The Opposition has called for clarity around isolation requirements for boarding school students, given five schools have been impacted by COVID-19 in just four days.
Shadow Education Minister Peter Rundle said hundreds of families with students in boarding and residential colleges need to know how close contact and isolation rules apply to them.
“Most classes have at least one boarder present, so if there is a positive case detected, those boarding students will also have to isolate,” Mr Rundle said.
“The Education Minister has provided no detail on where those students would need to quarantine, as many do not have an appropriate location other than the boarding school.
“There are many questions yet to be answered around this, including whether other boarding students would also have to isolate, and whether boarding staff – who hold duty of care – would also have to isolate with them.
“These children are already isolated from their families and loved ones, there need to be clear guidelines and directions to provide support if they have to quarantine.”
Mr Rundle said the Premier and his Education Minister must introduce ‘high caseload’ isolation and testing rules as soon as possible, to prevent further chaos in schools and education providers.
“We have seen one school closed, hundreds of teachers thrown into 14 days of quarantine, and face-to-face learning disrupted, just three days into Term One.
“West Australians deserve certainty and confidence that schools will operate as smoothly as possible, but all the Labor Government has delivered is chaos and confusion.”
