Regional New South Wales students, who are unable to return to their boarding schools, are preparing for at least a week of online classes, after Sydney's COVID-19 lockdown was extended.
Loreto Normanhurst year 12 student Lilly Dean said she would be staying at her family farm in the Riverina and was anticipating at least a week of online learning from the start of the school term on Monday.
She said it was daunting, particularly given her HSC trial exams start in two weeks.
"That face-to-face, teacher-student time is just so critical," she said.
Ms Dean said she felt fortunate that she could travel from her family's farm to her parents' business in Wagga Wagga, where she would be able to connect to reliable internet.
But she said her experience of online learning last year showed that some students found it difficult to access classes while studying from home.
"Especially the boarders … [whose] parents are both full-time farmers. They don't have access to an office space like I do, or they just live too far out of town, in such a remote area," Ms Dean said.
NSW Isolated Children's Parent Association (ICPA) councillor Bree Wakefield said people in rural and remote communities "do isolation really well".
"I think families are really happy that their kids will be at home and they'll be able to isolate there and stay safe but continue on with the remote learning that's been put in place," she said.
"The best thing about this announcement coming in the school holidays is that parents and families have time to organise this situation the best they can.
Border issues remain a concern
Ms Wakefield said the ICPA's biggest concern was the cross-border issues families were experiencing.
"I know in South Australia we've had kids who've had to quarantine up to three times last year, so missing six weeks of the school year is a huge issue."
Ms Wakefield's son attends school in South Australia and as the border is closed, she needs to apply for a permit for him to go back to school.
She said the ICPA was working with governments to find a better solution for students.
"We're still … lobbying for there to be a national framework so that our kids know that they can come home, spend time on their properties when they have little risk of taking COVID back to their schools when they return."
