Boarding school students returning home for holidays face strict restrictions

At the moment, interstate students face restriction on travelling back to their hometowns for the holidays, potentially having to isolate for two weeks or make their journey through a major city airport.

Minister for Regional Education Andrew Gee has called on the government to make provisions for students in this situation.

"The mental health impacts of COVID-19 have been debilitating for our young people. States and territories shouldn't be burdening them with yet another layer of stress and anxiety by making it more difficult to get to school and back home again," Mr Gee said.

"Students should not be required to take an indirect route home, via a capital city or major airport. Not only does this increase the financial burden on students and their families, [but] it also puts them at a greater risk as our cities are more likely to be COVID-19 hotspots."

Mr Gee said he has written to the chief medical officers and premiers of all states and territories in order to achieve a workable compromise on the issue.

In NSW, school holidays will take place between 28 September and 9 October. Meanwhile, in Victoria school holidays will be from 19 September to 4 October.

When contacted by The Daily Advertiser a spokesperson for the NSW Department of Education said its one boarding school in the Riverina - Yanco Agricultural High School - had a number of students that would be affected by the border closures.

"Special attention is being paid to senior students in Years 11 and 12 - six from Victoria and two from Queensland," the spokesperson said.

"The department understands how critical it is for student well-being to be able to return home for the holidays."

According to a spokesperson for the Catholic Education Diocese of Wagga Wagga, there are currently no students who will be adversely affected by the border closures at either Wagga's Mount Erin boarding school or St Francis De Sales Regional College in Leeton.