distancing and take into account shared living arrangements with a much smaller cohort than might normally be the case in a boarding facility. I am hopeful that we will get that advice as soon as possible. In the absence of that advice for public boarding facilities, the Schools of Isolated and Distance Education will provide intensive support for those year 11 and 12 students in particular.