The closure of state borders is causing 'unnecessary hardship' on remote children who need to cross borders to attend boarding schools, according to the Isolated Children's Parents' Association of NSW (ICPA NSW).
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The association, which advocates for remote children and families, is calling on governments to class children who need to cross borders for study as essential travellers.
"We need policy writers to consider the unique situation these children are in before they make policy on the run," ICPA NSW president Claire Butler said.
"There is no consistency nationally and we need a future plan of what the return to school looks like for children, who due to geographic isolation must attend boarding school interstate.
"These children are from remote properties and can easily self isolate at home during the holidays."
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Many children in northern NSW attend boarding school in Queensland, however the closure of the Queensland border on Saturday, August 8 means local families are now facing more uncertainty.
Parents in northern NSW are unable to visit their children who board in Queensland, and Ms Butler said it is still unclear what the quarantine arrangements will be for these children.
"We are seeking further clarification from Queensland Health on what the new measures will mean for our members," she said.
ICPA NSW is calling on all state governments to include the respective ICPA state councils in their decision-making regarding rural and remote children.
"This would ensure a clear plan is in place for children who must cross state borders to access an education," Ms Butler said.
"ICPA NSW has been forming policy with the NSW government for nearly 50 years and together we have achieved much to enable rural and remote children to access an education. We call on the NSW government to include us in any decision making that is going to impact the education of isolated children during this pandemic.
"We certainly understand caution, but the schools already have the risk management plans in place, they do risk management very well and can help keep communities safe whilst at the same time not negatively impact these children accessing their education.
"The effects of the border closures are also being felt by many apprentices and tertiary students who live interstate and school students who cross the border for daily access to education.
"These children are the future of agriculture and we call on the state governments of South Australia, Queensland and NSW to put their politics aside and work together with us and other stakeholders so that this situation finds some middle ground.
"COVID-19 isn't going away in a hurry and policy being made without consultation is making it extremely and unnecessarily difficult for regional, rural and remote families living in NSW."
At the ICPA Federal conference on August 5, ICPA NSW moved that ICPA Australia urge the Minister for Regional Education to establish an Isolated Children's Pandemic Advisory Group made up of state and federal Education Ministers and relevant authorities, ABSA and ICPA representatives to ensure consistent decisions are made specific to the needs of geographically isolated children who must cross the state borders in order to access education.
They also moved that ICPA Australia requests the relevant authorities to ensure the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) guidelines be adhered to with consistency across all states with regards to rural and remote education.
Collarenebri-Mungindi branch of the ICPA delegates Virginia Parkel Thomas and Libby McPhee, who is also the ICPA NSW vice president, attended the online federal conference of ICPA Australia, voting in favour for both of the motions moved by ICPA NSW.
"This motion is so relevant to northern NSW and the Queensland/NSW border region because the state is sandwiched between three states and during this pandemic each state has had different rules in terms of quarantining and returning to boarding school and now visiting boarding school children," Ms McPhee said.
"In most cases these children attending boarding schools are at home isolating in rural communities and on rural properties.
"The risk of transmitting COVID-19 is so minimal. ICPA-NSW told the conference that the only way to give certainty in what is very uncertain times, is to have a Pandemic Taskforce or Advisory Group at the highest levels of government to ensure isolated children do not miss out on accessing their compulsory education.
"Members can be assured ICPA is working across the country to ensure rural students get the education they deserve."